Gus bridges the gap between creative and strategy with work for emerging brands

Gus launched in 2021 as a creative strategy company with the goal of removing barriers its founders believe exist between strategic and creative thinking at agencies. And the shop has done just that, going well beyond advertising to help brands rethink positioning, new products, design, consumer experience and much more. It’s working with Spotify, Harry’s, Back Market, Lemonade, Meati, Vimeo, Comic Relief and Timex, and revenue rose from $2.36 million in 2022 to $4.14 million last year. See all of the 2024 Small Agency award winners here Gus challenges traditional thinking and isn’t afraid to take risks. For Back Market, a marketplace for refurbished technology, the agency had to overcome an awareness challenge for a brand that competes with tech titans such as Apple that constantly roll out new products. Gus’ idea: Hack Apple’s annual keynote event. It began with Gus teasing a “sustainable” phone launch. To make the premise believable, the shop partnered with DCX Growth Accelerator and SuperBloom House to create digital out-of-home ads globally for the launch—and “accidentally” left seemingly top-secret documents about the phone in Cupertino coffee shops. Influencers were lined up to unbox these “new” phones. Then, at the exact moment Apple announced its new iPhone 15, the “sustainable” phone ads switched to reveal that the “new” product was actually a refurbished Back Market iPhone 14. Since launch, the number of people searching the term “refurbished phones” tripled, and traffic to Back Market’s website jumped 68%, according to the agency. When shower products maker Sproos hired Gus to help design a new line of easy-to-install shower heads for millennials, the agency began to think bigger. Given that many members of the demographic aren’t yet homeowners, Gus recommended positioning Sproos as “the first home improvement brand for renters.” As the agency put it in its entry, the plan was to create products “easy, unintimidating and, dare we say, fun for a younger generation to put their personal touch on an apartment and feel at home—maybe for the first time in their adult lives.” Gus added bright colors and personalization options to Sproos products and made them removable without damaging rental properties. It expanded the product line beyond showers to dozens of different SKUs and reimagined the installation experience from scratch, designing simpler packaging and a millennial-friendly digital experience accessed via a QR code that gives step-by-step instructions. The digital directions include huzzahs from yogis and cheerleaders along the way, and at the finish, a voucher for a free Sproos-branded beer. Gus invested more than its time in the effort: It became an advisor and investor in Sproos. Gus also created the virtual insurance brand Lemonade’s first brand platform and first global brand campaign. The effort leaned on Lemonade’s differences compared to traditional insurers with videos that highlighted the absurdity, jargon and red tape of the giants, with the tagline “Changing insurance starting with everything.” See all of the 2024 Small Agency award winners here In just a few months, Lemonade saw a 60% increase in brand search, a 23% increase in brand awareness and a 10% increase in sales.

Gus bridges the gap between creative and strategy with work for emerging brands

Featured Stories