Well, it’s been a minute. We’d love to say we’ve been keeping in touch regularly, but you know how that crazy thing called “life” goes. From the outside, it might have seemed like we went off the grid — and honestly, we did. When we dropped “on Fire” and reintroduced ourselves in 2024 as simply BRAINS, you may have wondered if the spark went out. Truth is, it never did. If anything, it’s burning brighter than ever.
So let’s rewind for a second. For those who need a refresher, we’ve spent more than 30 years as an independent, mission-driven creative agency. From pioneering the word-of-mouth marketing movement to becoming a beacon for community building, our story has always been fueled by one belief: brands can and should make a real impact. And while three decades is a long stretch — with plenty of growth, reinvention, and change along the way — the core of who we are has never wavered.
At the heart of it all, our work is about helping brands launch, relaunch, and accelerate in ways that move people, spark culture, and drive business forward. That’s our fire. And it’s still very much alive.
We exist because we believe when brands align with people’s values, passions, and purpose, they will, without a doubt, thrive. That belief sits at the core of everything we do, be it building strategy, telling stories, designing experiences, or creating cultural moments that genuinely matter.
It’s why we wake up every morning with ideas buzzing and energy to spare. Yes, we help our partners sell products — but that’s just the beginning. What drives us is shaping culture, igniting communities, and making life better for the people brands serve. We're not the guys who are polishing the surface for our partners. We’re the ones who are down to dig deeper, to harness strategy and creativity as an engine for connection, influence, and long-term, sustainable growth.
That said, our mission is to help brands win where it matters most: in hearts, in minds, and in markets.
We’re proud of the recognition we’ve earned over the years, but that’s not the way we believe in measuring success. For us, to determine how well we’re doing is to look to the real world: in stronger communities, accelerated growth, cultural relevance, and measurable business impact. It’s when the work speaks for itself that we know we’ve done something right.
And we’ve been successful at doing this for three decades because, straight up, our ethos hasn’t changed. We are in the business of…
- Fostering bold creativity. Bold creativity means having the courage to push past safe ideas and into the ones that spark something wonderfully unique, powerful and compelling. It’s about seeing the world differently and daring to show it that way, too.
- Putting people first. As a certified B Corp, we’ve built our culture and our work around the belief that humanity matters more than profit. Clients, communities, teammates are all people we value, and our starting point as well as finish line. When we get that right, the rest takes care of itself.
- Harnessing the founder’s mindset. We treat every brand as if it were our own. We’re a scrappy invested team that believes in being as resourceful as possible. Simply put, when we work with a team, we’re all in. That means sweating the details, and celebrating the little moments as if they were personal. Because to us, they are.
- Forging deep community connection. We believe the strongest moat any brand can have is a thriving community that feels seen, heard, and part of the story. That’s where real resilience and loyalty live and how brands need to think about their future as the modern consumer continues to radically evolve.
- Balancing strategy and creativity. Beautiful work is great, but it’s not enough. Smart strategy without creativity? Forgettable. Creativity without strategy? Ineffective. The magic happens in the balance. That’s where brands stop being dispensable and start becoming growth engines. Our strategists are creatives, and our creatives are strategists too.
This is how we show up: for our clients, for the people we gather around tables with, for the work itself. We celebrate together, we fail and learn together, and we stay relentlessly optimistic along the way. While we love a good trend, we don’t seek them out. Instead, we’re cooking them up in the background, helping brands pave their own way in a world where things feel so same-same. What drives us is getting in the thick of things: asking hard questions, rattling cages, and investing deeply in the people, processes, and ideas that push brands, and us, forward.
And above all, we believe that brands with strong communities, and unwavering commitment to their cause, have the power to spark movements … not just singular moments.
This matters now more than ever. The agency world is shifting fast. Brands are looking for partners who bring clarity and courage, who can think as sharply as they create, who are as invested in outcomes as they are in ideas. BRAINS was built for this moment as an independent, nimble, and unapologetically values-first team. We’re here to make work that matters — with people who care as much as we do.
So, back to the beginning: if you’ve been wondering where we’ve been, the answer is simple. We’ve been living this work. Staying true to the ideas we set decades ago about how we want to run this agency. Showing up with intention, choosing our partners carefully, and putting out creative work designed to leave a mark. Because at the end of the day, that’s what fuels our endless fire.
And if you’re curious, inspired, or simply want to connect — we’re here. Reach out. Let’s make something meaningful together, and walk into the future side by side.
– Benjamin Hart, President & CCO, Brains