Tokyo-Born Creative Agency monopo Expands to London

Independent Japanese creative agency monopo has launched its first location outside of Japan, in London’s Spitalfields.

monopo describes itself as a brand of collective creativity. The agency keeps a core team of multidisciplinary talent internally while nurturing a wide network of independent specialised creators and partners. That way the agency looks to ensure consistent strategic, creative and production direction while leveraging the power of diversity in its community. A kind of diversity that could never be in-housed.

Having seen success with this model in Japan, monopo is now looking to expand this philosophy to Europe. Clients benefit from having a team bespoke to their needs and not having to pay a hefty retainer for resources they don’t require. All the while, talent retains a large amount of ownership over projects, without having to compromise their freedom.

Through the agency and community, monopo provides all the services required for brands to find a way to be themselves in a market away from home. Services span across strategy, creative and production, with the end product being anything from branding, design, digital experiences and advertising to digital content or innovation.

monopo has always invested in its community and believes that diversity is the key factor that defines the value of the monopo family. That diversity is the main reason why monopo is expanding abroad.

Initially, monopo will focus on Japanese brands looking to grow their appeal in Europe and vice versa. The agency sees itself as a bridge-builder between Tokyo & London, Asia & Europe, with the Olympics giving many brands an excuse to finally take the leap and either become a more global Japanese brand or a relevant Western brand in the East.

Yoshiyuki Sasaki, CEO & co-founder at monopo inc., said: “Ever since we started in 2011, we have built monopo as a community-based creative agency. We have always found the best talent to be focused on doing what they love most. A trend that has only accelerated in recent years.”

Mattijs Devroedt, managing director at monopo London, added: “Because the agency is collaborative by nature, clients feel comfortable collaborating with monopo. We try to build a partnership rather than a client-agency relationship. Modern start-ups especially are looking for a lean passionate team to work with constructively. A team that can bring fresh perspectives and can think alongside them without drowning in big-agency-politics.”

Mélanie Hubert-Crozet, creative director at monopo London, said: “We have a rich community of talents in Tokyo and want to inject it with the diversity of cultures and perspectives available in London. A richer community benefits the community itself, the clients we service and the agency we are building.”