Some agencies develop brand guidelines and hand them off to their clients. Others check the boxes of all the marketing best practices they know. At GS&F, we are on a mission to create bold, unignorable work. We want our work to be impactful.
Effective. Risky. Unforgettable.
Bold work always starts with smart, audience-first thinking. It’s the greatest business investment we make, because its potential to be unforgettable is unmatched. And for us, that’s part of the thrill.
When we pitch bold work, we’re confident in what it can do—and when we partner with clients who are willing to take a risk, we’re all in.
So how do we ditch mediocrity?
We Take Chances
Let’s be honest: creating bold work can be scary. By definition, bold means showing a fearless, daring spirit through an ability to take risks. Bold work simply won’t happen without an element of risk-taking in the mix. And it’s so important to us, that Taking Chances is one of our five agency values.
So why do we do it?
Because brands that people remember are never the brands that check “marketing” off the list. They’re the brands with the spot you can’t get out of your head. The ad you actually click. And the product you’re loyal to for life.
Of course, not all risk-taking is created equal. Taking risks simply for risk’s sake or only for disruption is never a wise investment. Bad risks are typically guided by unverified opinions, lack of audience understanding, over-analysis and misaligned decisionmakers. Smart, strategic risks are backed by data and clear insights, making sure you’re connecting with your audience’s real needs.
So we get comfortable with risk. That means we work fearlessly but intentionally. We take steps confidently but wisely. And we think boldly, but not recklessly.
We Make Bold Work Who We Are
At GS&F, creating bold work is written into our DNA. We urge our team to take chances, meaning that we’re brave for ourselves, our teams, our clients and their audiences.
We guide our clients through taking risks that can look dangerous, but we never ask them to take a leap without strong strategic backing. That way, we push our clients while also building trust—and that’s a win for everyone.
We’ve also found that taking risks is the only way to get past today’s marketing noise. We’re exposed to up to 10,000 ads per day, so every client’s audience is being asked to make decisions constantly. Bold work is what breaks through. Without taking risks, we limit the potential for getting truly meaningful results.
The best part? The path to this kind of work is fun. We find freedom in taking a stack of blank pages and filling them up with outrageous, head-turning ideas. When our creative space is filled with ideas that make us think twice, there’s nothing more exhilarating.
Here are a few of our clients that have experienced how bold work can drive results:
SALATA
We straight-up broke all the salad rules with Salata’s rebrand. We asked why burger joints and taco trucks got to have all the fun while salads were considered boring, clean eating. With the mantra “Salad How You Feel,” we gave Salata’s customers the chance to fuel their lives with whatever toppings they were feeling at the time.
PETSAFE
Cats and humans agree—we hate dealing with crap that won’t go away. We showed how PetSafe’s ScoopFree litter box works with a series of videos that made all kinds of “crap” go away—from ex-boyfriends to annoying group texts.
BRIDGESTONE
We noticed that Bridgestone’s messaging started looking a lot like their competitors’—and that was a red flag. So we challenged them to differentiate through strong, unique messaging alongside better products, leading to wins for them and for us.
We Get Inspired
We don’t make bold work on our own. Living in our own little GS&F bubble would stifle our creativity from the start! So we look outside our walls to see how others are breaking through the noise.
We take time to share work that catches our eye and makes us think. We keep our finger on the pulse of what others are creating, how they’re making it happen, and how we can adapt best practices for ourselves.
We’re all running the same race to get the word about great brands out there, so a win for another agency is a win for the industry as a whole. We push forward together, helped by those around us, and acknowledge a job well done when we see it.
We Partner With the Best
We love working with clients who are on board with our pursuit of bold work. It’s not a one-way street—our clients play a big role in making it happen. Our clients foster bold work by giving us great problems to solve. We look forward to hearing about a tough issue their audiences experience and putting our heads together to solve it.
And when we’re ready to pitch our work, our clients go all in, giving us great feedback with an openness to consider even the wildest ideas. They’re willing to go with us, even if we seem nuts. Looking back, it’s those meetings that can serve as the turning point for their brands.
It might be easier to work with clients who want to maintain the status quo—but we’re not in it for easy. Our best clients push us, encourage us to take chances, and trust us to bring them our best.
Are You Ready to Create Daring Work With Us?
Ready to work with us to make boring work bold? Here’s how we’d start.
Gut Check – We’ll help you see where you can take more risks, change things up and move your brand forward.
Gathering Inspiration – What advertising do you remember? What made an impact on you? Bring us the ads that inspire you in your industry or others.
Preparing the Room – Bold work might be a big—but worthwhile—shift. We’ll encourage you and your team to think outside the box, prepare for wild ideas and come to us with an open mind.
Taking a Deep Dive – We’ll get up close and personal with your brand. This helps us identify holes in your marketing, which strategies to adapt and new ideas to make your message come across better than ever.
At GS&F, bold work isn’t just a strategy—it’s who we are. And when you work with us, you’ll get nothing less. Partner with us and see how we can help your brand’s message get bolder.
