Why does the world need another advertising agency?

We started Parade because the creative process was failing us and it was failing our clients. It is frustrating to see so many talented people taking so long to achieve so little. The good news is, advertising isn’t broken. It’s just not finished. And we know what it needs next.

What are we signing up for exactly?

You’re probably here because you need a certain creative output that will make you more money, either directly or indirectly. With a parade you don’t just get that output, you get priceless contextual information and data. about what really makes that output succeed in the wild. This doesn’t come via a fancy model, smart data or artificial intelligence - it comes from immersion with creatives, cultural insiders and consumers.

Why should clients and creatives work directly together?

If everyone you need is already in the room then you don’t have to ask anyone else for permission. This is very liberating and also quite a responsibility. People’s different experience, knowledge and characters start reinforcing each other.

What is agile and why should I care?

Our model is based on agile methodology. Agile s not about doing things quickly. It’s about lowering the cost (and fear) of change. In our case, we help organisations control for the risks involved developing creative campaigns - in a way that doesn’t compromise the value of the work that ultimately reaches the public. The alternative is everyone following the vision of a magical person with a big ego. If you are this person you won’t need us.

Can you really deliver a whole campaign in five days?

Yes! We do it all the time. When you remove the traditional frictions from the creative process you are able to work at an accelerated rate. You move very quickly through a series of small steps. Rather than risk taking giant leaps - in a boardroom - once every three months.

Why do we need creativity when we have so much data?

Advertising and branding are full of things you can’t measure and can’t be right or wrong about. There are always more unknowns than knowns. This is why you need creativity. Looking at your world as a system helps you see the parts of it you can change for the most effect with the least amount of effort.

What about AI?

Advertising is something nobody asked for. That’s why you need craft. Modern advertising has so many elements and so many competing messages. That’s why you need craft. Companies underestimate the power of craft to simplify, to convince, to add value. Those companies are your competitors. That’s why you need craft.

Can my 35 stakeholders join the sprint?

Yes! Nothing beats that moment when your idea becomes everyone’s idea. As businesses get more connected, the number of people with a stake on your campaign keeps rising. Stakeholders often only see ideas after they’ve already been ‘approved’ elsewhere. The issues they find must either go unaddressed or lead to redevelopment. Timings slip, production budgets must be rescoped, and creative oxygen starts running low .The ideas often tend not to get better. Instead of pretending stakeholders don’t exist or that their feedback isn’t relevant, we make them part of the process. During a creative sprint, stakeholders can view the idea’s development in real time. They can watch their audience’s reaction lives. A prototype of the idea surfaces the misunderstandings and assumptions that would usually only become clear later. Everyone can raise issues before the idea is ‘finished’. Which often improves the idea in the process.