Born out of the chaos of 2020, Egg has evolved into a close-knit agency working with clients ranging from startups to Formula 1. As it marks five years, the team reflects on their rebellious beginnings, collective model, and what it means to thrive on their own terms.
Egg wasn’t hatched in the usual way. The London-based agency began life in the strangest of circumstances, when it was mid-lockdown and the world of work and life was more uncertain than ever.
What started as a group of friends helping old clients on the side quickly turned into something more deliberate. There was no grand plan, no market analysis, just a shared instinct to do things differently. Five years on, Egg is still guided by that instinct.
As Nick Abrahams, managing partner & co-founder, recalls, the origins were far from polished. “Egg’s an agency that formed organically after the sad end of an agency we all worked in together previously, and when that business closed due to COVID-19, we were still in touch with some old clients who asked us to support on the odd brand project here or there.
“We worked as a design collective without a name for a couple of months, loved it, and so started chatting about what our ideal agency might look like and how we might formalise what we were doing.”
That spirit of rebellion is baked into Egg’s DNA, thanks to the fact that the team looked back at the things they disliked about traditional agencies and decided to try the opposite. “Looking back at the weird old time in 2020 when we formed, the lack of clarity about the world we were living in was actually quite freeing,” Nick says. “The fact that no one had a clue what was going to happen with anything, but definitely the design/agency landscape, meant we were able to be quite brave and rebellious with how we could set up.”
Doing business differently
One of the clearest outcomes of that early rebellion was Egg’s ownership model. From the outset, the team opted for collective ownership and profit-sharing over the traditional hierarchy that most agencies employ.
The effect on culture has been transformative, according to Nick. He says: “The biggest impact we’ve seen is the change in accountability an individual has across all aspects of the business.
“A designer doesn’t just focus on delivering great work on time because they might get a pay rise or a new word in front of their title, it’s because their actions genuinely impact everyone else around them.”
This doesn’t mean blurred boundaries, because roles remain defined; however, it does mean more care, curiosity, and accountability across the board. “That’s a brilliant culture to be surrounded by,” Nick adds, “as it’s one (in its simplest form) of love.”
Remote by design
While many agencies scrambled to figure out hybrid working after the pandemic, Egg built remote-first into its foundations. For Rich Watters, designer & co-founder, that decision has been central to the agency’s resilience.
“Working remotely and flexibly is a foundational part of our identity as a business, not just a way of working,” he says. “Early doors in the business, we knew that creating an environment of trust and autonomy would be key to making it sustainable long term.”
The team already had a strong bond before setting out, which provided them with a solid foundation to adapt quickly. Daily check-ins, regular creative catch-ups, and the occasional in-person meet-up keep them close, even while they are spread across different places. Then there are the clients who are benefiting from more openness, real-time collaboration, and a more flexible rhythm.
Of course, remote work isn’t without its challenges. The buzz of office life and those post-work pints are sometimes missed, but as Rich points out, the trade-off is worth it. “That balance lets us keep the energy and spontaneity of being together, while enjoying the focus and freedom that remote work brings.”
From startups to stadium screens
Despite its modest size, Egg has never shied away from ambitious briefs. Laurie Jackson,
designer & co-founder, says the agency’s versatility is what surprises them most: “Overall, what I’m most proud of and what has constantly surprised me is our versatility to shift from helping build brands for small startups to branding enormous global companies all with the same core team.”
From Experian to Formula 1, Egg has proved it can operate at scale, but Laurie’s personal highlight was closer to home when they rebranded Pride in London. “It was a very long collaborative project, which we took on ad hoc on top of the work we had, but culminated in a moment where I stood in Leicester Square, surrounded by spectators watching our hard work projected onto the big screen and all around us while the red arrows flew overhead. That one felt very real!”
Weathering storms
Like any independent studio, Egg has faced its share of turbulence. Saoirse Richardson, managing partner & co-founder, recalls a difficult spell in 2023, when big projects dropped away and sign-offs slowed. Admittedly, at this stage, they didn’t have a buffer in place, but it was also a moment when Egg’s unusual structure proved its worth.
“Our unique set-up as an agency really shone through and we took on the challenge as a collective responsibility,” says Saoirse. “We were not afraid to have challenging and honest discussions.”
By working through it together and adjusting their processes, the team came out stronger and more resilient for the future.
Turning five
Egg celebrates its fifth birthday this October, a milestone that carries extra weight given its unconventional beginnings. Laurie reflects: “Five years doesn’t sound like a massive milestone, but given the uncertainty of the times in which we started and the faith we put into trying something new, I feel immensely proud of our achievements and extremely grateful we’re able to conduct our business in a way that ultimately suits us whilst creating amazing work.”
As for the future, the agency isn’t in a rush. James Sanderson, designer & co-founder, says: “Making a living through creativity is a privilege. We just want to keep doing that, really!” Growth will be organic, not forced, with any new hires chosen carefully. Creatively, the team sees imagination, strategy and humanity as the qualities that will keep them relevant in a fast-moving world.
They also plan to lean into niches they’ve carved out while exploring new sectors and challenges. “We will take on pretty much any creative challenge – as long as it’s not for gun runners or oil barons,” James laughs.
Five years after hatching, Egg remains a little rebellious, a little unconventional, and deeply committed to doing things their way.
