Getting to Know… Pinch
As an immersive design studio, Pinch activates big ideas, bold thinking, and beautiful design for culture-driving brands. With an emphasis on tactility, materiality, and the five senses, Pinch designs immersive experiences and environments – actively engaging with people on a multi-sensory, emotional level. Founded by friends and industry veterans, Pinch acts as the creative counterpart to LA-based production house Salt.
From the outside, we’re a creative powerhouse, pairing strategic design with production expertise to flawlessly execute next level experiences. Inside, we’re a radically compassionate company, burning down traditional agency norms by centring people and giving creativity the space and support to thrive.
Co-founder and managing partner Don Strom and MD Nomi Leasure spoke to LBB about the company's origins, engaging with audiences on a “multi-sensory, emotional level”, and building a company culture that allows creativity to thrive…
LBB> Tell us a bit about Pinch – when did you form and why?
Don> Pinch was born out of two things: a need and a belief. The need came from our clients, who weren’t just looking for a creative partner to deliver on a brief, but one that would go beyond the ask and consistently exceed their expectations. The belief was that there had to be a better way to build a creative agency, one where teams are supported by leadership, collaboration is prioritised and burnout isn’t just accepted as part of the job.
A lot of this was inspired by our sister agency, Salt Productions, which has been around since 2019, and is known for bringing clients’ design dreams to life, exactly as envisioned. No matter the project, both Salt and Pinch go beyond the brief. By always asking “what more can we do?”, we challenge the limits of creativity on every project, every single time.
LBB> What’s the story behind your name?
Nomi> We spark curiosity, foster community and inspire action – all with the potency of a pinch!
LBB> Tell us about up to three campaigns that epitomise what you do as a company.
Don> Amazon Port: For three years in a row, Salt and Pinch transformed Amazon's presence at Cannes Lions into ‘A' Maison’ – a 35,000 square foot cultural village overlooking the Mediterranean that positioned Amazon as a home of culture rather than just commerce. Drawing inspiration from France's iconic fashion houses, we created a space of quiet luxury that offered festival-goers a rare moment of calm relief while spotlighting Amazon's role as a platform for cultural creation and exchange.
Lululemon GlowUp: We transformed a former furniture store in NYC's SoHo into an unapologetically bold, multi-sensory fitness playground that redefined what a brand activation could be – blending fitness studio, cultural hub and immersive brand experience into one cohesive ecosystem. Over two weeks, the GlowUp Studio hosted 42 sold-out classes led by 27 top fitness instructors, generated over 1.2 billion social media impressions, and raised $71,000 for charity, proving that retail activations can shape culture, as well as drive sales!
Netflix The First Shadow: Salt and Pinch transformed a Broadway theatre lobby into a portal to the ‘Stranger Things’ universe – even building a life-sized recreation of the show’s iconic Creel House. This project really showed off our ability to extend storytelling beyond traditional boundaries, and allowed us to reimagine the Broadway experience from the moment audiences step through the theatre front doors.
LBB> What are your strongest opinions about your industry?
Nomi> It’s time to stop messaging at people, and time to create experiences that draw people in and make them feel something instead. Our industry has gotten too comfortable with pushing content out into the world without considering whether it's actually connecting with anyone.
Salt and Pinch work together to immerse people in experiences – actively engaging with them on a multi-sensory, emotional level and leaving an impression that really lasts. That's what we're after: genuine connection. When you create something that makes people feel something real, they remember it, they talk about it and they want more of it.
LBB> What are you proudest of as a company?
Dom> Honestly, the culture we’ve created as a workplace is something really special, and something that was very important to us from the very beginning. We put people before our profits – and we achieve far bigger things as a result. No matter their role, everyone is given the time, space and support they need to do their very best work, without ever burning out.
It's not just about offering perks or flexible schedules, though those matter. It's about creating an environment where people genuinely want to show up and do great work together. We've built something where creativity thrives because people feel safe to take risks, where collaboration happens naturally because there's trust and respect and where growth is encouraged because we're all invested in each other's success. We’re very proud of that!
LBB> What are some upcoming projects our readers should keep an eye on?
Nomi> Without giving too much away, one of the things we’re particularly proud of is our long-standing client relationships – so you can expect to see more exciting projects with brands we’ve worked with for a while, such as Netflix. These partnerships allow us to push creative boundaries even further because there's already that established trust and understanding. The work is getting bolder, the scale is getting bigger and the impact is getting deeper!
