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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

    Wander bruijel

    Wander Bruijel
    Senior Partner, Provocation

    Rob Skelly

    Rob Skelly
    Creative Director

    Kelly Broomhead

    Kelly Broomhead
    Senior Client Director

    Holly Cullip

    Holly Cullip
    Designer

    Rachael Edwards

    Rachael Edwards
    Design Director

  • Sarah Goldthorpe

    Sarah Goldthorpe Sykes
    Senior Designer

    Tori Morgan

    Tori Morgan
    Senior Client Manager

    Ian schofield

    Ian Schofield
    NED & Sustainability Consultant

    Steven shaw

    Steven Shaw
    Design & Production Director

    Ethan Wainwright

    Ethan Wainwright
    Senior Manager, Provocation and Creative Strategy

    Amy Dennis

    Amy Dennis
    Client Director

  • Clare Deacon Senior Director Provocation Creative Strategy

    Clare Deacon
    Senior Director, Provocation & Creative Strategy

    Iona Dowds

    Iona Dowds
    Junior Designer

    Ryan Spence

    Ryan Spence
    Senior Creative

    Ellie Harris

    Ellie Harris
    Account Manager

    Sharanjit chaggar

    Sharanjit Chaggar
    Finance Manager

    Tim Bowman

    Tim Bowman
    CFO

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

Clare Deacon joins as Senior Director, Provocation & Creative Strategy

Clare Deacon joins Born Ugly as Senior Director, Provocation & Creative Strategy

Born Ugly expands Board of Directors with two new hires

Simon Bailey appointed Chairman of creative change agency Born Ugly

Born Ugly launches ‘Ugly Conversations’

Unconventional thinking isn’t making it into the boardroom hindering competitive advantage, our latest research suggests.

Born Ugly appoints new non-exec Chair

Simon Bailey appointed Chairman of creative change agency Born Ugly

Two creative game-changers join the Born Ugly team

Born Ugly welcomes Ethan and Amy as we continue to grow our creative problem-solving capabilities for clients worldwide.

Ryan Spence joins the Born Ugly team as Senior Creative

Born Ugly welcomes Ryan to expand the design team with a new Senior Creative


Let’s create something
extraordinary

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