What ABEL does

ABEL is a privately held, direct-to-source creative company founded in 2019 by Nicole Jauncey and Simon Fowler, co-located in Sydney (Darlinghurst) and Christchurch, New Zealand. The firm operates with a deliberately lean core team of approximately 15 employees and draws on a handpicked global network of production partners to scale delivery, explicitly eliminating the agency middle-layer in favour of direct client relationships. Its offering spans six integrated service areas: AI-powered research, brand and communications strategy, brand development (including naming and visual identity), copy and design, production oversight, and integrated campaign development. This structure allows the firm to move engagements across strategy, design, and production under a single accountable team.

ABEL serves a roster of 17 named enterprise and not-for-profit clients across beverages (Red Bull NZ, Beerfarm, Saintly), retail and delivery (Just Eat, MILKRUN), fintech and financial services (Macquarie Bank, SBS Bank), pharma and healthcare (Cannabis Clinic, Westfund, Leadr), lifestyle and fitness (F45), B2B services (Coates), and non-profit (AMCS). Key engagements include the Red Bull New Zealand creative agency-of-record appointment since late 2023, the global Just Eat "This Body Says Just Eat" platform rolled out across non-English-speaking European markets, and the SBS Bank "Saving The Kiwi Dream" integrated campaign that delivered a 21% uplift in new member acquisition.

Commercially, ABEL runs on a professional services billing model — fees are charged directly to clients for strategy, brand development, and campaign execution, with project- and retainer-based engagements sized to each brief. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; delivery is regional across Australia and New Zealand, with campaign deliverables executed through international production partnerships. The firm has no disclosed institutional funding, no parent company, and generates revenue solely from client fees; revenue figures and headcount trend are not publicly available. AI tooling (notably Google's Image FX) is incorporated into research and ideation workflows but does not constitute proprietary technology or a standalone product line.

Name

ABEL

Legal name

ABEL

Website

https://createwithabel.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ABEL is a privately held, direct-to-source creative agency founded in 2019, operating across Australia and New Zealand. It provides AI-augmented research, brand strategy, and integrated campaign services from a 15-person core team to enterprise clients including Red Bull NZ, Just Eat, and Macquarie Bank.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative & Brand Strategy Services

NAICS

Marketing Consulting Services (541613), Graphic Design Services (541430)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)

Keywords

• Creative agency services
• Brand strategy
• Campaign development
• Brand identity design
• Integrated marketing campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

Darlinghurst

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Creative and Brand Strategy Services: ABEL generates revenue through professional services fees for creative strategy, brand development, campaign development, and production oversight. The agency operates as a direct-to-source model with no agency layers, billing clients directly for creative services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ABEL is a direct-to-source creative agency that develops brand strategy, brand identity, campaigns, and creative production for enterprise clients. It delivers six integrated service areas — AI-powered research, strategy, brand development, copy and design, production oversight, and campaign development — through a lean in-house team backed by a handpicked network of global production partners. The agency bills clients directly, eliminating traditional agency intermediary layers.

