After years inside bigger agencies, Tyler and Rob realised the work they were proudest of happened when they were still “on the tools” – close to the craft, close to the client, and not buried under layers of bureaucracy. So they set up their own studio with a simple ambition: stay small enough to be hands-on, and bold enough to avoid the cookie-cutter agency playbook.
They assumed their background in tech would dictate who came knocking. Instead, the first three years of YeahNice have involved everything from Korean skincare and robotics, to a rail station and a milk tea brand.
That sector agnosticism is now deliberate. The team lean into being slightly “naive” to a category so they can see it like a customer would – without the inherited rules of how things are “supposed” to look.
A big part of that is their “challenger state of mind.” YeahNice is built to serve brands with a chip on their shoulder: second in the market, smaller budgets, something to prove. They force sharper thinking, braver creative choices, and often, a more distinctive position than the incumbent can afford to take.
They also discuss how brand experiences are still brand work but just in 3D, how they protect time and headspace for genuinely original creativity and how they're building a culture that actually lives up to their company's name.
To see more interviews with leaders from across a range of agencies and to find out how they grow, motivate and innovate their teams, check out The Subthread's Uncut series.
