Our Favourite B-Corp Creative Agencies In 2023
The last few years have seen a significant shift in terms of priorities across the creative industry. Rather than being judged purely on campaign executions and awards, agencies are now being held to a higher standard in terms of sustainability, employee welfare, community engagement, and ethical business practices.
This shift has been driven by various factors, but one of the most important is changing business attitudes.
As brands become increasingly engaged in conversations around sustainability, they want to see these values reflected in their agency partners. While creative agencies are still expected to deliver top-notch campaigns, they also need to consider how they’re contributing to their workforce, their industry - and the planet itself.
One of the best measures of sustainable business practices is the B-Corp certification - an initiative that identifies companies meeting the highest standards of social/environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability.
At Harmonic, we’re incredibly proud to have attained B-Corp status in 2022 and understand the monumental commitment it takes to earn the certification.
The B-Corp qualification is a major achievement for any company and an indication that a business is genuinely dedicated to balancing profit with purpose. As a result, it’s only right that we shine a spotlight on some of our favourite B-Corp agencies and the amazing work they’ve produced for clients.
Catch A Fire
Catch A Fire is a fantastic example of a creative agency with a true purpose.
Branding itself as a ‘strategic creative agency on a mission’, Catch A Fire focuses on collaborating with clients who are committed to social good and positive change. The agency officially became B-Corp certified in 2022 and has launched several progressive schemes, including a partnership with Ecologi (working to offset its climate impact) and ‘Ignite’, an initiative designed to share insightful content around environmental and social issues.
Catch A Fire has launched successful campaigns alongside a wide range of established brands, including Flora. Developing the “Does Everything Dairy Does. And More.” creative platform for Flora Professional Plant, the agency helped the brand tackle misconceptions around dairy alternatives and showcase the benefits of their new plant-based range.
While Catch A Fire has worked on successful campaigns across a number of sectors, every piece of work is underpinned by a passion for sustainability and ethical business.
elvis
elvis partners with ambitious brands from a range of industries to deliver ‘unexpected & unforgettable’ creative work.
However, producing high-impact creative executions isn’t the only priority for elvis. The agency is also strongly committed to ‘balancing profit with people and the planet’, having launched multiple campaigns to raise awareness for charitable/environmental causes such as single-use plastics, blood donations, and factory farming.
One of these campaigns, developed in partnership with Greenpeace, made a bold statement against deep sea mining - and even prompted a direct response from the Labour Party.
As a B-Corp, elvis also places a heavy emphasis on transparency and accountability, publishing an annual ‘Climate Disclosure Report’ to share insights around climate conflicts and agency revenue streams.
This type of honesty is hugely admirable in the marketing world and has established elvis as one of the most progressive agencies in the UK.
Given
Given is an award-winning consultancy agency that specialises in supporting ‘purpose-driven businesses and brands.’
The business focuses strongly on this idea of ‘purpose’, aiming to transform businesses into forces for positive change while also delivering groundbreaking ideas and outstanding results. Given has partnered with a number of household brand names, including IKEA, Lloyds, John Lewis, and Bupa.
Amidst the height of the COVID pandemic, the agency worked with IKEA to refresh its ‘Life At Home’ report - a unique glimpse into the issues that mattered most to customers and employees alike. Given helped the business to reimagine and redesign compelling campaign assets, bringing the data and insights from the report to life.
As an agency, Given lives and breathes the principles of the B-Corp certification, showing unshakeable commitment to long-term sustainability, social impact, and client relationships.
Open
Open offers award-winning expertise in brand strategy, creative ideation/production, audience engagement, and more. However, ‘Open’ isn’t just the name of the agency - it also embodies the values and principles of the company.
As a B-Corp, Open has committed itself to a range of progressive schemes and business initiatives. This includes everything from annual charitable donations to sponsored fundraising events and pro bono campaigns for charity/emergency services clients.
In 2020, during the COVID pandemic, Open collaborated with NHS Charities Together to launch ‘One Million Claps’. This was a hugely impactful campaign that transformed positive sentiment towards the NHS into vital donations during one of the most difficult periods in the history of the organisation.
The campaign generated more than £1m in NHS donations and recruited hundreds of thousands of donors to NHS Charities Together. This is a fantastic example of the creativity and big thinking that Open brings to important charitable and social causes.
At Harmonic, we strive to offer expert recruitment support to sustainable and ethical business partners. By helping our clients discover industry-leading talent in their sector, we enable them to maximise their social impact and deliver exceptional performance.
(Interested in viewing our 2023 B-Corp Impact Report? Click here to view the full report.)
If you’re a creative agency looking for support with key hires in finance, HR, operations, or client services, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with Isla Jackson ([email protected]) to discuss your options.