Melbourne creative agency US+US grows a business of 15 from scratch through COVID

US+US opened its doors at the same time Coronavirus first emerged in Australia (no connection). Since then it has grown by almost a team member a month and now has a client list of 13, including its founding client, Judo Bank.

Over the last eighteen months, US+US has been quietly getting on with the business of being in business, moving its growing team into a new office in Cremorne in March, and proving to its clients why they were right to choose an unheralded start-up.

Founded by awarded creative director Jim Ritchie at the start of 2020, respected design lead Tom Hutcheon came on board as co-founder+design partner shortly afterwards. Ritchie and Hutcheon are united in their desire to commit to a relationship-centric philosophy that allows business and creativity to flourish without the usual agency-client friction.

What stands US+US apart is that it unites the traditionally segregated disciplines of brand, design, advertising and consulting.

Says Ritchie: “US+US is a creative company built to be positively different from the inside out, to unite client and agency, business and creativity, work and life; to be the antithesis of the ‘them and us’ attitudes seen so often in advertising and marketing.”

US+US consciously eschews the traditional ‘agency-with-creative-teams’ default, in favour of a flexible and nimble approach that brings individual strategic, creative and design thinking to a problem or opportunity.

Says Hutcheon: “We have copywriters, strategists and designers supported by business and project management, individuals who come together in varying degrees depending on the needs of our clients. We actively avoid the scattergun approach of big, networked agencies; we don’t consume our clients’ time with multiple strategic territories or ideas that are there simply to pad out a presentation or satisfy an agenda, we invest all our energies into uncovering the one right and true solution.”

It’s an approach that has not just attracted Judo Bank, but fellow start-up juggernaut, Sayers – who US+US partners closely with on multiple projects. Other clients include, The Australian Business Growth Fund, Club Assist, Kidsafe, For The Love, Tourism North East, doTERRA, ISLA Vodka, Castlerock and Valis among others.

Interestingly, almost half of US+US’ client relationships to date have been held with a business’s C-suite or leadership team.

Says Ritchie: “What our clients need first and foremost is an understanding of their business, without any preconceived ideas about what the end solution is. We work alongside our clients to uncover and deliver what they need, not what we want. It’s why we do ads when necessary, not as a necessity – and it’s an approach that resonates.”

Notable appointments include Angel Lewis as project director (ex VCCP London, W+K, Cummins&Partners), Louisa Webb as associate client partner (ex-McCann, Whybin\TBWA, CHE), Tina Rodi as studio manager (ex-Mushroom, HM Group) and Laurel Davis as creative partner from Clemenger BBDO Melbourne. The appointment of Davis was significant, allowing Ritchie to focus on the strategic and business side of US+US.

Says Hutcheon: “We’ve had a mammoth eighteen months, growing US+US from the ground up – almost half of which we did in isolation – but the strength and resolve of the team, and our Client+US relationships, are testament to our ambition to do it differently – and do it with more positive intent. 6pm on Friday 29th October, marks even more restrictions being lifted in Victoria, now we’re really looking forward to getting out there and testing our mettle in 2022.”

The glass door and concrete halls of US+US are finally open for in-real-life business. Again.