IMAGINE IF®, the ‘Secret Weapon’ studio operating from an abandoned Japanese high school steps out of the shadows

From Longtail and The Brand to Google, Apple and now an abandoned high school in Japan, IMAGINE IF® is stepping out of the shadows. Already in its 5th year the studio has worked across Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and Australia for brands like Uber, Google, Square, and Nikon.

Formally known as IMAGINE IF LABS, founders Tim Seddon and Gene Brutty have rebranded with a new identity and website: imagineif.today

Operating from an abandoned Japanese high school, the studio is modelled on the duo’s time leading a brand innovation team across Asia from Google Tokyo.

“We’ve always white-labelled ourselves because agencies were often involved, but this is no longer an experiment; it’s a proven process that’s valuable to both brands and agencies. It’s time we promote what we do and encourage collaboration again in our industry,” says Seddon (pictured left).

Seddon and Brutty are creative agency veterans and ex-Google and Apple Creative Directors who have built a loyal regional network of clients, vendors, and collaborators.

“Tim and Gene are the rare kind of creatives who know that the best creative ideas come from culture. Their work on the Square Japan campaign is a perfect example: rooted in a deep, nuanced understanding of Japanese society, they found a tension that was both universally relatable and distinctly local to offer something up that I’ve simply never seen before in our industry,” says Sean Conroy, Executive Creative Director, Square.

After returning from judging The One Show in the US, Brutty said that it’s really interesting to see where the work rising to the top of categories is coming from.

“Independent studios and small teams of collaborators; this is where outsized impact is coming from and where the truly distinctive thinking is being born. It’s simple, pure, and creative – the sort of things that humans make, not AI, and not enormous corporate teams.”

IMAGINE IF® also works alongside Australian agencies as creative + cultural translators, helping carry a client’s strategy and brand voice into Asian markets without losing what makes it work.

“Tim & Gene are real unicorns. They combine strong creative understanding, concepting and strategic chops with in-region experience and a hard-to-find cultural compass for the APAC region. They seamlessly became part of our team and represented us brilliantly in places we had no physical foothold at the time,” said Julian Schreiber, Chief Creative Officer, Special Group.

Their famous IF Workshops® and patented Idea Tennis™ are collaboration methods developed over their time at Google, Apple and creative agencies. These processes are designed to unlock the value and expertise of internal teams and external partners, and give them the clarity and ownership to turn ideas into action.

The studio is continuously expanding their network of partners across Asia and Australia and would love to hear from any brand, agency or independent who still believe in collaboration: [email protected]