The New Wave ~ ATime&Place
The New Wave is Campaign Brief’s Q&A series spotlighting the next generation of independent creative companies and exploring how the indie model is evolving. From structure and speed to culture and capability, we unpack where these businesses are finding their edge and what’s driving client decisions today. Next up is ATime&Place co-founders Adrian Mills (CEO) and Matt Lawson (CCO).
1. Give us the elevator pitch – who are you and what do you do?
We create different worlds for brands, and ideas that draw people to them. So, we think of ourselves as The World Building Business.
2. Are indies still challengers, or have they become the norm?
The reality is, globally, a lot of the best talent in the industry have opted out of the holding companies. So, although indies are still challenging convention, it’s now entirely normal for big brands to choose to work with comparatively smaller agency partners. The size of ideas and the size of agencies are not at all correlated.
3. What’s your unfair advantage over the networks today?
You will never out-care an indie. The owners are in the building, with their hearts on their sleeves, and those sleeves are rolled up. And care is the most important factor in the success of every team and every project.
4. How are you using AI to compete above your weight?
Strategically, the holding companies used to have an almost mythical depth of knowledge. Today, Claude (and his friends) have more depth and breadth than any holdco ever had. In this sense, Ai doesn’t give either the holding company or the indie an advantage. It’s just evened the playing field.
Creatively, it’s always been about the idea. AI just means we can do previously impossible work, or similar work at previously impossible speeds. It puts us all in the same weight division. The determining factor is then talent.
5. What kind of clients are choosing indies right now – and why?
The best ones. The highest performing. The ones who are really going places. All the cool clients are doing it. Why not try a little indie?
But seriously: if you’re not a multinational brand that needs consistent account representation across dozens of markets, then it makes sense to talk to your local indie.
6. What’s next – growth, staying lean, or something else?
What’s next is depth. We’re expanding what we can offer clients. Our new Digital Experience and Entertainment Practice (DEEP) is built for brands that want to exist in culture, not just advertise at it. This means more immersive worlds, entertainment-led ideas and digital experiences that people seek, rather than skip or block. The kind of work that gives a brand world genuine gravity.
Because yes, things are changing, but as long as humans have egos, brands will matter. And the brands that will matter most are the ones that build worlds worth living in.
Check out the other New Wave Q&As below:
Read Bastion Australia’s Q&A here
Read We Are Different’s Q&A here
Read SICKDOGWOLFMAN’s Q&A here
Read Kill Boring Dead’s Q&A here
Read Oblong Creative’s Q&A here
Read The Many Australia’s Q&A here
Read Bureau of Everything’s Q&A here
Read Art of the Possible ANZ’s Q&A here
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Love you guys.