This month the7stars joined forces with sixteen of the UK’s biggest independent media agencies to launch an ad campaign that promotes the £1.8bn (Nielsen) indie sector, as the destination of choice for progressive brands.

The ‘Land of independents’ launched on the 14th Sept with a national outdoor, print and digital campaign created by Creature. The growth of the independent sector has been a rapid – almost five times faster than the rest of the market – which is something worth celebrating and why we all united to form this campaign.

The collaboration aims to highlight how crucial the independent sector will be in the UK’s economic recovery, and its contribution to growth within the advertising world. Over the past three years, the independent sector has grown ahead of the market and this campaign is aimed at supporting future positive momentum.

The collaborative effort came about after a series of meetings which began in April and continued through lock-down.

“This crisis is demanding that we reframe ad messaging in new and unexpected ways. Independent media agencies are agile enough to do exactly that,” our very own Jenny Biggam explained. “We are typically built upon open, non-hierarchical structures to foster bold ideas and strategic clarity. It’s a formula for fast, impactful results.”

Dan Cullen-Shute, co-founder and chief executive of Creature, added: “There has been a genuine sense of excitement and collaboration of people who believe in what they’re doing and it’s been amazing to be a part of… In that first meeting it felt like we walked into a different land – we left adland, an introspective make-sure-no-one-copies-your-answers territory, into a brighter, braver place.”

The independent sector is built on the values of collaboration, entrepreneurialism, flexibility and service. And long may it continue.