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We just sent one of our best creatives to another agency. In another country. To work for them.
And they sent one of theirs to us.
Crazy? Maybe. But we are jotting it down as a new employee benefit.
Meet ShopSwap.
The idea was born out of Indie Agency News' Sister Agency program, which connects independent shops around the world. We loved the idea. But what if we took it one step further and actually traded talent? Sent our people into another agency for a week to experience a different culture, learn new ways of working and bring a little inspiration back home?
Meet Brandenburg, the Icelandic agency behind the country's first-ever Cannes Lion and our debut ShopSwap partner.
We welcomed Co-Founder and Creative Director Jón Ari ("Jari") Helgason to Cincinnati for a week. In exchange, we sent Curiosity Design Director Andy Millard to Reykjavík to work alongside the Brandenburg team. Tough assignment, working Blue Lagoon-side.
Turns out, we have a lot to learn from each other. And a few things American agencies might want to rethink.
Imagine an advertising industry where agencies aren't expected to give away their best ideas for free. Apparently, that place exists. It's called Iceland.
One of Jari's biggest observations about the American advertising industry? Our obsession with pitching. In Iceland, free spec work isn't the norm. Imagine that.
Jari believes that if CMOs want better work, they should pay agencies for their thinking. It builds goodwill, respects the creative process and, frankly, is only fair.
In a market as small as Iceland, there's rarely a massive payday waiting on the other side of a pitch win. So Brandenburg is selective. Unless it's a once-in-a-lifetime, portfolio-defining opportunity, like redesigning Iceland's national soccer team identity for the World Cup, pitching simply isn't sustainable.
But when they do pitch, they go all in.
His advice to American agencies? Put your foot down. Say no to free spec work.
As someone who leads new business, I wish it were that simple.
We've somehow built an industry where the people selling creativity are expected to give it away for free. And if you don't do it, someone else will. Especially when you're a smaller agency trying to make a name for yourself. Sometimes credentials aren't enough. You have to prove what you're capable of before someone is willing to take a chance on you.
Trust me, I get it. I've been on both sides of this argument. But at some point, we have to ask ourselves why we've accepted this as normal.
ANA, you listening?
Meanwhile, one of Andy's biggest takeaways from Iceland had nothing to do with the work itself. It was how Brandenburg makes the work better.
No private offices. No big reveals. Just everyone gathered around one screen, sharing ideas and making the work better together. Nobody waits for a big presentation or worries about whose idea it was.
And honestly, I think American agencies could use a little more of that.
We'll be the first to admit that being "nice" (Midwest probs) can sometimes get in the way of delivering honest feedback. But when you believe feedback is a gift, and that the whole point is making the work better, it's a lot easier to give and receive.
A few candid nudges along the way sure beat having your big idea blown up at the finish line.
What happens when you spend a year creating something entirely by hand, only for the internet to accuse you of using AI?
Ask Brandenburg.
The agency recently reimagined the legacy characters of an Icelandic ice cream brand. A year of meticulous 3D rendering, thoughtful design and actual human creativity.
The internet's verdict? "AI trash." The irony? Not a single character was AI-generated.
Sound familiar? We saw something similar happen with LERMA/'s He Gets Us Super Bowl spot, which faced accusations of AI-generated visuals despite being shot practically.
Think about how crazy that is. We spend years telling creatives to make work that looks like nothing we've seen before. Now, when they do, people assume a machine made it.
And for CMOs, that's a whole new challenge. It's no longer enough to make great work. You might have to prove how you made it.
So where does Brandenburg stand on AI?
For the boring stuff? Bring it on. Meetings, calendars, notes. All the things nobody got into advertising to do.
But the fun stuff? The creative stuff? That's where they want humans leading the way.
And isn't that the whole point of AI? Less time doing the work we have to do. More time doing the work we love.
You can't buy culture. But apparently, you can buy a lot of art.
Twice a year, Brandenburg sets aside a small contribution from each employee's salary, matches it, and goes on a high-end art shopping spree supporting local Icelandic artists.
Then comes the fun part. Everyone draws a number, spins a wheel and takes home a piece of art. Think white elephant meets MoMA.
But my favorite tradition might be even better.
Last year, the entire agency hopped on a bus and toured Reykjavík, stopping at employees' homes for a progressive brunch. Yes, the whole agency. Going house to house. Eating brunch.
As Jari put it, "You know people so well, but you don't really know them until you go to their home."
I love that.
We've done a lot of things to bring our people together at Curiosity, but I have to admit, this one never crossed my mind. Now, the real question: Would you let your entire agency show up at your front door?
I'll admit, sending one of your best people to work at another agency isn't exactly conventional.
But that's what made this so interesting. Andy came back with a different perspective on how creative teams can work together. And Jari gave us a fresh look at things we probably take for granted.
Every agency has its own habits, processes and traditions. Some are great. Some could probably use a little questioning.
We're already looking for our next ShopSwap partner. And I can't wait to see what we learn next.
Not a bad trade.
Want to hear the story behind Brandenburg's Icelandic national football team work? Or the insight that fueled their first Cannes Lion win?
Catch my full conversation with Jari on Question Everything, available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
We're looking for more independent agencies willing to trade talent, share ideas and question how things have always been done.
Apply to be part of ShopSwap season two. We'd love to learn from you.
Part interview, part therapy, part Price Is Right, Question Everything puts CMOs and marketing leaders in the hot seat. While they face off against our game board, listeners hear the wins, mistakes and hard-earned lessons of leaders who are all daring enough to be curious.
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