The inventive business by no means stands nonetheless. And neither do the individuals shaping it. From company founders marking main milestones to new leaders entering into the highlight, each shift throughout studios, consultancies and companies reveals one thing about the place the business is heading.
Welcome again to Booms & Shakes, our month-to-month round-up of the hires, promotions, partnerships and tales making waves throughout the inventive world. Whether or not it is a studio opening its doorways in a brand new metropolis, a well-recognized title returning to its roots, or an company celebrating an enormous anniversary, these are the adjustments value figuring out about.
January has already set an lively tone for 2026. We have seen daring appointments, thrilling expansions and collaborations that show this business continues to be stuffed with momentum and recent concepts.
This is who’s been making headlines this month.
Birthdays and Milestones
Anna Goodson’s company marks 30 years
It is a huge one! Montreal-based Anna Goodson Illustration is celebrating 30 years, marking three many years representing a world roster of illustrators and animators throughout editorial, publishing, promoting, animation and design.
The company is framing the anniversary as a celebration of individuals and long-term relationships, with a run of curated initiatives and retrospective options deliberate throughout 2026 to highlight the artists and tales that formed the company’s first three many years.
Anna Goodson, founding father of Anna Goodson Illustration Company
New Hires and Promotions
Virgin appoints Paul Ostryzniuk as first Government Artistic Director
Virgin Group has appointed Paul Ostryzniuk as its first Government Artistic Director, a transfer to deepen the model’s funding in creativity, velocity and distinctiveness throughout its world companies.
Ostryzniuk joins from AKQA, the place he led work for Nike, LEGO, MINI and BAFTA, and can now head up the in-house Virgin Artistic Studio, setting inventive path throughout campaigns, merchandise, model and buyer expertise.
His remit additionally contains main inventive for Virgin Pink, the group’s loyalty programme. Talking in regards to the appointment, Ostryzniuk mentioned Virgin is “at its strongest when delighting its prospects” and that the function is about “sharpening that voice” and constructing a workforce that designs experiences individuals really care about.
Paul Ostryzniuk
LOVE expands into New York with Meghan Labot on the helm
Impartial company LOVE is formally planting a flag in New York, bringing in Meghan Labot as Managing Director, NYC, to assist lead its North American growth.
With senior progress roles throughout FutureBrand, Design Spring Companions and The Model Consultancy, Labot’s appointment indicators critical intent: scaling LOVE’s presence stateside whereas conserving its signature editorial polish and style intact, now with extra cultural proximity to the US market.
Taxi Studio promotes Natalie Matti-Brown to Basic Supervisor
Bristol-based Taxi Studio has promoted Natalie Matti-Brown to Basic Supervisor, increasing her remit to steer the senior workforce and speed up world progress following a run of main new-business wins.
Having joined the studio in 2017, Matti-Brown has performed a central function in scaling long-term consumer relationships with manufacturers together with Coca-Cola, Nestlé and Mars.
GOOD Company appoints Nilesha Chauvet as CEO
GOOD Company has introduced Nilesha Chauvet as its new CEO, succeeding co-founder Chris Norman MBE as a part of a deliberate management transition. Chauvet steps up from Managing Director, the place she has helped drive sustained progress over the past 5 years. Norman will stay intently concerned in a brand new Consumer Accomplice function.
Gray London promotes Chris Lapham and Aaron McGurk to ECDs
Gray London has promoted award-winning inventive duo Chris Lapham and Aaron McGurk to Government Artistic Administrators.
The pair, who joined the company six years in the past, are behind a few of Gray’s most celebrated current work, together with Stella Artois’ Claustrobars marketing campaign and Pringles Multigrain. Two additional promotions see Sam Haynes and John Gibson step as much as Group Artistic Administrators.
Meghan Labot, LOVE’s new NYC MD
Natalie Matti-Brown, Basic Supervisor at Taxi Studio
Nilesha Chauvet, CEO of GOOD Company
Gray London’s ECDs
BBH welcomes Charlene Chandrasekaran again as Deputy ECD
BBH has appointed Charlene Chandrasekaran as Deputy Government Artistic Director, marking a return to the company the place she started her profession again in 2010 after finishing the Watford Promoting Course.
Since then, Chandrasekaran has constructed a formidable inventive monitor file throughout Droga5 and, extra not too long ago, The Or, the place she served as Joint ECD and led work for manufacturers together with ASOS, Taco Bell and Harry’s.
In her new function, she’ll assist form BBH’s inventive imaginative and prescient, tradition and output alongside the senior management workforce. Talking in regards to the transfer, Charlene described the return as instinct-led — tarot playing cards included — and timed to a brand new chapter following maternity go away.
