As the last of the summer air fades and the school run returns, so too does the advertising industry snap back into its brisk, relentless rhythm. We’re edging into the final stretch of 2025 – a year that’s already tested agency leaders in ways they couldn’t have fully predicted back in January.

The industry’s perpetual state of flux has been supercharged by the arrival – and rapid acceleration – of AI. This is no longer a hazy future scenario; it’s here, embedded in client briefs, creative workflows, and strategic thinking. Leaders are being forced to figure out not just how to deploy it, but how to keep their agencies culturally vibrant and creatively fearless while doing so.

Overlay that with an economy that remains stubbornly unpredictable and clients whose own challenges ripple through every aspect of agency life. There are still the old headaches – payment terms stretching ever longer, budgets getting ever tighter – but they now sit alongside new demands for speed, agility, and demonstrable business impact. And after a lull, the pitch treadmill is whirring again. For some, that’s a welcome injection of opportunity; for others, it’s an exhausting test of already thinly stretched teams.

In this climate, leadership isn’t just about hitting quarterly targets. It’s about balance – steering the business through volatile waters without capsizing creativity; finding ways to inspire teams when the pressure dial is permanently turned up; knowing when to sprint and when to slow down.

So how are London’s agency bosses handling it all? What strategies are they leaning on to keep both clients and teams motivated? What have they learned to help them moving forward in the months to come?

Jenny Bust, MD, Revolt
2025 is turning out to be a challenging year for marketing. AI, in-housing, economic instability…there’s a hefty list of issues that agencies and clients are squaring up to. It calls for cool heads and smart thinking.

As an impact agency, tackling big issues is what we and our clients are all about. When it comes to climate change, we’ve been tackling a global crisis year in, year out. It certainly requires smart thinking, but it goes beyond that. It needs long-term ambition and resolve, and to be able to combine that with short-term adaptability.

A client recently talked to me about the concept of ‘anti-fragility’. Unlike resilience (which resists damage and remains unchanged) or fragility (which breaks under stress), anti-fragile systems actually improve and grow stronger when faced with disorder. For me, this is a critical learning for both impact and marketing: don’t change your goals but be ready to change the path you take towards your goal…and grow stronger.

In many ways, Revolt has always been aligned with this mantra, but maybe more so in recent months. We’re listening with new ears and looking with fresh eyes. We’re finding new ways to work with clients as they are forced to adapt. And we’re broadening the aperture of what we do as a creative business. Embrace the new, be open to change, but stay committed to what you believe.

Revolt’s journey through 2024 is a testament to an agency amplifying its voice in the challenging realm of purposeful creativity. Now operating under the ownership of Anthesis – which acquired the agency in January – co-founders Alex Lewis, Pete Bardell, and UK CEO Richard Arscott and the Revolt team are now not not just on a mission to accelerate business transformation for brands pursuing greater sustainability, but scaling their clients’ ambitions to do just that powered by data and a scientific rigour. 

The move has allowed it to grow brands, corporate reputations, and guide clients to using sustainability to drive real business performance. It has also strengthened its international offer, bringing in a new chief executive to lead its charge in the US – with the hiring of former BBDO New York chief executive Kirsten Flanik.

Anthesis is a B Corp-certified global sustainability consultancy established in 2013, and has worked with clients including Reckitt, Cisco, Tesco, The North Face and Target. Its acquisition of Revolt marks its first foray into marketing and communications, while giving Revolt’s marketing a boost among C-suite decision-makers.

We asked Arscott to chart the agency’s success and highlights of the year. 2024 was the purpose-led marketing consultancy’s most creatively awarded year to date.

2024 has been an incredibly transformative year for Revolt. We merged with Anthesis, we appointed a new CEO for North America, Kirsten Flanik, and we welcomed new clients such as Colgate, Nike, Honda, and The Earthshot Prize.

2024 was also Revolt’s most creatively awarded year to date, with five wins at Creative Circle (one Gold, two Silver, two Bronze), a Bronze Clio, two Golds at Campaign’s Outdoor Media Awards, a Silver at ADC*E, and we were shortlisted at Cannes Lions, Clio Health, The ANDYs, and British Arrows. We also won Gold at Ocean Outdoor’s Digital Creative Competition for Frazzled, which is due to be brought to life in the first half of 2025. 

We worked with St John Ambulance to produce the CPR Bra, based on the shocking insight that 1-in-3 people are afraid to give women CPR to women due to fear of touching their breasts. The campaign was fronted by Chelsea and Lioness legend Millie Bright, along with broadcaster and DJ, Ashley James, broadcaster, disability activist and content creator, Lucy Edwards and activist, Sharon Gaffker. It went gangbusters, receiving 1.2bn impressions, 150 pieces of coverage across nearly every national media outlet (including BBC Breakfast), and helped to break the touch taboo.

We helped Frazzled, the mental health charity by Ruby Wax, launch its first major ad campaign since its 2017 inception, featuring a new design and comedic tone that aims to deepen audience connections and make discussions about emotions more approachable. The film has been viewed 140,000 times on Instagram, shared by celebrities including Dawn French, Fearne Cotton, Alan Carr, Annie Mac and Paloma Faith, and increased visitors to Frazzled sessions by 61 per cent.

