About me

An awarded creative leader, Louise founded Here We Go Studio to challenge existing creative agency models. Their work aims to design change in local communities as well as tackling global issues, existing to make a positive impact on equality, the environment, and society as a whole. Craft-orientated, strategic change-making storytelling.

Listed in Campaign's 2023 '40 over 40', Louise is ex-Head of Art & Design at BMB, Sky Creative and The&Partnership, and ex-Creative Design Director at BETC, growing the start-up agency, winning the global Bacardi and Diet Coke accounts, and creating the 'Campaign Hall of Fame' Cockburn's work. She's worked at BBH, M&C Saatchi and JWT, and is Chairwoman of creative organisation TypoCircle. Outside of HWG Studio, key work achievements include the worldwide refresh of the Bacardi brand, from a sweet party drink to a heritage brand with an 'Untameable' personality, covering ad campaigns, packaging and 360 repositioning. A campaign for CALM with Love Island's Chris Hughes to highlight male depression and suicide, and which won a number of awards including a Cannes Lions shortlist, was also an important career moment.

Louise is the first Chairwoman of the TypoCircle in three decades - a voluntary role - encouraging diversity in the sector and championing the next generation. She successfully steered the non-profit through the pandemic with the introduction of global free-to-watch online speakers (creating a much-needed source of community for creatives during isolation).
Passionate about inspiring the next generation, Louise regularly guest lectures at universities and agencies (most recently Oliver), around a variety of topics including art direction, gender equality in advertising, and ideas generation. She co-founded 'SuperCondensed' - a day festival for design students supported by leading industry names - is a mentor for Creative Mentor Network and D&AD New Blood, and has provided resources and funding to important schemes such as the Design Community Hub set up by Phil Jones at Podge. She is currently looking in to how we, as an industry, can support a diverse spectrum of talent across professional development and awareness, working alongside SCA2, Lawrence Lartey and Creative Circle Foundation.

One of only a handful of female UK creative agency founders, Louise has built a successful team of designers, artists and creative technologists working with global brands through to female film directors and environmental charities.

The studio was proud to win the only Creative Circle Gold 'Art Direction for Charity' 2022 award for our branding and communications work with 'The Listening Planet' in only our second year of trading, and against a number of the larger established agencies, alongside a number of other awards through the year. The work was close to our hearts, not only due to the circumstances surrounding the charity founders health, but also as it reflected Louise's own conservation experience in her 20s, working in Uganda and Kalimantan, Borneo.

Louise's aim is to grow the studio into a leading boutique creative agency. Her respected high profile in the industry, combined by a passion to make change happen and champion the creative industries, are amplifying those foundations. She would love to continue experimenting with technology that brings creative ideas to life (rather than for the sake of using them), creating lasting change in areas with purpose. Over the next year, the studio will be branching into sonic branding, with a mission to highlight its importance in a full brand experience. Louise has always enjoyed working in education, and intends to continue broadening her experience with further teaching positions, alongside continued mentorship within the industry.

Louise has previously been named in The Drum's Designerati, made a Pitch 100 Superwoman, and is a contributor to DesignWeek, The Drum and Shots. Recently, Louise was interviewed on the future of digital typography and AI for Monotype and the Art Director's Club Germany, and advertising trends with Gordon Young at The Drum. She has been on various juries including D&AD (Jury Chairperson for Black Pencil), The Drum Roses Chairperson, the inaugural Gerety jury, Jury Chair at Kinsale (awarding the first ever Design Grand Shark), and Creative Circle (Gold). Her work has been commissioned as part of the London Design Festival in numerous years.

"Lou's strength lies in her unique ability to straddle two creative disciplines which at times seem at polar ends to each other - advertising and design. Very few creatives can do this, and I've never quite understood how she has achieved it. I think it's mainly because she is incredibly talented. And like most talented people she does a lot of listening. She mixes traditional craft-based ideas with ground-breaking digital experiences for a range of clients that benefit from her hands-on, personal direction." - Domenic Lippa, Pentagram