Written by Andy Upton, Art Director

Recently, I had the incredible opportunity to visit Forward Festival Vienna, the final stop in their four-city tour across some of Europe’s most inspiring creative hubs.

This two-day event, held in the historic Gartenbaukino—Vienna’s oldest cinema—was a masterclass in innovation and artistry, featuring over 20 world-class creatives sharing insights, techniques, and jaw-dropping projects in design, animation, and film.

Vienna is a city that breathes art and history in equal measure. From the vibrant graffiti along the Danube Canal to the majestic palaces, cathedrals, and monuments scattered across the city, it’s a stunning blend of classical elegance and modern urban grit. 

I was lucky to have some time before the festival to explore, soaking in the visual feast the city offers. Everywhere you look, there’s inspiration—whether it’s the intricate details of Baroque architecture or the bold, expressive street art.

The speaker lineup was packed with talent, but a few stood out for me:

If there was one recurring theme throughout the conference, it was playfulness. Every speaker touched on the importance of embracing a playful mindset—not just as a means of crafting standout work but also as a way to make the creative process itself more enjoyable. Whether it’s experimenting with wild ideas or pushing boundaries, it’s clear that a sense of fun can be the secret ingredient to success.

Forward Festival Vienna wasn’t just an event; it was a celebration of creativity and a reminder to approach our work—and our lives—with curiosity, courage, and a little bit of mischief. Vienna’s charm and the festival’s energy left me inspired and ready to infuse more playfulness into my own projects.

Forward Festival Vienna got you inspired? Let’s bring bold creativity to your next project. Get in touch to see how we can collaborate.

The funny thing about the word “relentless” is that you don’t want to mess around with it. It can carry negative connotations—”the Carolina Reaper seed was relentless when I ‘accidentally’ flicked it in my eye on a dare.”

There’s an intensity we felt was necessary when we discussed our approach to creativity. “Let’s get serious,” we said. “Let’s get disruptive” (a grossly played-out term, we agreed). Let’s communicate that we are passionate and a bit inflexible when it comes to revolutionary creativity. You know what? We are relentless when it comes to our creative. Bold? Yep. Honest? Always. Scary? A little. But we if aren’t pushing and scaring ourselves regularly, we are doing it wrong.

“Creative,” on the other hand, truly belongs to everyone. Sure, the word is knocked around a lot, and some might argue tossed around too much, diluting its very nature. But I don’t believe that to be true. I believe it’s fair to say that everybody is a bit creative. It takes creativity to run a business, mow a lawn, deliver the mail, decode my daughter’s borderline criminal algebra, navigate the Northern Line, tie a shoe. It’s certainly not reserved for “creatives.” We’ve all heard “I’m not a creative person” countless times. People often say it if they feel they are surrounded by “creatives.” It’s a disclaimer. It’s a proclamation. It’s malarkey.

So, what does being relentlessly creative mean to us as an agency?

Everything.

Strong creativity is our driving force. I wouldn’t be writing this, or even be here, if it wasn’t for our approach to creativity. We use it to breathe life into everything we do, across all touchpoints. It’s this WHOLE-AGENCY APPROACH that sets us apart. Think about that for a sec. Everyone. A select group of highly skilled people, all motivated by a common goal, all using their specialities to develop a better way of doing something, looking at the world, bringing your band experience to centre stage.

We’ve delved deeply into our core motivations (they’re here, [link] by the way), and our approach to creativity is kinda like crafting the perfect pizza from scratch. Meticulously selecting the freshest ingredients, balancing flavours, and considering the preferences of everyone who folds a slice and has a bite. It’s beyond what we create; it’s where we transport you. Mmm.

Sure, that metaphor may stretch thin in places, but you get the idea. It’s a collaborative effort—a mindset we share and strategically use to constantly strive for improvement. It’s what fuels us, sparks innovation, binds us together, and we don’t compromise.

You can be relentless, and you can be creative, but being relentlessly creative is something entirely different. We will continue to throw the word “creative” around, whether it’s overused or not, and so should you.