Our story · MadeBrave

Our story · MadeBraveHow MadeBrave, the Glasgow brand agency, started in 2011 with a two-week-old son and a thousand pounds, how bravery paid off, and where we go next.£1k in the bank. A two-week-old baby at home.What a bloody good time to quit your job and start a business, right?That was Andrew in 2011, with eight years at a design agency behind him, a thousand pounds of his last wage in the bank and his son Fin, two weeks old. He had no clients and no plan B, just a belief that brands could be braver than the ones he kept seeing.There’s never a perfect time to make a brave move. Bravery, like creativity, lives in all of us. It’s just turned up at different volumes in each of us, and at different points in our lives we have to turn it up and do the thing that pushes us out of our comfort zone.This was Andrew’s moment, and it’s what started MadeBrave. A lot of people called it crazy. He named the business after the only thing he had plenty of. Ask him today and he’ll tell you:Brave? Maybe. Naive? Probably. Luckily, it paid off.

Why we exist

To inspire creativity and bravery in everyone.

Not just clients: our own people, the room at a talk, a kid with a felt tip and a big idea. Bravery is not a talent. It is a habit, and habits catch. Every brave thing we make gives someone else permission.

Where we are going

To be the most magnetic brand and creative agency in the world: the name people say first when they want to be brave.

What we believe

To Infinity and Beyond: Ambition is the default setting. Just like Buzz, we work hard, dream big and take ourselves and our clients to new heights.
Amigos Without Egos: The best idea wins, whoever it came from. Alone, we're guacamole, chicken and rice, but together we're a tasty burrito with hot sauce on top. We always work as a team and leave our egos at the door.
Be Your Weird Self: Difference is the raw material of creativity. The thing about being 'weird' is that no-one is weird in the same way. That's why we bring our whole selves to work every day.
Don't Grow Up, It's a Trap: Curiosity beats certainty. Curiosity is where the best ideas come from. We stay playful, keep asking daft questions, and enjoy the journey as much as the destination.
Be Brave: Playing safe is the riskiest move. Brave by name, brave by nature. For us, it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission, so don't be afraid to do things differently.

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