Product overview

ABEL is a direct-to-source creative company offering an integrated suite of services rather than a software product with modules. The company provides six core service areas: Research (AI-powered data analysis and trend identification), Strategy (brand, campaign, and communications), Brand Development (platform and identity creation), Copy + Design (visual and written creative), Production (overseeing global production partnerships), and Campaign Development (film and earned media campaigns). These services are delivered through a scalable, collaborative model without agency layers, serving clients across Australia and New Zealand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Services AI-powered data analysis and consumer research that identifies cultural trends, behavioral shifts, and nuanced consumer insights, combining human strategic thinking with the latest AI tools. Sold to enterprise clients seeking market and audience intelligence to underpin brand and campaign decisions.
• Strategy Services Brand, campaign, and communications strategy services focused on cutting through noise with simple, single-minded thinking that answers briefs and sparks cultural moments. Sold to enterprise clients needing strategic positioning and campaign architecture.
• Brand Development Building impactful and enduring brand platforms that connect businesses from the inside out, including brand platform development and brand identity creation. Sold to enterprise clients launching or repositioning brands.
• Copy + Design Services Problem-solving through aesthetics and copy, delivering disruptive and recognizable design and copywriting that serves as a seamless extension of brand voice. Sold to enterprise clients seeking distinctive visual and verbal creative execution.
• Production Services Partnership with global production companies to deliver seamless, high-caliber creative production, with ABEL leading ideas and overseeing every detail. Sold to enterprise clients as production oversight and management across film, digital, and experiential outputs.
• Campaign Development Untraditional, strategically sharp campaigns spanning film to earned media moments, built to deliver impact through ideas that move fast and prove value in culture and results. Sold to enterprise clients seeking integrated, attention-winning campaigns.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cannabis Clinic campaign: 2.1 million impressions, 846,000 unique users, 8.01% CTR, 26% referral traffic increase, 43,000 new users
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Red Bull New ZealandcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023ABEL has served as the creative agency of record for Red Bull New Zealand since late 2023, responsible for evolving the brand's presence in Aotearoa by blending Red Bull's global identity with work that speaks directly to the Kiwi spirit. ABEL is responsible for refreshing the brand's iconic hand-drawn cartoons with local wit, large-scale activations, TV, social, radio, OOH, and experiential events including the Red Bull Trolley Grand Prix.
• BrightworkssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction house partner for Beerfarm Beersitters campaign - a 48-hour YouTube streaming stunt that secured 12 major stockists
• ExamplesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPR partner for Beerfarm Beersitters campaign
• Australian Skin Cancer FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWestfund partnered with the Australian Skin Cancer Foundation to invest in world-first mobile 3D skin scanning technology, brought directly to Aussie communities
• GooglesupportingTechnology or IntegrationABEL deepened partnership with Google, utilizing AI tool 'Image FX' to ideate, sell and develop assets for Milkrun's viral campaign

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BMF: One of Australia's most awarded independent creative agencies, founded in 2005, with Sydney presence and enterprise client work across brand strategy and integrated campaigns. Larger but same category and market as ABEL.
• FINCH: Australian independent creative and content production agency serving enterprise clients across brand campaigns and activations. Comparable to ABEL in product category, geographic market, and independent boutique positioning.
• Thinkerbell: Australian independent creative agency founded in 2017 with measured-marketing philosophy, serving enterprise clients with brand strategy and integrated campaigns. Closely comparable to ABEL in size, founder-led independence, and AU/NZ enterprise positioning.
• Mother Tongue: Australian independent creative agency with offices in Sydney and Melbourne, focused on brand strategy and integrated campaigns for enterprise clients. Closely comparable to ABEL in product offering, geographic market, and independent boutique structure.
• The Monkeys (Dentsu Creative): Australian creative agency originally independent, now part of Dentsu Creative, serving enterprise clients across AU/NZ. Comparable in product offering and target market to ABEL, with greater scale via network affiliation.
• Special Group: Independent creative agency headquartered in Auckland with Sydney operations, serving enterprise clients across AU/NZ with brand strategy and campaign development. Most directly comparable to ABEL by geography, scale, and independent boutique positioning.

Broad incumbents

• M&C Saatchi: Australian arm of the global M&C Saatchi network, offering brand strategy, advertising, and creative services to enterprise clients. Overlaps with ABEL in product category but operates with greater scale and network resources.
• Leo Burnett Australia: Australian arm of Leo Burnett global network, providing brand strategy and creative campaigns to enterprise clients including FMCG and finance. Operates in same product space as ABEL but with significantly greater scale and network affiliation.
• Droga5 (Accenture Song): Globally renowned creative agency now part of Accenture Song, offering brand strategy and integrated campaigns to enterprise clients globally. Overlaps with ABEL in service category and creative positioning but operates at vastly greater scale.

Others

• Audience Precision: Australian AI-powered market research and audience insights firm serving enterprise brands with consumer research capabilities. Adjacent to ABEL's AI-powered research service line rather than a direct creative competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/abel_creative
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/abel-creative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ABEL