The New Wave ~ Poison Gas Co
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 Chris Thompson, Founder & Chief Creative, Poison Gas Co.
Give us the elevator pitch – who are you and what do you do?
Poison Gas Co is an evil corporation parading as a creative agency. We’re in the business of giving people the feels. Happy, sad, horny, hungry… we deal it, you feel it™.
Are indies still challengers, or have they become the norm?
There are more of us than ever. I blame Canva. Every florist and their dog is a designer now. They’ve pushed us out of the game and taken all of our freelance wedding invitation jobs, so we’ve had to form a sea of indie agencies.
Indies are basically the Robin Hood of adland. We steal from the rich, to give to the… well, it still goes to the rich, but the better rich. The rich you still enjoy spending time with at Christmas. You catch my drift…
What’s your unfair advantage over the networks today?
The networks have a few creative freaks in the art department. The rest are sharp operators working in a system that pays for agreeable. We hire the freaks. All of them, even the ones the creative community finds a bit much. It should be a disadvantage. Turns out it isn’t.
How are you using AI to compete above your weight?
All of this was written by AI. We’re in the Bahamas!
When we said we were in the business of giving people the feels, we didn’t mean slop rage.
What kind of clients are choosing indies right now – and why?
The ones who are INCREDIBLY smart. And probably good looking. Conventionally but still in a unique way.
In the same way brands went down the blanding path and cars all started to look the same, the big agencies expanded so far chasing revenue that they’ve become each other. Indies have stayed freaky.
What’s next – growth, staying lean, or something else?
World domination. And in the meantime, we just want to make fun shit that people love.
Check out the other New Wave Q&As below:
Read cummins&partners’ Q&A here
Read Connecting Plots Group’s Q&A here
Read Jacko Jacko & Jacko’s Q&A here
Read Chimera Project’s Q&A here
Read Today The Brave’s Q&A here
Read Tightknit Studio’s Q&A here
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
Register for FREE HERE and receive the Campaign Brief Daily Bulletin and/or the global Best Ads Best of the Week Bulletin. Subscribe to Campaign Brief Magazine.
#More Creative News #No paywalls #No annual membership fees
Subscribe to Portfolio & Reel for current listings of Australian and NZ ad agency and production company leadership and key personnel.