LENS: BROTHERS & SISTERS
Creative agency, Brothers & Sisters, has announced that it will invest all its future profits into the work of charities and non-profit organisations. The simple launch video aims to raise awareness of the agency’s transformation into a social enterprise.
Brothers & Sisters will continue to trade commercially but all profits will be given to charitable causes. The agency has already invested over £500k in labour when working on Grenfell Athletic FC, the community football club set up after the Grenfell Tower disaster in 2017. It has previously arranged the free production of ads and has partnered with big brands including Nike and Cadbury.
Andy Fowler, founder and chief creative officer of Brothers & Sisters, says “We’ve been hugely affected by the journey we’ve been on with Grenfell Athletic and the sense of reward for everyone here is inspiring us to do more. Being independent and relatively small means, we are well placed to experiment more radically with the business, and our clients are really supportive of this move."
The agency has stipulated that all future profits should be invested in social causes. Its corporate charter will also state that shares of the company cannot be sold unless there is a legal guarantee that its not-for-profit status is maintained.
Brothers & Sisters are now looking for other long-term charitable partners. The internal team have been given the opportunity to help decide which charities or social enterprises it will support in future, with every single member of the agency using their skillset to further these causes.
To announce the move, Brothers & Sisters have released a film directed by Rafael Damy, created in partnership with UK production company, Birth, which donated its time for free to the project. The simple video shows a person walking through a forest as she tries to understand what a 'not-for-profit' actually means.
“The world faces many challenges, and we believe creativity and kindness are always the answer. So, in our own little corner of adland, we are hacking the model of capitalism to become a force for good. The more successful we are as an agency, the more successful our clients are, the more good we can filter back into these soul projects. Maybe others will be inspired to follow our example. That would really be something,” adds Fowler.
