Name

Imaginary Friends

Legal name

Imaginary Friends Limited

Website

https://imaginary-friends.studio

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative and Digital Agency Services

akta.pro primary industry

Brand Activations & Experiential Campaign Design (MPAAAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Activation/Experiential Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAO)

Keywords

• Creative agency services
• Brand strategy
• Visual identity
• Digital experience design
• Campaign design

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Creative Agency Services: Project-based creative and digital agency services including brand strategy, visual identity, digital experiences, motion and video, development, copywriting, campaigns, art direction, and naming. Work with global corporations to local start-ups across various industries.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Imaginary Friends is an independent creative agency delivering brand strategy, visual identity, digital experiences, motion and video, development, copywriting, campaigns, art direction, naming, and brand guardianship for clients ranging from global corporations to local start-ups. The agency produces bespoke platforms, websites, e-learning systems, and multi-channel campaigns with measurable outcomes across travel, hospitality, entertainment, education, charity, sports, and technology sectors.

Product overview

Imaginary Friends is a creative, design and digital agency offering a broad range of services including brand strategy, visual identity, digital experiences, motion and video, development, copywriting, campaigns, art direction, and naming. Their portfolio comprises client service work (branding, websites, e-learning platforms, multi-channel campaigns) as well as proprietary initiatives. Key client-facing platforms include Royal Caribbean University (an e-learning platform with 90+ courses and multilingual API translation), Celebrity Cruises E-Learning Platform (gamified, accessible training), Disney Destinations International's Digital Asset Library, and Disneyland Paris's booking incentive platform. Proprietary offerings include Curio (free creative talks series) and their own events brand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Curio: A series of free talks celebrating curiosity and creative thinking, devised, named, created, and hosted by Imaginary Friends as a contribution to Glasgow's creative community.

Products and services

• Brand strategy Strategic positioning, audience and messaging work for brands at pivotal change points, delivered for enterprise and SMB clients across travel, hospitality, entertainment, charity and other sectors.
• Visual identity Design of logos, brand guidelines, identity systems and collateral for clients such as Audley Travel, Playlist for Life, World Gymnastics Championships 2022, SEC Glasgow, and Vibe.
• Digital experiences Design and build of websites, digital platforms and interactive experiences for clients including Royal Caribbean University, Celebrity Cruises e-learning, MCR Pathways, QNIS and Disney Destinations asset library.
• Motion and video Motion design, animation and video production including campaign films (University of Stirling 'Be Here Be Stirling', First Bus health and safety training).
• Development Web and platform engineering including custom CMS, e-learning systems, multilingual platforms, WCAG AA compliant builds, and integrations with Salesforce, SSO and client translation APIs.
• Copywriting Copy development for campaigns and brands, exemplified by Air New Zealand's 'Bet You Didn't Know' bold copy-led campaign concept.
• Campaigns Multi-channel campaign planning and execution across TV, radio, digital, social, OOH and location-based media for clients including Barrhead Travel, Uber Boat (Thames Clippers), Air New Zealand, and First Bus.
• Art direction Visual art direction across photography, film, motion and digital design to ensure cohesive brand expression across touchpoints.
• Naming Brand naming and nomenclature services, including creation of names such as 'Kindred' for Audley Travel and 'Curio' for the agency's own talks series.
• Brand guardianship Ongoing brand stewardship for clients, ensuring continued consistency and evolution of identity and communications over time.

Quantifiable outcome

• Celebrity Cruises e-learning: 3,000 registered users and 20,000 course completions in launch week
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Singapore AirlinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTri-branded partnership with Air New Zealand and Tourism New Zealand for the Hop It! campaign promoting the joint venture route from UK to New Zealand via Singapore. Imaginary Friends created an online game and campaign to educate UK travel agents about the partnership and the award-winning travel experience.
• Tourism New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTri-branded partnership with Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines for the Hop It! campaign. The campaign promoted the joint venture travel experience and needed to represent all three brands fairly while communicating key product points.
• AMS (Advertising Media Solutions)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner for Uber Boat campaign execution. AMS worked with Imaginary Friends to devise a media plan maximizing OOH and digital advertising budget, including location-based digital advertising.
• Glasgow City Innovation DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding provider for Curio event series venue expansion. Due to overwhelming interest, Curio moved to a bigger venue at Social Hub thanks to GCID funding.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ragged Edge: Independent London brand design consultancy specialising in brand strategy, identity and naming — the same core services IF lists. A natural peer for challenger and enterprise brand work.
• SomeOne: London-based independent brand strategy and design consultancy working across brand identity, digital and motion. Overlaps directly with IF's strategy-led, design-led model for ambitious consumer and travel brands.
• Atomic London: Independent London creative agency of comparable size offering brand strategy, campaign work and digital experiences for global clients. Direct competitor for the same B2B brand-transformation and campaign briefs that IF targets.
• Studio Output: Independent London design and branding studio focused on identity, digital experiences and motion for ambitious brands. Direct competitor for IF's visual identity and digital-experience work.
• ustwo: Independent digital product and experience studio known for app/web builds, platforms and motion design. Closest peer to IF's e-learning platform, digital asset management and interactive campaign builds.
• Bulletproof: Independent brand design and packaging agency with a global travel/hospitality client roster. Highly comparable to IF in delivering brand identity and design systems for premium consumer and travel brands.
• Koto Studio: Independent brand strategy and design studio with offices in London and beyond, serving global brands across identity, digital and motion. Comparable scale and service mix to IF.
• Venture Three: Independent London brand strategy and design consultancy working across brand identity, digital and campaigns. Comparable in positioning and client-mix (mix of enterprise and ambitious challenger brands).
• Carter Wong Design: Independent London brand identity and design consultancy with a strong corporate and cultural-institution client base. Overlaps with IF on visual identity, brand strategy and motion-design engagements.
• Mother Design: Design and brand-identity studio within the independent Mother network, working on visual identity, motion and digital for global brands. Direct competitor for premium brand work and access to a wider creative network IF could be benchmarked against.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/_IF_Studio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imaginary-friends-agency
• Instagraminstagram.com/_IF_Studio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Imaginary Friends