And we were delighted to broaden our scope with existing clients. For PepsiCo, we announced Gatorade’s global moonshot goal, brand film, and impact website and acted as strategic partners for Lays, embedding their sustainable farming efforts into product quality communications across Europe. And for AB InBev, we created a new partnership between Corona and Mission Blue activated through the Olympics to bring hope to ocean conservation, featuring Olympian surfer Tatiana Weston-Webb and kitesurfer Martin Dolenc across two immersive films.

With the pace we move at Revolt it’s hard to pick one single achievement. But by far the biggest and most exciting opportunity we’ve realised is our merger with Anthesis at the start of the year, which along with our new sister agencies at the likes of Given and Charlescannon have bolstered our capabilities tenfold. It’s provided the storydoing to our storytelling, and allows us to grow brands, corporate reputations, and guide clients to using sustainability to drive real business performance.

We have an incredible canvas of clients across the world, and our partnership with Anthesis has only grown the opportunity to work alongside them to create sustainable impact in the world through their brands and actions.

For purpose specialists, it continues to be the turbulent and partisan political climate globally, and the continued spread of misinformation. It takes foresight and clarity of mind to operate in this environment but this is exactly where we operate at our best – guiding clients towards sustainable performance.

It continues to at pace, from research to design, storyboarding, and production, within which there’s always opportunity. Recently we’ve used it to validate ESG data, leading to more opportunities to tell transparent and credible stories. In our new Cost of Silence report, AI has been a key tool to help companies understand their corporate reputation more fully.

This year is proving to be a game changer for Revolt – It began its eighth year by merging with Anthesis, the largest global network of sustainability experts. Revolt is now doubling down on its mission to drive meaningful change, blending deep expertise with strategic vision to boost both brand performance and societal impact.

Subsequently for co-founders Pete Bardell and Alex Lewis, this year marks a transition. From Revolt’s first managing director coming on board in 2023 and the agency preparing to open its first office in the US, they’ve found themselves in their next chapter of growth. 

This year also saw the arrival of Kirsten Flanik as CEO of North America, after a successful run at BBDO New York. Alongside her, Richard Arscott stepped into the role of UK CEO, showing that Revolt values homegrown talent and internal growth.

In line with its purpose-driven ethos, Revolt unveiled the “Poking the Bear” report, shedding light on how political perspectives shape views on key issues like climate change and LGBTQ+ rights. More importantly, it highlighted how even small tweaks in marketing language can help bridge divides and foster understanding.

In the healthcare arena, Revolt released a report advocating for a more people-centric approach to marketing. The findings emphasized the need for transparency and empathy, urging marketers to connect with consumers on a deeper level—something that resonates in today’s landscape.

The agency also snagged the title of Top Creative Company 2024 from If You Could. This honour celebrates organisations that shine in areas like culture, craft, and leadership—an acknowledgement that feels especially rewarding for a team committed to creating a supportive and inspiring workplace.

The accolades continued to roll in too, with Revolt claiming five Creative Circle Awards for its impactful “Back To Bullying” campaign, including a Gold for PR Events & Stunts. The agency also took home Gold at the Brandon Hall Awards for its collaboration with L’Oreal USA in the Learning and Development category.

On the campaign front, Revolt teamed up with Budweiser to celebrate the legacy of England’s 1966 World Cup win. With new packaging featuring the phrase “Let’s Bring It Home” and a blessing from Sir Geoff Hurst, it was a heartfelt nod to the past. The follow-up campaign saw Hurst writing to His Majesty, asking for an extra day of celebration, showcasing Revolt’s knack for blending nostalgia with modern messaging.

In a bid to raise awareness for ovarian cancer, Revolt rebranded Ovarian Cancer Action, crafting a vibrant new visual identity designed to reach and inspire more people in the fight against the disease.

Meanwhile, the agency joined forces with Ruby Wax’s Frazzled charity, re-launching with a campaign aimed at making conversations about mental health more accessible and relatable. The work also landed Revolt with a top prize in Ocean Outdoor’s annual Digital Creative Competition. New this year was a third category for Manchester’s Printworks SkyLights. The agency won two weeks of space on the 900 m2 full-motion LED ceiling for Frazzled and The Feeling Ceiling.

Adding to its creative feats, Revolt introduced the world’s first CPR Bra, tackling the hesitance around performing life-saving techniques on women with an inventive twist.

Creative Salon says…. As 2024 comes to a close, Revolt continues to carve out its niche as a leader in purpose-driven marketing, blending creativity with a commitment to social impact.

As businesses come find themselves under greater scrutiny to define a purpose-driven strategic position that drives corporate and brand strategy, Anthesis-owned Revolt continued grow is a testament to why it’s more important than ever for brands to be clear about their values.
With the US now taking strides, and owner Anthesis being an international business, it seems only a matter of time before Revolt begins to look even further afield to APAC where the role of purpose is just as prevalent. It’s not quite on the cards yet, but it will definitely not come as a surprise.

