The Rise of Regional Creative

The Future of Creativity Has a Regional Postcode

What if the creative or strategic sweet spot isn’t in a skyscraper – but in your parents’ neighbourhood, from the town you grew up in, potentially in a place that doesn’t accept an Opal card?

To be clear, I’ve lost work to big city players, I have also lost projects to hungry nimble challenger agencies, but I stand by the fact that big biz doesn’t need a big ad agency. On the flip side, I’ve worked for buzzing city boutiques as well as global companies – regional agencies are unique, and they deliver.

Historically, “serious” creative work was reserved for capital-city agencies. Gone are those days. It could’ve been Covid. It could be the economy, interest rates and housing prices; however, the regions are where it’s at. There is some serious talent out here.

At the heart of every brand are people. Be that the people working at your organisation or the people that the organisation is serving – its customers. A brand’s purpose is to serve the needs of its audience. Connection to people is vital, and for a brand (and its balance sheet), it’s life or death.

I live in Newcastle, NSW and work on a street we sometimes dub ‘Madison Avenue’. I’m surrounded by other ad agencies, web developers, strategists and designers. The city says that there are more artists in Newcastle per capita than any other city in Australia – what?! In the University of Newcastle and Hunter TAFE we have two major tertiary institutions training fine artists and commercial creatives in a variety of disciplines.

Overlay that with city expats seeking lifestyle changes whilst still copping alternative milk lattes; it’s a melting pot of serious strategic and creative capability.

Now, back to my people and audience insight.

Regional creatives have time. We have time to be in our communities. We have time to think. We have time to enjoy life. We go deeper. We’re not transactional, and there is a good chance we might be the audience a brand is trying to connect with. We have time to interact with brands beyond Up&Go and Uber Eats.

Regional creatives are changing the game, boasting proximity, agility and more importantly, connection to people. It goes beyond a postcode.

We recently pitched a creative campaign for an aged care provider. The concept is stunning. It’s emotive, reflective and will be actionable to the audience. Our Creative Director lives in a small coastal town and has been preparing her parents’ family home for sale. The brief is spot on to her lived experience, brutally close to her core and something she delivered to eager clients’ ears. We saw a proper emotional response when it was pitched – and it was on a MS Teams call. Unheard of.

This is what brands can expect from regional agencies:

Local Insight

Regional agencies understand their audiences deeply (there is a good chance those people are the audience). We spot shifts in culture, industry and consumer behaviours. This lived experience leads to sharper strategy and more relevant messaging.

Agility

Often, regional solutions operate as cross-functional teams, collaborating effectively, making things happen faster. Getting sh!t done is the mandate.

Relationships over Transactions

Two degrees of separation is something we hear a lot of around here, so we are cautious to build long-term relationships, not churning them over ruthless campaigns. Our clients get seen, heard and understood.

We’ve been lucky enough to have relationships with clients that have lasted longer than some marriages and team members that have worked on those accounts for similar tenures. It’s unheard of elsewhere. E.g. Our longest account has been with us for 25 years, and no, it’s not the mechanics workshop down the road, it’s a big national brand that markets to the masses.

Breeding Innovation

Regional doesn’t mean limited. It means sharp. It means nimble. It means efficient without bloated budgets or layers of stakeholders. A good chunk of us are actually products of the city. Creative thinking becomes smarter, and authentic partnerships emerge with people who live and breathe the brands they are working on.

The role of an agency is shifting. As is the location. New tech, hybrid work and the decentralisation of city offices mean regional is on the rise. Brands are no longer asking “where are you based?” but “can you deliver?”

(and apparently we’re getting a super slick fast train, so there).

At Out of the Square, we’ve seen firsthand how regional creativity delivers results, crafting award-winning creative, developing a pointy strategy and earning the schtick that comes with a team that delivers, regardless of whether the client is near or far.

Ben Ogden is our Head of Client Solutions, originally from the Central West NSW (where chicken salt is free and schooners are under $8), spending years working in city agencies before finding a happy medium in Newcastle, NSW.