Filipe Macedo - Agency Safari.

Agency Safari aims to shed some light on the future of ad agencies by documenting the world's wildest creative companies.

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THE HUNT

Most agencies are a bit like caged animals, limited by traditional corporate structures and the pressure to maximize shareholder wealth. But others still run free, on the outskirts of the industry. I call them wild agencies - independent or lesser-known companies re-thinking the value an agency can deliver, experimenting with bold new organisational designs and diversifying what they make and how they work. Agency Safari is a 3-month quest to find and document these companies.

THE HUNTING TROPHIES

I will return from this Safari with a few of trophies to share with all participating agencies, including the most inspiring interviews, and periodic articles summarising the learnings and insights I uncover along the way. The journey will culminate in a book or final report that will hopefully provide a snapshot of the culture and business model of the wildest agencies.

THE WILDLIFE SPOTTER

My name is Filipe Macedo and, until December, I'm personally visiting some of these unconventional companies to further develop my research. It’s impossible to visit every wild agency in the world - some might not even go by the word “agency” anymore. If you think your company is one of these rare creatures or if you know one that is, please email me.

KNOWLEDGE SHARING, NOT BLOOD SHEDDING

Wild creatures don’t usually welcome hunters, but what if the hunter was packed with knowledge instead of guns? The world is becoming too fast and too complex for one company to have all the answers inside, and by taking part in this project agencies are gaining access to valuable lessons from other nonconformists. My visits vary from as little as 1-hour chat and quick office tour to several days working full-time at the host agency.

Follow the adventure

The Agency Safari started in September in Helsinki, where I stayed for 4 weeks working full-time at hasan & Partners. These first weeks will lay the groundwork for a future creatives exchange program I’m helping ADC*E put together, but that's another story. After Finland, I'll visit 7 more countries in Europe before moving on to agencies in Asia and Australia. You can follow the whole adventure on Instagram, Medium or subscribe to the mailing list.

MY WILD AGENDA

Helsinki (01.Oct-07.Oct)

* hasan&partners
* Avidly
* TBWA\Helsinki

Stockholm (08.Oct-10.Oct)

* Honesty
* Åkestam Holst
* Facebook Creative Shop
* Perfect Fools
* Snask
* North Kingdom

Copenhagen (11.Oct)

* &Co
* Hello Monday
* The Unicorn
* IIH Nordic

Paris (12-14.Oct)

* Herezie
* Hungry and Foolish
* Dare.Win

Antwerp (15-16.Oct)

* Mosquito
* Prophets
* De Vloer
* Friendship

Cologne (17.Oct)