On 5th January, myself and former colleagues Blair and Mark opened our laptops and quietly started Scotlandās newest creative agency.
The plan was to announce it within a week or so.
Then something happened we hadnāt quite expectedā¦ we got busy.
And then we got really busy.
Busy doing the work properly for brands who care about standing out.
We cut the bloat.
Weāre no nonsense. No fluff.
No pushing media your audience wonāt even look at.
Just top-class creative, built to work.
Thatās why weāre called Elvis Is Dead.
[Itās actually a paraphrase of Johnny Rotten, who, when asked to comment after Elvisā death, said he was ādead before he died, good riddance!ā]
Let me be very clear. Elvis set the standard. Changed everything.
But, he became something else. Bigger. Slower. An over-commercialised machine that needed more and more just to keep going. But ultimately, (sadly) burned out.
Sound familiar?
The world has moved on. Marketing and advertising have too. But parts of this industry are clinging to a model thatās heavy, expensive, and increasingly out of step. Weāre a creative agency built for how things work now.
On a personal level, being in this position has felt a little surreal at times. So many things seem to have fallen into place. And so many people have said kind things, backed me, and offered their help along the way.
And now here we are.
Standing in our new office as itās being decorated, working with amazing clients who believed in us before weād even properly announced ourselves.
Which is kind of mad really, considering this is the ālaunchā post. It already feels like weāre in orbit.
It reminded me of a saying that has always stuckā¦ opportunity looks a lot like hard work.
So here it is. The big announcement.
This is the part where Iām supposed to sign off saying something like, āAnd now, a little less conversation, a little more actionā¦ā
Truth is, it already has.
Neil
Creative Partner & Co-Founder of Elvis Is Dead
After 12 unforgettable years, Iāve stepped away from Dentsu Creative (via Whitespace) to begin what feels like one of the most important chapters of my life.
Itās been a big decision. Equal parts terrifying and exhilarating.
Details are under wraps for now, but January canāt come quickly enough.
A huge, heartfelt thank you to my teams over the years, including @lisa.m.goldie@cathycrocker@_joymooney@danny.paylor@roryimlach@its_ritson
But also three people who showed up when things were super tough, who challenged me, backed me, and helped light the fire again when it mattered most.
@ctdavey@lineypay@ryan.caitlin750
And nowā¦ watch this spaceā¦.its now or neverā¦.
As Bukowski said:
āInvent yourself and then reinvent yourself and stay out of the clutches of mediocrity.ā
N E W P O S T E R D E S I G N - remaining silent in the face of injustice is not a neutral act but a moral failure. History has taught us that sacrifices and concessions to the Right, no matter how small, will eventually allow to wholesale corruption of truth, peace and the safety of democratic rights and society.
Speaking out may fuel the flames. Rebelling against hate may even be dangerous. But a future where our kids and homes are threatened by puerile beliefs and misjudgments fuelled by fallacious social media content is to repeat the worst events in world history - one that previous generations fought and died for. All we have to do, is resist.
-/ I G G Y - 2 0 0 4 - G L A S G O W /-
I took this almost exactly 20 years ago after wangling my way into the front section to see Iggy & The Stooges play Glasgow Green. His performance was transcendental. He took out a security guard with the mic stand. Cut himself climbing on a Marshall stack and Some kid kept trolling him throughout the performance. He finished the gig, but ran back on stage and spat in the kidās face. Left quite the impression.
#punk #rockandroll #iggy #glasgow
![On 5th January, myself and former colleagues Blair and Mark opened our laptops and quietly started Scotlandās newest creative agency.The plan was to announce it within a week or so.Then something happened we hadnāt quite expectedā¦ we got busy.And then we got really busy.Busy doing the work properly for brands who care about standing out.We cut the bloat.Weāre no nonsense. No fluff.No pushing media your audience wonāt even look at.Just top-class creative, built to work.Thatās why weāre called Elvis Is Dead.[Itās actually a paraphrase of Johnny Rotten, who, when asked to comment after Elvisā death, said he was ādead before he died, good riddance!ā]Let me be very clear. Elvis set the standard. Changed everything.But, he became something else. Bigger. Slower. An over-commercialised machine that needed more and more just to keep going. But ultimately, (sadly) burned out.Sound familiar?The world has moved on. Marketing and advertising have too. But parts of this industry are clinging to a model thatās heavy, expensive, and increasingly out of step. Weāre a creative agency built for how things work now.On a personal level, being in this position has felt a little surreal at times. So many things seem to have fallen into place. And so many people have said kind things, backed me, and offered their help along the way.And now here we are.Standing in our new office as itās being decorated, working with amazing clients who believed in us before weād even properly announced ourselves.Which is kind of mad really, considering this is the ālaunchā post. It already feels like weāre in orbit.It reminded me of a saying that has always stuckā¦ opportunity looks a lot like hard work.So here it is. The big announcement.This is the part where Iām supposed to sign off saying something like, āAnd now, a little less conversation, a little more actionā¦āTruth is, it already has.NeilCreative Partner & Co-Founder of Elvis Is Dead](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6747216049553513495233_0_7a5920dd4b73ef58704e9551d7a63326.jpg?o=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&h=61e529817fd769b89ac1a4b22cfd51d6)
