The element of surprise has been a powerful storytelling device as long as people have been telling stories. The unexpected idea delights our brains and stokes our curiosity. We engage fully, if only for a moment, with the unexpected. Do you know that feeling when an idea hits you or when you’ve created something you know is special? Your brain synapses fire. Adrenaline sparks. You feel the pride swell in your chest. It’s never easy, but it’s worth every drop of sweat and every tear. That rare, hard-earned feeling of surprise is what drives our creative mission.
Create Surprise.
Creating surprise is an intensely personal standard. Before an idea can amaze the world, it has to surprise the creator first. We strive to surprise ourselves every day in our work. We never stop aiming to write the perfect line that sets a new bar. Or working out a design that causes us to sit back and grin. Personal surprise in the work is something we recognize in a way that can’t be faked. It’s that undeniable feeling of surprise that we look for in our work across every brand and project, no matter the scope.
Create surprise and you will thrive. Create surprise and we will thrive.
Surprise is a standard that asks us each to be our most demanding critic. If we’re truly surprised by our work, it feels personal, unique and fresh. Work that surprises us is work that is ready to inspire clients and ultimately drive a truly creative culture of ideas.
The Art of Creating Surprise
Of course there’s an art to our surprise. Here’s how it works..
Seek truth and empathy. Empathy pushes us to connect emotionally. And truth keeps us grounded in the facts. By seeking both truth and empathy, we encourage bold thinking, open dialogue and a shared sense of what’s most important.
Embrace the box. When did thinking outside the box become the measuring stick of creativity? We all know there’s always a box masquerading as the budget, timing or even brand standards. We embrace that box. Then we set to work exploring the creative possibilities within the edges. Is there a secret door in the box? How could a simple twist unlock a new way of seeing everything? Is the box actually the perfect canvas for this work? For us, embracing the box, and the perceived limitations, leads to surprising ideas and creative ingenuity.
Boring work only sells boredom. Someone once said it and it stuck. When you think about it, everyone deserves to be surprised by marketing. Those who create it and those who consume it. We encourage everyone to find ways to push past the boredom of the expected. Get away from your screen. Find some sun. See art. Hear art. Taste art. Learn a new tool. Create some brain space. Pursue your own creative inspiration and great ideas will follow.
There’s always another idea. Creativity is an endless idea. There’s always another angle. Another layer. Another design. Another technology or experience to tap. As long as you’re willing to rebound from critique or limitations and start again, your creativity will always provide another, possibly even better way. You can’t beat creativity, it’s relentless. And so are we.
Smart Creative. Surprisingly Unexpected.
Our mission is to first surprise ourselves creatively and in turn surprise our clients and their audience. We believe creating surprise in our work makes marketing unexpected in the best of all ways. It connects people in new ways. Stirs hearts. Sparks curiosity. Entertains. Surprise creates conversations and community across invisible barriers. Brings art to the everyday. And creates a moment that is remembered for how it made you feel.
The Art of Creating Surprise
How we deliver surprise for our clients, their brands and their audience.
Unlock creative solutions. It’s not just about brainstorming new campaigns. We see the whole picture. We identify the root of the marketing challenge, leverage our research and strategy resources and learn what is unique to each brand and its audience. The art of creating surprise is the art of unlocking the potential of creativity.
Deliver the unexpected and the unmistakable. Our team relentlessly delivers creative solutions from the weird to the profound. The heart-warming to the gut-splitting. We help brands find that wow factor. We turn our passion for surprise into creative ideas, campaigns, experiences and solutions that truly set your brand apart.
Align surprises with your brand. Surprises are only delightful when done right. When surprising work connects, it has the power to build brand loyalty, inspire new brand fans and amplify brand performance. We help dynamic brands harness the power of surprise by making it personal—for ourselves and the audience.
When you create surprise, you have the power to redefine the narrative. Reimagine community. Solve the tension. Transform data into human experience. Create surprise, and you create the expectation that your brand is the one worth watching.
