MSCHF Launches A Creative Agency

MSCHF, the brilliant Brooklyn-based art collective famous for satirizing culture, is launching a creative agency to bring its talents to the world of branding.

Why It Hits: Since its founding in 2016, MSCHF has evolved from a collective that angered the targets of its trolling into one of the coolest groups for artists to collaborate with. And by officially opening up its services for brand refreshes, product development, and one-off marketing campaigns, MSCHF is likely about to get its biggest stage yet.

Behind The Curtain: MSCHF is suiting up for the pitch.

• The creative agency is called “APPLIED MSCHF.”
• It will work with a limited number of clients in marketing and advertising, product design, and architecture.
• In a press release, the collective said it plans on creating campaigns that “reject the churn and predatory language of traditional advertising” and “build tangible cultural output with depth, permanence, and power.”

Last Laugh: While creative agencies are a dime a dozen, there seems to be a new crop of culturally-attuned, celebrity-driven, out-of-the-box ventures popping up recently. The trend seems to have started with Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort, which was built on responding quickly to viral moments. That roster has expanded this year with Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free’s Project 3 and potentially Pharrell’s VIRGINIA.

The goal for all of these agencies is, of course, to rise above the digital noise, especially at a time where everything is marketing. By providing something bespoke, unique, and actually creative, the work can both impact culture and boost the bottom line.

Prediction: Considering the stunts MSCHF is known for, expect its first clients to be brands looking to spark a little playful controversy in hopes of reclaiming the headlines.