Journal
Please don’t ask us to make your brand voice “human and conversational”
Open enough brand guidelines and eventually you’ll meet the same four words: warm, human, confident and conversational. Lovely qualities, sure. Almost completely useless instructions for the poor soul who has to write the website copy on Monday morning. The problem...
Your brand is not a logo
Ask someone what makes up a brand identity and you’ll probably get the usual suspects: logo, colours, fonts, maybe a tagline, perhaps brand voice. All super dooper important. And all wildly insufficient on their own. Because what you’re really building is the...
Mood boards are nice. Creative benchmarking is smarter.
Open Pinterest and you’ll find a tonne beautiful design work. It’s a great place for inspiration. It’s also a pretty flimsy place to start building a brand. Founders often come to us with screenshots, saved posts and mood boards full of brands they love. And we...
Meet the not-for-profit giving rescued farm animals a safe place to come home to
For the team behind ‘Til The Cows Come Home, the goal is simple but profound: to reframe how we think about farm animals. Not as commodities, but as companions. “We started with the mindset that all animals deserve a loving home,” says Rachele Clarke, CEO of the...
You can’t optimise your way out of irrelevance
There’s an untapped opportunity sitting inside most marketing teams. It’s not another channel. It’s not another audience segment. It’s not more automation, optimisation, or A/B tests. It’s better creative. The kind of creative that earns attention, not just rents it....
News
Studio news: October recap
It’s safe to say that October has been a month of big moves for the team at Young Folks. From taking on a fresh new challenge with a cheeky campaign to celebrating two SmartCompany award nominations, there’s been plenty to cheer about. We’ve also been rolling up our...
Studio news: February recap
As we wrap up the shortest month of the year, it’s with a profound sense of purpose and pride that we share our latest updates. At the heart of everything we do lies a simple yet powerful goal: to untrash the planet so the next generation of young folks has a bright...
Studio news: January recap
Well it’s been a cracking start to the year at Young Folks. We’re all about setting big goals and chasing them with determination and discipline. And ooofttt, it was a joy to write this summary on 31 January and reflect on how much of our 2024 strategic plan we’ve...
Insights
Please don’t ask us to make your brand voice “human and conversational”
Open enough brand guidelines and eventually you’ll meet the same four words: warm, human, confident and conversational. Lovely qualities, sure. Almost completely useless instructions for the poor soul who has to write the website copy on Monday morning. The problem...
Your brand is not a logo
Ask someone what makes up a brand identity and you’ll probably get the usual suspects: logo, colours, fonts, maybe a tagline, perhaps brand voice. All super dooper important. And all wildly insufficient on their own. Because what you’re really building is the...
Mood boards are nice. Creative benchmarking is smarter.
Open Pinterest and you’ll find a tonne beautiful design work. It’s a great place for inspiration. It’s also a pretty flimsy place to start building a brand. Founders often come to us with screenshots, saved posts and mood boards full of brands they love. And we...
Beyond rainbows
A practical guide to LGBTIQA+ inclusive marketing and advertising
Positive impact
How brands can get LGBTIQA+ representation right
With nearly three million Australians identifying as LGBTIQA+, the demand for respect, understanding, and authentic representation of LGBTIQA+ experiences is real and roaring. Yet many brands mistakenly think slapping a rainbow on their socials once a year during...
Growing our positive impact through 1% for the Planet
Every financial year we donate one percent of our revenue — that’s right, revenue, not profit — to a handful of charities doing their bit to protect and preserve our planet, through 1% for the Planet. This effort forms just one part of our impact framework, alongside...
This Earth Day, we’re not going to tell you to quit plastic
As Earth Day approaches, the cacophony of well meaning but often repetitive messages about quitting plastics, cutting emissions, and supporting local brands doing good things fills our feeds. And we agree with them. Yes, it can only be a good thing to say no to...
Straight talking your sustainability
The complete guide on getting your sustainability messaging right
Client stories
Meet the not-for-profit giving rescued farm animals a safe place to come home to
For the team behind ‘Til The Cows Come Home, the goal is simple but profound: to reframe how we think about farm animals. Not as commodities, but as companions. “We started with the mindset that all animals deserve a loving home,” says Rachele Clarke, CEO of the...
Amplifying Nusantara’s storytelling, sustainability, and seriously good design
Not all furniture is created equal. There’s plenty of high-end furniture that looks good, but far less that does good, too. That’s why we’re stoked to welcome Nusantara Lifestyle as a client — a boutique, Bali-based furniture brand creating timeless pieces from...
Berry Street is building safer futures for people who have experienced family violence and neglect
When a group of courageous women established a home for abandoned mothers and babies in 1877, they couldn’t have imagined the legacy they were creating. Nearly 150 years later, Berry Street is one of Australia’s largest independent child and family service...
Get our thinking delivered
A weekly (roughly) dispatch on what it takes to build a future-focussed brand. Drop your details in the form to subscribe.