This year is proving to be a game changer for Revolt, the creative consultancy that focuses on supporting brands in activating their purpose, operating at the intersection of creativity and sustainability. 
It began its eighth year by merging with another business focused on sustainability communications, Anthesis Group. Revolt has since begun to evolve its US presence with the hiring of former BBDO New York chief executive Kirsten Flanik.

Flanik, who led the Omnicom-owned agency for seven years and spent over 18 years holding executive posts within it joined Revolt in June, reuniting her with some former BBDO colleagues in the process. One of those is Richard Arscott, the former AMV BBDO MD and the CEO of Revolt since March. He previously led the US expansion as president from when he joined Revolt in 2020 from his then-home in Seattle, having moved to California the year before. Another is the agency’s co-founder Alex Lewis, the former strategy director for BBDO EMEA.
“We didn’t just work together, we created together,” says Flanik of the trio’s time at BBDO. “I was very fortunate during my 18 years at BBDO to work with the best talent that has probably ever existed in the industry, but what we did when we worked together was just one of those moments in time where you knew that when I was partnering with these people, that it was on another level.”

Flanik adds that the rapport means they can speak plainly to one another having built trust and respect over the years that allows them to get on with the task in hand – growing the agency across the US. And with a client base that already includes ABInBev, Diageo, Kraft Heinz, Mars and PepsiCo after four years since its launch in America, demonstrates the potential for further growth. 

The agency also has a small team already in place in the US, supported by the UK operation.

Arscott, who has now returned to the UK having laid the foundations for the US, says that he and Lewis began to discuss the possibility of one day bringing in Flanik “early on” after he joined in 2020 and what it would take. She left BBDO at the end of 2023, making the prospect more of a reality with conversations beginning not long afterwards, adds Arscott. 

He believes that it is no surprise that he and Flanik ended up taking a “slightly entrepreneurial” route with both hoping to create a positive impact with the businesses they work with. 
“What became apparent quite quickly is that there is an appetite for this kind of work in the US, and there’s lots of opportunity,” he explains of his early work at the agency in scoping out its potential for expansion. “You only have to work in the US for a short time to realise the scale, the appetite and the ambition at all levels.”

Describing Revolt as “a future-facing business,” Flanik believes that the industry is becoming increasingly segmented with agencies offering specialisms required by different clients. Revolt’s specialism of helping brands to do good and communicate their sustainable performance alongside social and environmental impact is something she sees as increasingly in demand from the biggest corporates to start-up brands.
“When you think about what the best brands out there have done to succeed… more often than not, purpose-led companies enroll customers and engage their employees and they engage communities, and that’s what I believe we have the opportunity to do,” she says. Revolt has built its successful business in the knowledge that increasingly polarised society poses complex challenges for brands seeking to grow market share without contributing to further fragmentation, and that marketers need to act responsibly while achieving commercial success.

The business is now building out its North American capabilities and teams and working with the Revolt’s existing clients which have a foothold within the US, while a new business drive has also begun with an aim of building on the momentum created by the hire of its new CEO.

The proposition for Revolt is timely with society witnessing deep polarisation on both sides of the Atlantic over the last decade, meaning that marketers must be more thoughtful than ever about the marketing communications they produce. And when it comes to talking about brand purpose and making promises – they are also under more scrutiny that ever before from both the public and from regulators too.

In recognition of that, last year the agency released a report named ‘Poking the Bear’ which states that “purpose is at a crossroads” for marketers. One insight from 1,000 US consumers was that 42 per cent of respondents preferred it when brands ‘stick to their knitting’ with the majority preferring them to ‘advocate for issues’ which could place them in difficult conversations.

“There is no business as usual,” Arscott explains when it comes to the constant shifts that take place within America’s news cycle. “There is no calm period followed by a period of upheaval,” he continues.
“You have to be out there taking a stance on an issue, or indeed not taking a stance on an issue, but by not taking a stance you’re as much as taking one, so how are you going to navigate that?” he explains around how marketers must view the current climate of polarisation.

And with the US now taking strides, and owner Anthesis being an international business, it seems only a matter of time before Revolt begins to look even further afield to APAC where the role of purpose is just as prevalent. It’s not yet underway, the pair caveat, however.

Talking about her ambition for the business over the next 12 months, Flanik unsurprisingly wants to bring in new clients and is also keen that this becomes an agency with great talent and one that becomes the first stop of marketers when they are looking for purpose-led ideas.

“My opportunity is to help clients become more aware and better understand how Revolt meets the growing needs and the pressure that C-suites and brands are facing and so many are looking to define a purpose-driven strategic position that drives corporate and brand strategy. We have a great story to tell – my job is to tell it,” she concludes.

Revolt and L’Oréal have won a Gold Brandon Hall Award for our work on learning and development. Our Beauty Marketing in a Diverse World masterclass is an immersive session about embedding Diversity, Equity & Inclusion into the full marketing production chain.