Fitzroy Amsterdam: The Agency That’s Mastered the “Art of Looking Sideways”

If you’re looking for out-of-the-box campaign ideas, Fitzroy is full of them. The evidence speaks for itself:

A “human vending machine” trading unwanted pickles for Heinz Pickle Ketchup.

A Subway submarine, delivering food via canals to bypass crowds on one of Amsterdam’s busiest days of the year.

A puffer jacket made of recycled Lay’s crisps packets.

Billboards etched in snow and sand for plastic-free oral care brand, Smyle.

Many of Fitzroy’s inventions are also embedded with sustainability – but not in a dull, clunky way. Reducing, reusing, and recycling are what make some of its creative concepts so exciting for consumers. Take the time it invited beachgoers to have their empty sunscreen bottles refilled with microplastic-free alternative, Naïf, and rebranded with a biodegradable seaweed-paper label. Fitzroy even makes its own “environmentally responsible" rum, which comes in a recycled and reusable glass bottle, topped with a cap made from washed-up Coca-Cola labels found along the Dutch coast.

An agency like this makes you curious – what’s feeding its bountiful supply of experimental and ecological creative ideas? LBB’s Zara Naseer spoke to owner Jur Baart to find out.

Above: Lay's 'Puffer Jacket'

LBB> Fitzroy's got an impressive track record of wide-ranging, inventive executions. What's the common thread throughout them all that makes them uniquely 'Fitzroy', and how do you stay so inspired?

Jur> At Fitzroy, we always think ‘insight first, impact second’. It means our strategists are constantly searching for that one insight that opens up a new world for our creatives and our clients. That insight can come from culture, consumer behaviour, technology or media. It doesn’t always have to be groundbreaking – it could be a simple fact or a study that’s been under the radar, yet has the power to unlock a fresh perspective.

We have our own in-house insight department that continually fuels all 22 of our seniors. And while they’re incredibly talented, we see that the real magic truly comes to life when there’s a solid insight at the core.

LBB> A number of these campaigns have managed to deliver on sustainability and creativity at the same time. How do you embed a sustainability focus in a way that enhances rather than detracts from creativity?

Jur> Many of our clients are B Corps who target what we call the 'dark green consumers' – those fully conscious decision-makers who know exactly how a product is made, what’s in it, and the brand’s purpose. For them, sustainability is non-negotiable. But what we find equally important, and creatively more challenging, is engaging the much larger group of 'semi-conscious' consumers – those who still buy into big brands because of emotional and psychological connections. You won’t win them over with functional sustainability claims alone. To reach this audience, we lean into cultural intelligence – finding deeper human truths and insights that allow sustainability to become a compelling narrative, rather than a corporate checkbox. That’s where creativity thrives: not in simplifying the message, but in making it resonate. In that sense, sustainability doesn’t detract from creativity; it demands it.

Above: Subway 'Royal Submarine'

LBB> Out of all these varied campaigns you've launched over the years, what stands out as your favourite, and why?

Jur> If we had to pick one, it would be the European campaign we did for Stoov, a brand that sells heated cushions. In the early stages, we went looking for strong insights, and one stood out: hormonally, women tend to be 1.5 degrees colder in their hands, feet, and head. In Dutch, we have a word for that: ‘Koukleum’. In English it became ‘Chilly Billy’.

The campaign performed incredibly well and proved that a sustainable product can be marketed to a broader audience in a fun and engaging way – with the right insight and impact.

LBB> And which one comes with the craziest backstory?

Jur> We've been working with PepsiCo for over 12 years now, mainly on Lay’s and Doritos – both of which have earned us two Golden Effie Awards. For Doritos, we ran a long-standing platform called ‘Gamificate Everything’. We had real race car drivers compete against gamers using gamepads. We launched drone races before anyone really knew how to fly drones. And we created an actual driving school run by a rapper, where you learned more than just how to reverse. It became a full-on community. An amazing string of campaigns where we were given the freedom to go all-out with our ideas. And we’re kicking off the newest Doritos campaign soon – this time… in ‘Minecraft’.

Above: Smyle's snow billboard

LBB> Most recently, you debuted Fairphone's adorable robot, Mobi. Enlighten us about the process of designing a brand mascot from scratch – what guidelines were you working from, and how did you reach this final iteration? What challenges come with a blank canvas?

Jur> We’re part of United Playgrounds, a collective of eight boutique agencies, and we tackled this campaign full-funnel – from strategy to media buying. When working with e-commerce and retail brands, we always focus on distinctive brand assets – visual and audio cues that make the brand instantly recognisable across formats, from TV commercials to banners.

That’s what we did with Fairphone – a B Corp looking to expand its reach beyond the early adopters. We explored multiple routes to make the brand more distinctive, and eventually landed on Mobi: a small robot on a mission to find broken phones. Why? Because Fairphone is the one that lasts. The concept has been rolled out across Europe, full-funnel, and the early results are very promising.

Above: Fairphone 'OLV'

LBB> Your website mentions that you have researchers who master the "art of looking sideways" – what does that mean to you?

Jur> We’re always on the hunt for insights that lead to more impactful work. For us, the ‘art of looking sideways’ means being curious in every direction – not just following the brief, but exploring what’s happening in culture, subculture, and everything in between. We regularly feed our teams with fresh inputs – whitepapers, podcasts, conversations with consumers – because with such a diverse range of brands, the most powerful idea can come from the most unexpected place.

We also stay close to the younger generation. We keep an eye on Reddit and Discord just as much as Snapchat and TikTok. And our head of insight has a strong tech affinity – she uses the latest tools to mine deeper, faster. But the real skill is knowing where to look and how to connect the dots. That’s what looking sideways means to us: spotting the insight no one else sees, and turning it into work that moves people.

Above: Lay's 'Puffer Jacket'

LBB> What trends or developments in the industry are you most excited about right now?

Jur> In Spain, a new law now requires advertisers to clearly disclose when AI has been used in campaigns. We see this as a positive step – especially when it comes to protecting younger audiences. The ‘perfect’ people AI can generate aren’t always healthy for our collective self-image. And as creatives, this kind of regulation will inevitably shape how we approach new technologies.

At Fitzroy, we’re increasingly leaning into craft. One of our designers is currently taking a course to shift her perspective from 2D, computer-based design to something more hands-on and three-dimensional. This kind of thinking opens up richer, more immersive brand experiences – something we’re seeing more demand for. Craft is becoming the trend not just for its aesthetic, but because it signals care, intentionality, and a genuine desire to connect. And that, ultimately, is what sets a brand apart in a tech-saturated world.

LBB> Finally, what are your goals as an agency for the next five years?

Jur> We want to be the best European agency with a boutique feel, delivering large, scalable impact across the entire funnel. Because every euro today’s marketer spends must perform – not just creatively, but commercially.

Above: Interrail 'Soundtracks'