The Creative Revolution Will Be Led By Indies

When BBH sold to Publicis Groupe, Nigel Bogle famously said to Maurice Levy, "the lighter your hand on our shoulder, the better we'll be."

That's always stuck with me, not necessarily in the context of BBH and Publicis, but as a principle our industry should admire and adhere to. It comes from a place of independence, and acknowledges creativity works best when liberated.

Of course, when we think about our industry, the hand on its shoulder is often far firmer than we expect or like. Often that hand holds us down, holds us up, and holds us back. 

This is not a piece on BBH and/or Publicis. I only have fond memories of my time working there. This also isn’t an anti-holding company piece… it’s a pro un-holding perspective, a pro indie one. 

Because, let’s face it, the creative revolution in our industry will be spearheaded by indies. It's increasingly where talented people want to be, and where brands want to follow. It's the embodiment of better, faster, cheaper, which ultimately makes it a smarter choice. It's where the best work in our industry is coming out of, and consequently, where the best briefs are going into. 

Of course, the holdcos still dominate a large portion of the market, given economies of scale. But indies are putting up a fight and not just punching above their weight, but increasing it too.

In Australia, for example, many of the biggest creative agencies in the country are independent. And this is not merely about size either, but a seismic shift that's been a long time coming.

Globally, there's the likes of Mischief, Mother, Wieden, Special. A blend of the established and the new establishment, but these are just four examples of agencies that have consistently not just challenged for "best indie agency" status but best agency status. 

There's network agencies fronting their new business offering with independent boutiques, indies buying themselves back, and indies buying agencies themselves. 

The industry is fast changing and fast challenging. So the future of our industry is not the holding co, but the un-holding co. The hands-on creative talent, without hands on their shoulders. The collective of indies have strength in numbers; they're leading the charge, leading the change, and leading the challenge.

That’s why un-held is partnering with LBB on a series called No Holding Back. In this series, we will champion a changing industry dependent on independence. With no holding group backing them, or holding them back, this series will explore the triumphs, opportunities, and challenges for the next generation of indies. Told through those that work for them, with them, and even those that work against them. An unfiltered perspective on the creative businesses at the forefront of our industry.

This is No Holding Back… only un-holding forward.