Since we launched our series of sustainable masterclasses last year on things like Green Friday and sustainable shopping, we’ve had an influx of brands come to us to find an agency to land their sustainability commitment. This isn't marketers seeking agencies with sustainability credentials, experience, or ambitions; they want to engage with agencies that have CSR and sustainability in their DNA. Not “yes, we can probably do that”, but “yes, we are that”. 

These are our top 11 (10 is never easy...) agencies leading the charge, delivering purpose-led sustainable creative, comms and strategy in no-particular-order.

The sustainable comms and creative branding stylings of Earth: 

First off, with their core inspiration being our planet’s perfect equilibrium, Earth, (aptly named), believe that the eco-system of business and society is much the same, needing a constant value of exchange to grow stronger. With their tagline being Sustainability. Unleashed. It would be remiss not to put this agency on our list. With 10 new clients, 36 clients helped, 200 trees nurtured, 4000 kilos of CO2 sequestered, and 72 countries reached, it’s no wonder Earth stood out as a recommended go-to partner.  

Accept and Proceed: If you dare… 

With a radical name, comes radical ideas and radical people. Accept and Proceed are in the business to eradicate radical change. One of their notable take-aways is that they’re a B-Corp business, that is legally required to consider the impact their decisions have on their team, clients, suppliers, community and most importantly, the environment. While they work with an array of note-worthy brands that inspire change, they also have a Podcast called Endless Vital Activity, where founder David Johnston explores the minds of radical thinkers, artists, scientist, and activists on the on-going problems we face, immersing themselves in each other’s minds to understand how to re-imagine our world.  

Planet Shine: literally puts the shine in Sunshine 

Planet Shine goes full force in making the planet a better place, with a focus and commitment on halting climate change. They work with brands at the apex of planet preservation and sustainable activism to bring their sustainability voice to life. Brands like Quorn for example - they recently launched their Protein Pioneers film which documents the most incredible story of how Quorn Foods came into being. Truly one of the most authentic and innovative brands in existence! Check out their highlights from their COPtimism event here. 

When the aim is quite literally in the name: Fortitude 

A fitting name for a company that literally shakes the forefront of matters that need to be spoken about. Fortitude is yet another note-worthy creative sustainability consultancy, with the aim here to equip clients to turn ambition into action, to show them that to make a big impact you need an open-mind, to break the barriers of communication between what’s safe to say and what is right to say. Set up in 2015, Fortitude was created to inspire brands with the unexpected and to take that leap on being the voice of change, where no one else was.  

Revolt: where actions speak louder than words  

A company built on actions over words, Revolt leads the way in making sure brands stay accountable for actually putting their words into action. This global brand consultancy utilizes a prototyping approach that has helped many of the world's leading companies, brands and non-profits leave a positive impact. Take their work with BUDWEISER for example, reiterating their commitment to making the world a better place, with an Earth day Campaign aptly named “Together We Can Turn This Around”. The centre piece to the campaign was a film featuring a reversible poem – one that painted a picture of doom and gloom when read from top to bottom but turned into a message of hope when read in reverse. As they say at Revolt “THE MOST SUCCESSFUL BRANDS OF TOMORROW WILL BE THE ONES THAT TAKE A STAND TODAY.” 

Giving brands a purpose is a Given: 

Certified BCorp, Given, is all about brands and its consumers uniting and build their future, together. Their passion lies in working collaboratively with ambitious teams in leading brands, to progress their purpose, create purposeful change and make purpose powerful. They achieve this by meticulous strategy setting, avid change making and elaborate storytelling. From their work with IKEA exploring the role of Mental Health at home, to their monthly newsletter “Good Enough to Share”, these guys are worth checking out.  

GOOD work GOOD life: 

Another highly recommended agency to watch - GOOD, a purpose driven business out here doing the GOOD work - pun absolutely intended. They’re a 25-year-old independent, award-winning creative agency, with 50+ employees who, are fighting the good fight. Their work with charities across a wealth of different causes, from cancer to cat welfare, from water to waste, ensures their impact on the marketplace and their work with brands ensures real value from purpose. With the charitable bee in their bonnet, they’ve also worked on projects addressing every Sustainable Development Goal set by the UN and helped global and national brands define and embed purpose to create real value. All in all, a GOOD place to start if you’re looking for valuable sustainability and your voice to be heard.  

The Elephant room: Shaking the core of brand inclusivity  

Where 2020 saw a shift in humankind thinking and behaviour, it prompted the world of marketing and advertising to do the same. The Elephant Room are one of the leaders in this regime shift though have been in the game much longer, recognizing that brand inclusivity is the way forward and brands will simply become redundant if they don’t change their strategies and become more sustainable. Essentially, “An inclusive brand gives just as much thought to the needs of people and the planet as it does to the profit it needs to make.” They practice what they preach, too.  

MSQ: Coining the term “Emotional Capital” 

In a world where everything is ever-changing and new norms come into play daily, the only way to respond to the countless twists and turns we all come across, is to be completely resilient and responsive (especially when it comes to sustainability and including that into their strategies moving forward). Cue MSQ, an agency that’s coined the term “Emotional Capital”, this is your brands bank balance, and in short, the more you have, the closer your relationship with consumers are. MSQ builds bespoke teams of multi-disciplinary experts, informed by powerful data-driven insights, delivering consistent and connected brand experiences for every single one of their clients. These clients include, Barclays, DIAGEO, Coco-Cola, Cancer Research UK and Royal Mail, to name drop a few. Check them out. 

Media Bounty: putting the bounty into environmental cores and values 

We can’t begin to talk about genuine sustainability focused agencies without mentioning Media Bounty. Dubbed THE “integrated ethical creative and media agency, this is a team that practices what they preach, and the believe that environmental and social innovation truly drives business performance. From working with leading lights in the sustainability space, to future facing organisations that are helping shift the world to a sustainable economy, ambition and reality in brand aims is key – green washers can get in the bin! Working alongside an incredible array of brands such as Terry’s, KIND, Bodyform and Meatless Farm Co., Media Bounty are stalwarts in doing work that makes the world a better place. If one campaign is worth your time, check out their COP26 work – buying up media space 12 months prior to the event to prevent greenwashing and hold governments and organisations to account. Oh. And they LOVE bees 

Humankind: where reputation is top of mind 

In an increasingly digital world, human storytelling has never been more important for connecting with people, this is where Humankind shines through. Working hand-in-hand with their sister agency, Fanclub, they connect their clients with consumers through carefully crafted stories, opinions and experiences. One of their core outputs is to move from human to kind- an aptly put synopsis of their name. They stay on top of their game by never resisting change and staying resilient in a time here everything is every-changing, never faltering their core values and beliefs. Definitely not one to miss.  

And there you have it!

Ingenuity have helped thousands of procurement professionals find their perfect agency partners. If you want to discuss our agency recommendation or selection services, please email kate.lewis@ingenuitylondon.com.