The single biggest mistake scaling brands make is believing that creativity begins and ends with the output of the creative department. This assumption is not only wrong-it’s dangerous. It relegates creativity to a narrow function when, in reality, it needs to operate far further upstream.
In a landscape dominated by market leaders with unparalleled media budgets and distribution power, scaling brands must outsmart rather than outspend. Creativity cannot be relegated to execution alone; it must be ingrained in strategy. Brands that leverage creativity at a strategic level gain the edge to disrupt, differentiate, and drive growth.
Take Liquid Death, for example. Selling a commodity-water-this brand has achieved over $300M in revenue in just four years. Its success lies in using creativity strategically to upend conventions. By offering water in cans instead of plastic bottles, it disrupted packaging norms. Its communications broke away from the category’s clichés of icy mountains and blue tones, opting instead for edgy, bold messaging. Even its approach to distribution defied expectations, prioritizing independent retailers over big supermarkets. This is creativity as a growth engine, not just a garnish.
So, how can brands embed creativity into strategy to unlock fame and growth? Start with these three principles:
1. Culture First, Culture Fast
We know fame, or getting people to talk about your brand, is the biggest driver of brand growth. And one of the best ways to achieve fame is to tap into what people are already talking about (ie culture). Yet in a world where culture evolves at breakneck speed, brands must keep pace. They must be prepared to pivot in order to stay culturally relevant.
At Defiant we did this in 2024 with our wonderful client Bella Italia. Once a beloved High Street favourite, Bella Italia faced record lows in brand appeal, consideration, and visits. To combat this we looked to culture and realised that Britain, due to rising costs and political uncertainty, has never felt more uncomfortable. This truth led us to reposition Bella Italia. Instead of competing on ‘Italianness,’ we focused on becoming the brand that would ‘Help the nation Feel Bella’. This strategy birthed the creative platform ‘Feel Bella,’ spanning everything from distinctive communications to revamped restaurant layouts, staff training, and uniforms.
The results? From concept to launch in under eight weeks, our culture-first, culture-fast approach reinvigorated Bella Italia, delivering tangible brand and business growth. It helped grow bookings over 4x above average and delivered over 2M impressions.
2. Fame Through Fearless Thinking
Many legacy brands shy away from acknowledging hard truths, opting for safe, sanitized narratives. At Defiant, we advocate for ‘fame through fearless thinking,’ embracing boldness and disruption as growth catalysts.
With Work.Life, a co-working space, we identified a critical gap: competitors like WeWork painted overly idyllic pictures of office life, ignoring the aspects of work we all love to hate. By addressing these unspoken truths, we positioned Work.Life as the antidote: a brand that “removes the hard work from working happy.”
This fearless positioning resonated with audiences, propelling Work.Life to become the fastest-growing brand in its category and increasing spontaneous awareness by over 200% in just 12 months.
3. Stealing Fame
Market leaders win by dominating media spend and distribution, but scaling brands can achieve fame by stealing it.
This year, we embarked on a top-secret project: creating a new drinks brand with world-famous DJ Nicholas Fanciulli. With the strategy and packaging finalized, our focus is now on an unforgettable 2025 launch. How? By stealing fame.
We’re collaborating with famous Hollywood actors to deliver a campaign that promises to outshine even the boldest efforts of Liquid Death. This isn’t just a launch - it’s a claim to cultural relevance.
Conclusion
Whether you’re a founder or brand leader, remember that creativity’s power extends far beyond the creative department. To achieve true fame and growth, you must think creatively at every stage - especially upstream at the strategic level.
At Defiant, this philosophy has fueled success for brands like Bella Italia & Work.Life. Now, we’re applying it to a bunch of new clients we have won including Beavertown Brewery, Clipper Tea, and Kallo - proving that fearless, strategic creativity isn’t just a mindset; it’s a growth multiplier.
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