Format, Not Formula: This East-Coast Shop Is the Agency Ally That Always Delivers

Equal parts creative collaborator, production problem-solver, and post powerhouse, Philadelphia-based company, Format, thrives on projects that push boundaries. For founder Nic Reader, executive producer and COO Mike Gualtieri, ‘The Producer’ Joe Leonard, and post production leads Andrew Kunkle and Daniel Haddaway, the company name isn’t just a nod to the platforms they work across; it’s a philosophy that embraces flexibility, originality, and craft.

To learn more about the mentality behind the momentum, LBB’s April Summers chats to the team about applying intuitive solutions, versatile capabilities and heart-felt creativity to every brief.

Creative from the Jump

Where many production partners wait in the wings to be handed a board, Format ideally wants a seat at the first creative table. “The magic happens when we’re in it together, from the jump,” Nic tells me. “Bring us in early, like concept-and-script early, and we’ll help shape the idea, not just shoot it.”

This desire to be granted early access to a project is more than just a preference. For this team, being involved at the very start is a crucial catalyst.

Format’s creative process is built on collaboration, not delegation. From bringing post into pre-production, to tapping VFX leads in early concepting, they work as an integrated unit to elevate the brief. “We’re not here to tick boxes,” Nic adds. “We treat every deck like a creative playground.”

Over the years the team has demonstrated their value by working across a diverse range of decks, from automotive work to tech, to food and beverage brands. Format’s best partnerships didn’t appear overnight – they were earned. With repeat collaborators like Merkley, Red Tettemer, and ModOp, the Format team has built trust through consistency, candour, and a solutions-first mentality.

“We’re not ‘yes’ people — but we are ‘let’s make this better’ people,” Mike explains. That often means gently challenging ideas, offering smart alternatives, or spotting production challenges before they become real problems. This reliability is what turns small jobs into long-term creative chemistry, and it’s also what makes Format such a valuable ally to in-house agency production teams. “We get how they operate, and we plug in exactly where we’re needed. We’re not here to overwhelm or overtake those staffed agency production folks — we’re here to help them.”

Built for Versatility, Designed for Delivery

As the name suggests, Format is deliberately diverse in what they make and how they make it. From social to broadcast, Times Square takeovers to mobile-first content, they’ve built a reputation for being both creatively ambitious and technically agnostic. That means they can solve for scale, speed, or spectacle — often all three.

Take their work with Sparkling Ice, featuring Olympic speed climber Emma Hunt. After capturing her climbing, the team expertly cut around her silhouette, placing the athlete in a rendered VFX world, where she appeared to climb a giant bottle of the sparkling water.

Or a campaign for VTech, where they wrangled over 30 toddlers on set and built a space shuttle cockpit in a basement.

Or a stylised, emotionally grounded Carhartt spot that shows off their cinematic chops.

Each one wildly different, but all executed with the same energy, detail, and polish.

One of the biggest differentiators of Format’s offering is its in-house post and VFX capabilities. “It’s kind of our secret sauce,” says Nic. Rather than treating post as an afterthought, Format bakes it into production from day one. This enables the team to move fast, avoid surprises, and make smart decisions early. “We know exactly who’s getting that precious hard drive we just spent a month shooting for — and we’ve got their back,” he adds.

Even when Format isn’t handling final post, their early alignment helps streamline workflows and avoid the dreaded ‘version hell’ that haunts many modern productions. It also makes for more seamless collaboration with agencies and offers backup, without stepping on toes.

A Cohesive Team with Creative Grit

Speaking to Nic, it’s clear that, at Format, different skillsets meet shared standards. The team’s dynamic blends respect, accountability, and the occasional dose of sarcasm. “We like to joke around when we can, but we also push each other, support each other, and stay locked in on making something great. That’s the ‘Create or Die’ mentality that’s in our veins,” Nic notes.

Their hybrid structure – where animators weigh in on live-action, and post teams show up on set – makes their output feel tight and considered, no matter the medium.

A prime example of this, Nic tells me, is their Audi virtual production campaign, which demanded sharp previs, a single-day shoot, and high-end VFX polish. “Because our full team was involved from day one, we were able to move fast, pivot smartly, and keep the creative vision intact through every phase. It showcased the best of what we do: a shared mentality, using the right tools, and just going for it.

Handling every element with fluency and focus, this campaign proves just how creatively potent Format’s integrated model is.

No Gimmicks. Just Great Work.

Something that stands out when you speak to Format, is their resistance to lean into the ‘we’re all storytellers’ cliché. “We’ve never really subscribed to the ‘we’re all storytellers’ mantra,” admits Mike, “It’s become a catch-all that doesn’t mean much anymore.” Instead, the company is driven by a desire to create entertaining, elevated work that connects with audiences, whether it has 15 or 60 seconds to do so.

Recent favourites include campaign work for White Castle, Gerber, and Dietz & Watson, as well as the previously mentioned Sparking Ice. What links them isn’t a genre or visual style but the fact that the creative is bold, well-crafted, and built to break through the noise – “the kind of spots people actually want to watch.” As a team, Format are adamant on avoiding “cookie-cutter social fodder”, opting for the type of creative that stands out and stays with viewers.

Reflecting on these recent projects, Mike tells me that this kind of work represents exactly what Format likes to focus on. “That’s the good stuff. And we want more of it: content that feels fresh, fun, and built to break through — not just fill a feed. We’d love to do more work that’s cinematic, emotionally resonant or genuinely funny. The kind of work that calls for high-level talent, clever direction, and real craft.

With cookie-cutter production increasingly the norm, Format is the rare shop that brings brains, heart, and hustle to every stage of the process. They don’t follow formulas. Everything is tailor-made for each client, each brief, and each creative opportunity.

And in that space between creative ambition and smart execution, Format always delivers.

​Check out Format's LBB page here​

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