In a crowded creative industry, standing out requires more than following familiar trends. Brands need fresh ideas, unexpected perspectives and a willingness to move beyond established ways of thinking.

This was the central message shared by design director Will Geddes and executive producer Helena Corzan from creative agency The New Company during a recent Nicer Tuesdays event in Los Angeles.

The pair discussed how the agency approaches branding and creative campaigns. Their philosophy is built around a simple idea: every new brief should offer an opportunity to explore something different.

Moving beyond the creative comfort zone

For The New Company, originality is not simply about making something look unusual.

It involves questioning the usual approach and finding a new way to communicate an idea.

Geddes and Corzan described the agency’s creative process as an ongoing search for novel ideas. Rather than repeating familiar solutions, the team treats each project as a chance to experiment.

This approach encourages creative professionals to challenge their own habits. It also gives clients an opportunity to rethink how their brands connect with audiences.

In a market where consumers encounter countless campaigns every day, predictable ideas can easily disappear into the background.

A distinctive creative direction can help a brand become more recognisable and memorable.

Turning a brief into an opportunity

One of the key points from the discussion was the importance of treating every brief as a starting point rather than a set of limitations.

A client may arrive with a clear business objective, an established visual identity or a specific audience in mind. However, the creative process still needs room for exploration.

The New Company’s work demonstrates how this thinking can be applied across different industries.

The agency has developed an identity system for AG1 and continues to work with major brands including Nike and EA Sports.

These projects show the range of creative challenges that can emerge from different sectors. They also highlight the importance of finding an approach that responds to each brand rather than relying on one repeated formula.

Why originality matters in branding

Brand relevance is closely connected to how people experience and recognise a company.

Visual identity, advertising and communication all contribute to that relationship. However, a strong brand cannot depend on appearance alone.

Creative ideas need to communicate something meaningful about the business and its audience.

Novel thinking can help brands avoid becoming predictable. It can also create new ways to introduce products, tell stories and build emotional connections.

This does not mean every campaign needs to be completely experimental. Instead, creative risk should have a clear purpose.

An unexpected idea works best when it supports the brand’s message rather than distracting from it.

Collaboration creates room for better ideas

The discussion also highlighted the value of collaboration between different creative roles.

Design directors, producers, strategists and clients bring different perspectives to a project. When these viewpoints are considered together, they can help reveal possibilities that might otherwise be overlooked.

A willingness to question early ideas is also important. Creative teams need an environment where experimentation is encouraged and where not every first solution has to become the final one.

This process can lead to stronger visual identities and campaigns that feel more connected to their audiences.

Keeping brands relevant through creativity

The New Company’s appearance at Nicer Tuesdays offered a useful reminder for the wider design and marketing industry.

Brand relevance is not something that can be maintained through repetition alone. Audiences change, visual culture develops and new platforms continue to influence how people interact with companies.

Creative teams therefore need to keep questioning what is possible.

By approaching each brief with curiosity and a willingness to leave familiar territory, agencies can develop work that feels more original and meaningful.

For The New Company, the search for new ideas is not an occasional exercise. It is an essential part of the creative process.