Blog

Super Bowl LIX: Hits, Misses & the Ads That Mattered

Ah, the Super Bowl. One big, brave, Hail Mary moment for brands vying for cultural impact, viral glory, or—at the very least—avoiding the cringe pile.

So how did brands fare this time around? Our team sifts through the good, the bad, and the bewildering to bring you this year’s Super Bowl ad rundown.

Brave Thinking | Issue #001

Brave Thinking is monthly hit of creativity, culture, and brand brilliance—powered by MadeBrave.

This first one focuses on our brand refresh for First Bus, our inaugural People & Culture Round Table event, a cracking healthcare campaign for colorectal cancer, a how-to on selling creative ideas to the board, a PR Week feature on mental health, and more.

Getting to the Bottom of Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is on the rise, but no one likes to talk about it. So we created a campaign where no one talks about colorectal cancer.

Our Creative Director, Jamie Axford, shows how we cracked the code for this leading medical device manufacturer.

Rugged Meets Relevant: How Stanley Nailed Its Brand Evolution

We’ve all seen it before. Legacy brands hesitate to innovate because of that one immovable element of the brand—heritage.

And rightly so. What if you alienate your core customers? What if you lose brand equity? What if people don’t like your new pink car?

Yet brands like Stanley managed to break convention and win. Our Brand Manager, Keenan Erwin, shows us how.

The Jaguar Rebrand: Misstep or Masterstroke?

Few things have the potential to blow up in Marketing Land like a global rebrand and last week’s Jaguar teaser was no exception. But now that Jaguar have revealed something of substance, we asked our team to kick the tyres and give us their take.

Selling ‘Brave’ to the Board

Our Creative Director, Jamie Axford, shares his thoughts on how creative leaders should sell ‘brave’ to the board.

Why Is ‘Brave’ Marketing so Often Surrendered to Challenger Brands?

Fortune favours brave marketers, so why does it feel so risky? A few hours into her new gig here at MadeBrave, our Bec Chelin aims to derisk bold work.

Brand Strategy Is Fast Becoming All Mouth and No Trousers

Imagine an architect who never has to build anything. Brand strategy detached from activation isn’t ‘consultation’—it’s a slippery slope to fluff according to our Head of Strategy, Mark Cullen.

Our Next Big Move: MadeBrave x The Social Hub

An ‘Agency of the Year’ award, significant international client growth, and now this—a strategic move to the heart of the city as the anchor tenant at The Social Hub Glasgow.

Here's what our next big move is all about.

Your ‘Bland Values’: A Lesson in Brand Differentiation

In a world full of brands vying for attention, too many fall into the trap of positioning themselves with "bland values"—aka, brand values that make them blend in instead of standing out.

In this post, our Senior Copywriter, Jamie Venters, shines a light on the pitfalls of boring brand values, and how steering clear can help you differentiate your brand and escape a sea of sameness.

‘A Sh*t Idea’: Catherine McEwan Foundation x MadeBrave

We teamed up with the Catherine McEwan Foundation to roll out a bold new world-first OOH and campaign film to raise awareness and inspire empathy for those living with IBD.

Our Top Takeaways from Digital Day 2024

We went along last week for The Marketing Society Scotland’s Digital Day 2024 and came back with a few top insights on the latest creative strategies and how brands are pushing boundaries and reimagining the future of marketing.