The New Wave ~ OUTSIDE IN
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 OUTSIDE IN.
1. Give us the elevator pitch – who are you and what do you do?
Launched in 2024, OUTSIDE IN is a collective of creatives who plug into brands to bring world-class ideas and craft. Our ‘in-house’ model allows us to become an extension of any marketing team – one that brings decades of experience from the world’s best creative agencies, in-house teams and start-ups.
2. Are indies still challengers, or have they become the norm?
Australia is leading the world when it comes to the impact indies are having on the market, with many now surpassing traditional network agencies in scale and the calibre of clients they attract.
There’s no doubt the networks are keeping a close eye on what the indies are doing right now.
Given indies have become so normalised, you’d think we’d all turn on each other, but we’ve found the opposite to be true. There’s a genuine camaraderie across the indie community, built on shared experiences, beliefs and existing relationships. We’re probably more inclined to help each other out than wish a gremlin into someone’s Slides deck – and we think that can only be positive for the industry overall.
3. What’s your unfair advantage over the networks today?
We’ve found our sweet spot by being led entirely by creatives and bringing deep in-house expertise. Our all-creative leadership and brand-side experience mean we work as part of our clients’ teams, not as a separate entity. We’ve found it’s this kind of other-side-of-the-desk collaboration that CMOs, CEOs and founders are increasingly looking for – and that can be harder to foster within traditional agency models.
4. How are you using AI to compete above your weight?
We use AI to help with the processes involved in running an agency, freeing us up for the creative tasks that only humans can do. We strongly believe in the craft, however messy, painstaking or imperfect it can be. In our eyes, AI exists to serve it, not replace it.
We’ve also found that, while many agencies are focused on using AI, we’re increasingly being brought in to help AI companies and brands feel more human. Because as technology becomes more intelligent, humanity becomes the real differentiator. In full disclosure, that last sentence was written by AI – but it’s a pretty good example of the harmony human creativity and AI can achieve, don’t you think?
5. What kind of clients are choosing indies right now – and why?
We can’t speak for the other indies, but the clients choosing us seem to be tired of traditional agency processes and layers. They want to get closer to the ideas and to the people who create and make them. So, more wet paint and fewer big ‘ta-da’ moments.
An OUTSIDE IN client is typically a CEO, CMO or founder who already has a marketing team in place. They either want us to take full ownership and run with a brief or plug into their team and work on it together from the start. Both feel like fresh ways of doing things.
There’s also a commercial reality for many brands that simply don’t have the budgets network agencies are looking for – and need – to stay afloat. Indies like OUTSIDE IN run lean, so we can provide a more affordable and accessible route to world-class creative. That makes the choice a bit of a no-brainer for any commercially driven marketer.
6. What’s next – growth, staying lean, or something else?
We get asked this a lot, and the answer comes back to why we started OUTSIDE IN in the first place.
Happiness is our KPI. It’s a KPI that can only be measured through the partners we work with, the creation of work that excites us and the opportunity to work alongside people we have deep respect and admiration for.
Obviously, money and profit are important parts of any business, but they never come at the cost of these things. And how many other agencies can say that?
Pictured (L to R): Jacque Kelly, Wez Hawes, Lucie de La Chaise, Grace Leat
Check out the other New Wave Q&As below:
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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