Two decades ago we were a small creative collective working with big brands like Burton Snowboards.
Today, we’re makers pushing past market expectations, branding experts working alongside clients who value one-of-a-kind work, and risk-takers solving complex problems with creativity.
In the in-between, we’ve built a team and portfolio that’s gained a reputation for being unapologetically authentic.
Whether you’re here looking for your next ad partner or to make your next career move, there’s one thing we want to make clear about this business—we all have a choice: we can either follow or Defy.
The foundation of great work is a strong strategy. It’s what guides the courses we take to get clients where they want to go.
We prefer open communication with our clients to learn their businesses, develop relationships with their team, and jot down the small anecdotes that lead to big ideas down the line.
DEVELOPING GREAT WORK REQUIRES TRUST.
We believe an environment that promotes our team’s physical and mental health creates an atmosphere of inspiration and collaboration. So that’s just what we do. Together we’ve developed a flexible workflow that allows us to influence culture from the inside of our office or from the inside of our homes.
Our investment in people grows well outside our workspace. We understand this is all bigger than ourselves, so Defy continues to serve nonprofits and the ad community at large.
Don’t see a position for you? Send your stuff to team@wedefy.com. We’re always interested in putting the best talent on our radar.
Case Study
Arborcrest
2018 -
Current
DEFY’S RELATIONSHIP WITH SPEAR STREET CAPITAL IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF NATURAL BRAND EVOLUTION.
The creative collaboration began in 2018 – Spear Street engaged Defy to build out a brand for Arborcrest, the firm’s recently acquired corporate campus. Defy developed a story around the existing identity system and applied it to a suite of cohesive materials including a website, sizzle video, hard bound book, brochure, and business cards.
Arborcrest’s sales team utilized the suite to market the venue to potential tenants, quickly reaching maximum capacity.
In 2020, Spear Street re-engaged with Defy to support a new initiative: the development of a sub-brand specifically geared toward life sciences tenants.
Defy began by auditing the original Arborcrest brand and cross-referencing it with our knowledge of the life sciences space. Then, we built a new system that has its origins in key Arborcrest elements and natural textures.
To help set Arborcrest Life Sciences apart, we injected a bright, fresh color palette; incorporated industry-specific photography; and shifted to clean fonts that reflected the fact-based nature of scientific discovery.
We then designed and built a single-page scrolling website to showcase the new brand and the science-focused elements of Arborcrest Life Sciences that make it an ideal destination for biopharma, health care, and other discovery brands. We also developed a new brochure for this market segment.
Having the opportunity to develop a brand family over time is both a privilege and a creative opportunity that agencies relish – too often, brands hesitate to evolve alongside the companies they represent. The Arborcrest project provided a unique opportunity for Defy to continue to evolve our original concept. By collaborating with Spear Street to adapt materials over time, we succeeded in increasing their relevance and efficacy while staying true to the original brand.
2.15.21
You always had a choice. Instead of following, you chose to Defy.
As you’ve come to know from our relationship, we always looked to push beyond limits to help our clients create work that stands out from the norm.
Over the last 12 months, we’ve finally gotten around to focusing this same approach on our own agency.
Moving forward, the agency formerly known as [ 2 one 5 ] Creative will go by Defy.
Our new brand name honors the spirit of our beginnings as an artists collective 20 years ago, and lights an exciting path ahead for an agency that continues to grow and evolve.
Together, we look forward to continuing to defy the conventional, limits, and expectations in 2021 and beyond.
