Justin Drape Launches CREATIVITY & COMMERCE: A New Global Practice Bridging Ideas and Impact

Award-winning creative leader Justin Drape has launched CREATIVITY & COMMERCE, a global practice dedicated to unlocking the commercial value of creativity. With a clear mission to bring creative problem solving into boardrooms, cultural institutions, classrooms and policy making, CREATIVITY & COMMERCE aims to shift the way organisations think about and invest in creativity.

At its core, CREATIVITY & COMMERCE is a practice – not an agency, studio or consultancy – designed to help brands, artists, media groups, entertainment companies, governments and agencies identify and execute ideas that generate tangible commercial and cultural value.

“We exist to help clients see creativity not as a cost, but as a critical investment,” says Drape. “The two cultural forces of creativity and commerce influence our lives daily, yet their pairing still struggles to be taken seriously in most boardrooms, in policy and in classrooms. Too often they are thought of or utilised separately: left brain/right brain, logic/emotion or sandpit/spreadsheet.

“Creativity is the critical skill for people and organisations to innovate, compete, adapt and succeed in a world where AI will play a main character role. And creativity will continue to be a defining skill and competitive advantage so it’s crucial for people and businesses to understand its power and how to commercialise it.”

Since its inception, CREATIVITY & COMMERCE has partnered with a diverse range of businesses, founders and brands, including The Many; Emotive – on the launch of El Arquero Tequila for co-founder and cricket icon Adam Gilchrist; Bullfrog; Marriott Luxury Collection; InterContinental Hotel Group; and Marina Bay Sands Singapore via T3 Media Entertainment (producers of Eating Inn, featured on Netflix and SBS Food). Other collaborations include Movember and Gillette with Australian Cricket Captain Pat Cummins, in partnership with The Many and Wellcom, with additional clients and projects to be announced soon.

Drape says he is positioning CREATIVITY & COMMERCE as a professional practice – akin to a medical or law practice – that offers experience, objectivity, and results over speculative work or pitches.

“Clients engage us when they need proven creative experience and commercial acumen in an ally who can think beyond the limitations of advertising,” says Drape. “And when I say ‘us’ or ‘we’, I’m referring to the diverse talent I can bring to every project. We won’t pitch for business. We don’t do ‘cheap and cheerful’, and we only take on challenges with clear commercial intent.”

Combining the network power of Drape’s other recent venture, Exceptional ALIEN – an international travel platform curating recommendations through the lens of global creative talent, CREATIVITY & COMMERCE gives clients access to a borderless community of elite talent, including Grammy Award winners, Michelin-starred chefs, Oscar winners, Olympic champions, entrepreneurs and industry pioneers.

This network-driven approach allows the practice to custom-build high-impact teams for each client project, with a focus on creativity, purpose and commercial effectiveness.