Jan 09 2025 61 mins 2
This week we shrank ourselves down to Dennis-Quaid-in-Inner-Space micro proportions to catch Spencer LaVallee and Graham Douglas, the co-founders of mega-successful micro creative agency Gus.
Spencer and Graham lead a creative crew leaner than a wildebeest that got banished from its herd last Tuesday for repeatedly messing around. But size means little when you have big ideas, and the agency regularly rubs shoulders with the behemoths of the ad and marketing world when it comes to gongs and glory. From Gus being named Ad Age Small Agency of the Year, to their campaigns winning top honours at the likes of Cannes, Forbes and the New York Film Festival, Spencer and Graham are a testament that brains can beat brawn in this industry. Especially when those brains are inside the heads of a couple of fellas who’ve had such an interesting journey through it.
This episode is dedicated to all the small but mighty creative agencies out there proving that size doesn't limit impact.
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Timestamps:
(01:54) - Quick Fire Questions with Spencer & Graham
(03:26) - Graham & Spencer’s Career Journey
(10:35) - Spencer's Inspiration from an Outdoor Ad
(12:08) - Working at Campfire and True Blood Campaign
(15:54) - Graham & Spencer's Partnership and Founding of Gus
(18:56) - Strategy and Creativity Silos in Agencies and Clients
(20:32) - The Importance of Singular Creative Statements
(22:33) - The Mural Test for Brand Platforms
(24:56) - Internal vs. External Brand Positioning
(26:36) - The Role of Simplicity in Branding
(28:05) - Optimism About AI in Creativity
(30:01) - The Threat of AI in Strategy and Research
(32:29) - Staying Small on Purpose
(36:18) - The Changing Shape of Agencies
(42:18) - The Gus Grid and Creative Strategy
(43:13) - Breaking Norms with Back Market Campaign
(44:48) - Four Pertinent Poses: Advice to Younger Self
(47:59) - Banish One Thing from the Industry: Lack of Mentorship
Spencer and Graham's Book Recommendations are:
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
The Artists Way by Julia Cameron
Essentialism by Greg McKeown
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