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About

We are
Born Ugly

Who we are

Born Ugly is a brand transformation consultancy and a creative partnership. We are a team of strategists, creatives and change activists on a mission to create work that improves the experiences and lives of everyone who feel its impact. We are the founding agency of Elmwood and were reborn as a standalone consultancy in 2020. You could say ‘born again in the ugliest of years’! We have a track record that spans 4 decades and 6 continents. Creating extraordinary impact and changing lives for the better are always at the heart of what we do.

Born ugly logo landscape

40

Years experience

37

DBA Design Effectiveness Awards

261

Creative & effectiveness awards

Why Born Ugly?

Our name is born from a fundamental truth that even the very best of ideas start ‘ugly’. Whether they help start a fledgling business or help a brand leader stretch their advantage. They all start raw, uncrafted and lacking validation. More than this, the creative process itself is ugly. It is not a sausage machine. It is a process driven by the tension that pushes boundaries and delivers extraordinary impact.

It is a process that is in our blood. Born more than forty years ago, we have always believed that ugly fights harder. Ugly has somewhere to go. It feeds bravery and endeavour. Ugly isn’t scared to embrace dangerous creative that has the power to disrupt and break through. With conviction, ugly redefines the status quo and creates something truly remarkable.

Discover the power of ugly.


Born Ugly Sharpie Marker of Potential
Born Ugly Ink Exploration

Our Team

  • Sarah dear

    Sarah Dear
    Managing Partner

    Sabrina ahmed

    Sabrina Ahmed
    Senior Partner, Client Services

    Wander bruijel

    Wander Bruijel
    Senior Partner, Provocation

    Rob Skelly

    Rob Skelly
    Associate Creative Director

    Born Ugly Tim Leonard Primary 5x4

    Timothy Leonard
    Provocation Partner

    Kelly Broomhead

    Kelly Broomhead
    Senior Client Director

  • Born Ugly Lizzy Cooney Primary 5x4

    Lizzy Cooney
    Provocation Executive

    Holly Cullip

    Holly Cullip
    Designer

    Rachael Edwards

    Rachael Edwards
    Design Director

    Adam Garbutt

    Adam Garbutt
    Senior Designer

    Sarah Goldthorpe

    Sarah Goldthorpe Sykes
    Senior Designer

    Alex Halfpenny

    Alex Halfpenny
    Design Director

  • Martyn Hayes

    Martyn Hayes
    Design & Art Director

    Ella husted

    Ella Husted
    Client Coordinator

    Tori Morgan

    Tori Morgan
    Senior Client Manager

    Ian schofield

    Ian Schofield
    NED & Sustainability Consultant

    Steven shaw

    Steven Shaw
    Design & Production Director

What we believe in

We are here to help our clients make a dent in the universe. This takes guts, grit, and trust. That is why we value building true partnerships built on mutual understanding, transparency, and with a passion for seeing things through. We believe in knowing our stuff and not leaving any stone unturned. And we are passionate about creating heart-pounding solutions that answer dizzying challenges. The impact we make together is personal to us. As every one of us is a partner in the Born Ugly business, your success is also our success.

Born Ugly creative agency designer on plastic cow
Born Ugly creative studio culture

News

Changing Lives One Cell at a Time

A new empowering cell health category for health innovator, MitoQ

Seasonal variants from Somersby

Born Ugly supports Somersby with new seasonal variant designs


Let’s create something
extraordinary

Find out how we can help you break through and do the unexpected.