How I/D.W Is Harnessing Creativity to Reframe the Moment

“We’re all living through a moment of ambiguity in our personal and professional lives. People and organisations are grappling with uncertainty right now” says Alex Ashton, partner and managing principle of IDW, an independent brand and creative studio based in Oakland, California. 

“Yet, we’re finding that by working together, there’s an opportunity to connect and inspire to overcome where we are and create impact through our work. We have been thinking a lot about our resilience – for ourselves, for our client partners and collaborators, for our communities and the world.”

IDW was founded in 2014 by three partners with combined backgrounds in brand, editorial and film. Since then, the studio has grown to a core team of experienced and multidisciplinary brand strategists, art directors, designers, producers, and post-production specialists. Alongside the US-based team, IDW often taps into their extensive national and global collaborator network of artists, namely photographers and videographers. This team structure allows the studio to work in an agile and flexible way, as they build brands and craft original content for their clients – always with an eye towards impact. 

CVS Health’s campaign to make healthcare more equitable, affordable and accessible, for every-body was rooted in an embedded, editorial approach to photography. 

Creative partnerships: relationships and the long-run

Relationships, combined with a systems approach, have always driven the studio. 

“By a systems approach, we mean taking a proactive versus a reactive stance as a creative partner. We are always thinking beyond the immediate creative request or deliverable and to long-term success, towards the evolution or growth of the brand, and our overall partnership with an internal creative team or collaborator,” says Alex.

As an integrated creative partner with capabilities that span brand, creative, and post-production, the studio offers a unique combination of strategic design and brand creative programs. IDW has worked with companies like ServiceNow, HP, and CVS Health, defining brand image programs over multi-year collaborations. They’ve also redefined brands and developed creative campaigns for mid-sized companies and start-ups, cultural institutions, and non-profits, including Axiom Space, MightyHealth, and StoryCorps.

IDW doesn’t shy away from a brief that is not fully formed, and prides itself on being able to navigate the creative process with clients, particularly when the way forward may feel uncertain. The studio thrives on projects from start to finish – acting as the throughline between brand strategy and final creative assets.

IDW helped reimagine the Axiom Space brand after they were granted the contract to build and operate the world’s first commercial space station.

Brand image programmes: creative meets systems-thinking

Over the years, IDW identified that its process around creative development was distinct from the approach of both smaller shops and larger agencies.

The studio’s ability to translate a client’s brand into creative content, combined with its extensive network of artist relationships, deep expertise around production, and strategic take on post-production felt unique. At IDW, the systems are always considered alongside the creative. 

“No matter where we are in the process, we’re always asking ourselves how brand assets need to be used by internal creative teams or partners and what would lead to the most efficient and widespread use across the organisation. Our goal is to deliver creative that will be used by the brand. Unless the work reaches its audience, it hasn’t done its job,” says creative strategist Sarah Thorpe.

For certain clients, IDW recognised that half of the problem with creative assets going un-(or under) used is because they quite simply can’t be easily found within the organisation. Thus the studio has worked tirelessly with clients to champion brand image collection libraries, rigorous taxonomy and vocabulary for meta-tagging of final image assets. 

“We call it the vault,” laughs Alex. “It’s where all the creative work lives. You have to respect the vault and to build it the right way, otherwise what’s the point? It’s about all the work that shows up in the world.”

Refreshed brand voice for ServiceNow expressed through original photography and video, spanning nine global productions and 20 trusted photo teams.

Framing success through trust, relationships, and purpose 

The past few years have underscored the importance of relationships and trust in defining success for the studio.

We live in a world where “71% of people surveyed have little faith that brands will deliver on their promises'', according to a study by Havas. And yet, organisations are increasingly being asked to step up.

In the past few years, IDW has focused on helping organisations and brands craft increasingly truthful and brave work that acknowledges the complex realities of our world. When asked about work that makes them particularly proud, the studio talked about two recent projects: original commissioned photography completed for CVS Health, the largest health solutions provider in the US, that tackled the issue of period and gender inequity in healthcare; and a campaign for One Small Step, an initiative originating out of StoryCorps, a national storytelling non-profit, that brings people from either side of the political divide together for conversation.

StoryCorps’ One Small Step creative campaign reminds the U.S. of the humanity in all of us - even those with whom we disagree.

The studio also feels the pride of stepping up alongside their clients, working purposefully with like-minded leaders and other collaborators. While these may be challenging times, the answer isn’t to stop communicating, but to find truth in the way forward. As IDW sees it, this moment is an opportunity – to tell real stories, bring inspiration to light, and find new ways of working together with the ultimate goal of creating impact.