NEW STANDARD.S – A bold attempt to rethink agency business from the inside out
The advertising industry is a major driver of overconsumption. A 2023 report by Purpose Disruptors found that advertising contributes to 28% of the UK’s per capita carbon footprint – a number likely mirrored in many other economies. Advertising has long been focused on amplifying demand, not aligning with planetary boundaries.
NEW STANDARD.S was born as a direct response to that: a strategic consultancy and communications studio founded on a bold ethical codex and a simple but radical premise – that creativity, sustainability, and agency culture don’t need to be at odds.
We didn’t just help clients communicate better; we held up a mirror to the industry and showed that work could be done differently. We believed in leading by example – from how we design websites to how we design the employee experience.
Project Overview
Company: NEW STANDARD.STUDIO GmbH
My role: Co-Founder, Head of Strategy
Timeline: September 2020 – April 2025
My Role as a Co-Founder
From the earliest days, I laid the foundation for what NEW STANDARD.S would stand for:
Strategy & Brand Ethos
Defined the studio’s tone of voice, communication principles, and project approach: optimistic, clear, human-centered, multilingual where needed, and always grounded in systemic thinking.
Employee Journey & Culture Design
Created and implemented the internal rituals, values, hiring process, onboarding, and continuous development journey – including our 4-day work week and commitment to equity in access to opportunity.
Ethical Codex & Public Representation
Authored the behavioural standards – from food to transport to client relationships. Handled all applications for tenders, awards, and certifications that asked, “How do you do things differently?”
Positioning & Voice
Ensured all public-facing communication (from website to social media to lectures) reflected our values: transparent, accessible, and never preachy.
I helped shape a studio that was more than a service provider – it was a cultural statement.
The Codex: What set us apart
At a time when “purpose” was being commodified, we were doing the deep work. We published a clear behavioural standard for our team and clients that guided everything we did – from how we used electricity to how we cooked our meals to who we chose to work with.
Some highlights included:
4-day work week with one day set aside for learning and personal creativity
A strong refusal to work on communication briefs with harmful industries while offering upskilling to all
Transparency around compensation, learning opportunities, and hiring practices
Commitment to circularity in print, tech, and physical materials
A vegan, low-waste kitchen cooked by the team members for one another daily
A utility setup that matched our values (renewable energy, ethical banking, etc.)
Our Impact
Within just three years, we:
Grew to a team of 12 with near seven-figure revenue
Worked with clients including: WWF, GIZ, Brammibal’s Donuts, BA Neukölln, BA Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, and many more
Became a B Corp (2024) and joined Circular Berlin and the Bundesverband Nachhaltige Wirtschaft
Were nominated for the German Sustainability Award 2025
