Self-confessed tricksters The Beautiful Meme create unexpected campaigns and images that stun viewers out of submission. With a pretty stellar list of clients including the V&A, Google, Innovate UK, Design Museum, Oaktree Capital, English National Ballet, Southbank Centre and most recently D&AD, this team is definitely one to watch. The creative studio are simultaneously taking everything too seriously and not very seriously at all. They've been on the radar since they were crowned the UK's 2015 Small Agency of the Year, so we wanted to find out how they're doing it...
Tell us about yourselves, what gets you out of bed every morning?
When we’re at our best we create work that not only helps brands advertise, but that resonates on its own as a peice of culture.
We invest a lot in our own projects as well as doing work for clients. Ultimately, we believe in Tricksterism and we want to be the world’s most exciting creative studio. We have a manifesto which we’ll post to you if you email us!
Wow, so how big is your team?
There are only eight of us
What medium do you prefer working in?
No preferences. We’re pretty slutty!
Any trends you're currently enjoying that we should be looking out for?
We think surrealism is going to come back in a big way. We don't mean the ironic jokey stuff that’s been around for a while, we're talking about the eyeball-slitting dark surrealism. The stuff that snuffles around in our collective psyches, pulling out strange images with its teeth. Look out for that one.
Vivid colours play a key role in lots of your work, what’s your relationship with colour?
We have an open relationship with colour
Tell us about your 'Women Fashion Power. Not a multiple choice' campaign for the Design Museum. We think it’s great.
Thank you. We did some outdoor advertising rooted around our line Not a multiple choice, and from there we wanted to create something that would resonate with people - a statement they would photograph or share.
We also wrote five short poems about everything clothes can be to women. We always want to do things that work as an advert but that also live on and move people after a campaign has finished.
The poster was the second of two we created for the Design Museum, and both were recently included in Phaidon’s new edition of A Smile In The Mind. That was a big honour for us, as well as the posters leading to ticket sales of course.
Upon receiving a brief, what’s your creative process?
People do like a process don’t they? It makes everyone feel safe. We don’t have one.
What new technology has got you excited?
CERN and Graphene
Tony Swaby April 12th, 2016, around noon
I've been involved in design for over 30 years. I've seen many "bright young things" come and go. I've never been lucky enough to meet any of them. They all say the same sort of things, they all seem to make work that has a similar feel. Their intention appears to be no different to mine or many other designers. So what makes these sort of studios rise to the surface (don't say their work cos I think there are many who are equally capable)? Are there other factors at play?