24
2022
7 N. Willow St. Suite 7 Montclair, NJ 07042
X&O is a sprint agency that is changing the way brands think of creative agencies and how top talent can be used that works best for their schedules, budgets and expertise. X&O was created to be the modern brand’s solution to the bloated AOR model – delivering fast solutions in days and weeks, rather than months and with a flat fee.
1 employee, 2 founders and an expert network of more than 140 senior talent
Misfit
X&O is the modern antithesis to the bloated AOR model: only super senior, super talented brains, working in short sprints, with 100% focus on one project at a time. We have no full time staff, no overhead, no bullshit - all that clients pay for are the answers and big, actionable ideas that truly move business forward.
Other rules we break:
--No meetings
--No working overtime / weekend work
--Experts solely focused on one project at a time
--We don’t pitch
--Our talent set their own rates, i.e. we pay people their worth
--Building bespoke teams for each brand challenge
We believe that great ideas can come quickly, don’t need a consensus and we allow our network to trust their gut.
X&O’s entire brand ethos and culture is anti-establishment and pro-independence.
Our anonymous network has the freedom to work on the projects they want, one at a time, and because they don't have the limitations of their name associated with their work, can take big swings and risks, resulting in unleashed creativity. Projects are matched brains to briefs, ensuring the right expert is on the right project, resulting in exceptional results in a short timeframe.
Our best and biggest accomplishments are measured in time and money. We’ve delivered and completed amazing work for brands big and small in a matter of weeks, rather than days. In some cases, we’ve delivered ideas before a brand’s traditional AOR can even gather for a meeting. We are that fast.
Examples:
Smashburger Visual Identity: With strong validation of our model against brand positioning and creative platform assignments, we decided to put it to the test against design. When the assignment of Visual Identity refresh is handed to some of the most acclaimed design shops, it’s typically a 6-month, 7-figure endeavor. Who has that kind of time and coin these days? We built Smashburger’s entire identity system in 5 weeks, produced assets in 3 and were live in-market before invoices were paid (true).Marketing Dive: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/smashburger-cmo-visual-identity-rebrand-restaurant-marketing/734692/
Protein2o Positioning & Brand Platform: The power of our model is in its flexibility: with fixed fees and a productized offering, we attract Fortune 500’s and growth stage companies alike. Protein2o, a true challenger, with a differentiated product offering, came to us with a need to take their brand narrative to the next level - a big unifying idea, meant to live across all channels, from retail to social, to ecomm.
Links to the 3 spots: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15Ccq8eVaY42LIZvVRr0nAkMFDxm0TEH6?usp=drive_link
Immediate results are scarce for us as the lovechild between an agency and consultancy, we typically work far upstream. These are some recent projects that have not made their way to market yet. We think the scale, scope and variety for an outfit our size is worth noting:
Arby’s: We worked with the Meat-Centric fast food chain to create a new value platform that drives both transactions and cultural fame. This is currently in test.
Fourier: A growth stage engineering company tackling some of the world’s most prickly energy problems. We developed their positioning, brand narrative, new visual identity and brand narrative. New identity is live at www.fourier.earth.
Dairy Farmers of America: From carton to culture, we developed a big, buzzworthy engagement and sales driving idea that modernizes milk during March Madness, centered around the unparalleled milk and cookies dunk.
Founders Brett Banker and Eric Segal worked together for nearly 20 years at Grey and Anomaly. As both rose up through the ranks, they realized they shared similar paint points with the industry. And noticed that their clients also had issues that were not being met with the current AOR model. Combined with their similar list of “Shit We Never Want to Do Again,” the idea of X&O was born. But Brett and Eric wanted to make sure that X&O was more than just autonomy for themselves, but something new that would really disrupt how talent and brands work in the industry.
The comfort of the familiar. Working in the same old traditional AOR structure is what clients know and what agencies sell. It has taken years to get clients to see there is a better way and we’re beginning to make significant inroads.
As the ad industry collapses into bigger, traditional versions of itself and great talent continues to get shooed away in the reorgs, we stand at the corner with open arms. Send us your senior, your exceptional. Our ambition is to ringfence the top 1% of talent in the marketing and communications industry.
Brands are recognizing that there is an alternative to the AOR and top talent understand that there is a better, more focused and fun way to work on their own terms. They adore the access to exceptional, expert talent, the pace we work at - and the price point certainly doesn’t hurt. Our ambition here is to become the c-suite’s secret weapon, being called upon for the big, sticky challenges that are holding the business back. (and soon we’ll invest in the bat signal).