Redscout strengthens management with two senior hires
Model consultancy Redscout has made two senior appointments to bolster its management and technique bench. Jess Manganelli steps right into a newly created function as Head of Consumer Companies, tasked with shaping the consumer companies operate and supporting the consultancy’s new enterprise pipeline.
Ryan Barton joins as Senior Director, Technique, bringing expertise spanning model technique, sponsorship and partnerships, with earlier roles at 160over90 and Identified.
GBM Group appoints Michaela Marson as Director of Advertising and Business Technique
GBM Group has appointed Michaela Marson as Director of Advertising and Business Technique, becoming a member of from a profession spanning The Occasions, Omnicom and LADbible Group. She’ll give attention to advertising and marketing initiatives, business technique and client-facing management because the enterprise continues to scale its hybrid mannequin, combining the attain of a social writer with the strategic considering of a social company.
Aer Studios appoints Jay Robinson as Artistic Director
Artistic expertise studio Aer Studios has appointed Jay Robinson as Artistic Director to steer its user-centred design follow, rounding out its senior management workforce because the company continues to develop.
Robinson brings expertise throughout model, digital, and expertise work for names together with Netflix, Microsoft and Samsung, with current highlights spanning all the things from a nationally scaled training platform for the Royal Shakespeare Firm to world UX transformation work for Nestlé.
Charlene Chandrasekaran, Deputy ECD at BBH
Michaela Marson, Director of Advertising and Business Technique at GBM Group
Jay Robinson, Artistic Director at Aer Studios
GentleForces appoints Quba Tuakli as Artistic Observe Lead
Quba Tuakli has joined GentleForces as Artistic Observe Lead because it gears as much as rejoice its fifth birthday later this spring. Becoming a member of from Unusual, Tuakli will lead the follow throughout disciplines, supporting the studio’s ambition to construct an interdisciplinary workforce designed to create extra enduring manufacturers.
The timing additionally tees up what feels like an even bigger “season” from GentleForces in 2026, together with a serious analysis report on the way forward for iconic brand-building.
Frost*collective strengthens UK management as Luca Frost relocates to London
Frost*collective has introduced that Luca Frost has relocated to London to turn out to be Managing Director of its London studio, bringing the story “full circle” for a enterprise based within the metropolis over 30 years in the past.
The transfer reinforces the studio’s UK momentum throughout place branding, environments and expertise design, with main London initiatives in play and extra launches anticipated in Q1 2026. It is each a strategic shift and a neat “coming residence” narrative – heritage assembly the subsequent chapter.
Luca Frost, MD of Frost*collective London studio
Consumer Wins and Partnerships
Edelman appointed UK communications company for Sani Resort and Ikos Resorts
Luxurious hospitality group Sani/Ikos has appointed Edelman as its UK communications company of file, supporting a method to develop visibility and differentiation throughout journey, way of life, wellness and luxurious audiences.
The remit spans media relations, influencer engagement and model storytelling, because the group continues to increase its award-winning resort portfolio throughout Greece, Spain and past (this can positively spark some envy).
O.Company kicks off 2026 with new consumer wins
Newcastle-based O.Company has began 2026 with a number of new retained wins, together with vacation park group Verdant Leisure and fast-growth tech and information enterprise Seriös Group. It is also been appointed lead consultancy, inventive and comms company for the TSA (The Surveyor Affiliation) on a UK-wide geospatial abilities and consciousness push, plus a December marketing campaign for Tullie Museum & Artwork Gallery.
The wins construct on a powerful near its twentieth yr, together with regional “Company of the 12 months” recognition and a £19m financial savings deposit influence stat tied to Darlington Constructing Society’s ‘We Did That’ marketing campaign.
O Company
Studios, Areas and Launches
Associates by Design launches first official web site
After years of conserving their heads down and letting consumer work do the speaking, Associates By Design has launched its first official web site. The studio says 2025 was its busiest yr but, and the brand new web site is a “small however significant step” in the direction of sharing extra of what it has been quietly constructing – beginning with a handful of current initiatives, with extra to come back.
It is positioned as the start of a extra open chapter: making area to indicate work, highlight collaborators, and “pull again the curtain” with out shifting focus away from shoppers.
Le Dice and Hey Studio commerce abilities in uncommon inventive collaboration
In a transfer that feels refreshingly old-school, worldwide animation studio Le Dice and Barcelona’s Hey Studio have teamed up on a collaboration that is actually a commerce: Le Dice produced a movement reel showcasing Hey’s work, whereas Hey rebranded Le Dice in return.
Hey’s new id attracts on the layered construction of animation initiatives (assume software program timelines and stacked frames), translated into horizontal traces that nod to retro aesthetics whereas staying clear and up to date. It is good to know that not each partnership wants a pitch deck and a procurement course of. Generally it is simply two studios deciding to make one another look nice.
