ERROR | Contemporary Ideas & Culture

What ERROR | Contemporary Ideas & Culture does

ERROR | Contemporary Ideas & Culture is a boutique cultural marketing agency operating as the Culture and Lifestyle Vertical of AnotherNew GmbH, a privately held German limited company headquartered in Essen with a secondary office in Düsseldorf. Founded in 2020 by Mike Kucksdorf and Kai Brökelmeier, the agency employs a stated team of 5 people and positions itself as an organic participant in subcultures — hip hop, street art, graffiti, and festival culture — rather than as an outside marketing intermediary.

The agency's core offering is a four-pillar service portfolio: (1) Cultural Storytelling & Insights, (2) Music Festival & Lifestyle Marketing, (3) Special Ambient, OOH & PR Stunts, and (4) Strategy, Creation & Concept. Delivery is anchored by an ecosystem of 240 festival partnerships, 1,000+ international artists, and an OOH footprint of 41 surfaces across 54 cities with 746 million monthly impressions. The proprietary Festivalfire Going Out.Side Studie, conducted annually since 2017 with 50,000+ participants and 280 questions, functions as a longitudinal cultural-intelligence asset. ERROR uses third-party generative AI tools — Midjourney, DALL·E, Adobe Firefly, ChatGPT, and Claude — within its creative workflows; it has no disclosed proprietary AI platform.

Revenue is generated through project-based professional services for enterprise brand clients, sold primarily via direct enterprise engagement with select go-to-market leverage through a strategic alliance with Publicis. Customer logos span spirits (Hennessy, Jägermeister, Bacardi), fashion and luxury (Dior, Lululemon), beauty (Essence, e.l.f., Catrice, Essie, Sol de Janeiro), automotive (Kia, Peugeot), beverages (Bionade), streaming (Prime Video), payments (PayPal), and social media (TikTok). Complementary revenue streams include branded merchandise (UNKNOWN Capsule apparel, ERROR skateboard deck, ERROR scarf) and the NFT-gated UNKNOWN live event series launched in May 2022. Operating geographies extend beyond the DACH core market into the Netherlands and Denmark.

Name

ERROR | Contemporary Ideas & Culture

Legal name

AnotherNew GmbH

Website

https://weareerror.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ERROR is a 5-person boutique cultural marketing agency in Essen, Germany (part of AnotherNew GmbH) that designs festival activations, mural installations, and OOH campaigns to connect enterprise brands with subcultures, serving clients such as Dior, Hennessy, Jägermeister, Lululemon, and TikTok.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Marketing Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Trade Show & Exhibition Marketing (Booth Design/Build) (MPAAAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Incentive Travel Programs & Retreat Events (Offsites) (MPAGAHAH), Artist Booking, Talent Buying & Agency Services (MPAGAAAF), Local Community & Multi-Category Fairs (MPAGAFAO)

Keywords

• Cultural marketing agency
• Festival activations
• Brand storytelling
• Outdoor advertising
• Experiential marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Essen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Creative Agency Services: Project-based creative and marketing services including concept development, cultural storytelling, event production, mural installations, content creation, and strategic brand consulting for major consumer brands.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ERROR is a cultural marketing and lifestyle agency that connects major consumer brands with subcultures through four core services: cultural storytelling and insights, music festival and lifestyle marketing (240 festivals, 4.2M+ direct contacts), special ambient, OOH and PR stunts (murals and installations across 54 cities, 746M monthly reach), and strategy, creation and concept development. The agency supplements services with branded merchandise (capsule apparel, skateboard decks, scarves) and the UNKNOWN event series.

Product overview

ERROR | Contemporary Ideas & Culture is the Culture and Lifestyle Vertical of AnotherNew GmbH, operating as a cultural marketing and lifestyle agency rather than a traditional software product company. Their core offering is a four-pronged service portfolio: Cultural Storytelling & Insights (market research rooted in subcultural expertise), Music Festival & Lifestyle Marketing (leveraging 240 festival partnerships and 4.2M direct contacts), Special Ambient/OOH & PR Stunts (murals and installations across 54 cities with 746M monthly reach), and Strategy/Creation & Concept (brand positioning within urban culture). The agency also produces branded merchandise including the UNKNOWN Capsule Collection (organic cotton apparel) and ERROR skateboard decks. Additionally, they operate the UNKNOWN event series featuring NFT-based entry and the Festivalfire annual insight studies tracking festival culture trends.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cultural Storytelling & Insights Market research and cultural insight services drawing from years of deep roots in various subcultures and urban neighborhoods, providing first-hand knowledge of scene movements and trends for brand clients.
• Music Festival & Lifestyle Marketing Festival and event marketing services leveraging the agency's network of 240 festivals and direct contact with festival-goers, including event conceptualization, production, and activation execution.
• Special Ambient, OOH & PR Stunts Out-of-home advertising and ambient marketing services including unique installations, murals, and authentic art walls across 54 cities with over 41 surfaces and reach of 746 million monthly impressions.
• Strategy, Creation & Concept Brand strategy and creative concept development services from ideation to final design, positioning brands within urban culture and subcultural contexts.
• Festivalfire Insight Studies Annual festival studies conducted since 2017 with over 50,000 participants across 280 questions, tracking festival-goer preferences and behaviors.
• UNKNOWN Capsule Collection Limited edition on-demand merchandise including oversized t-shirts made from 100% organic cotton (240 GSM) in the ERROR brand identity, produced in a dark mode design.
• ERROR Skateboard Deck 8.25" limited edition skateboard deck featuring ERROR brand graphics, produced in collaboration with Studio Bigalke.
• ERROR Schal (Scarf) Exclusive ERROR branded scarf made from 100% organic cotton (200cm long, 30cm wide), sustainably produced in Germany. Sold out.
• UNKNOWN Event Series Exclusive event series combining brands, NFTs, artists, and live events. The first event in May 2022 used 100 limited NFTs as entry tickets.

Quantifiable outcome

• 16M+ social media views for Jägermeister Parookaville activation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PubliciscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Strategic partnership for brand activations. Publicis has been ERROR's 'Partners in Crime' on multiple major projects including Jägermeister festival activations and Hennessy mural projects.
• Publicis Media / Spark FoundrycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Collaboration on PayPal CSD Berlin truck activation with Publicis Media and Spark Foundry managing truck design from Scholz & Friends.
• salt & pictures GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction partner for roadmovie content creation with Kia campaign.
• Studio BigalkeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative collaboration on ERROR Agency Deck skateboard art piece with photographer Henry.
• TexturelabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrint quality partner for ERROR Fashion pieces including the exclusive scarf, produced sustainably in Germany.
• Dominic WenzelminorOthersGerman skateboarding champion featured in ERROR Agency Deck content creation.
• ReinboldrostminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvent production partner for Prime Video x Sacher premiere event.
• FestivalfirecoreTechnology or IntegrationSister unit within AnotherNew GmbH specializing in festival marketing and insights. Shares the Festivalfire annual insight study platform.
• PushfirecoreTechnology or IntegrationSister unit within AnotherNew GmbH for influencer and creator marketing integration.
• AnotherNew GmbHcoreOthersERROR is the Culture and Lifestyle Vertical of AnotherNew GmbH. The parent company is registered in Essen with HRB 36345.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• UNIT9: Global experiential and creative technology agency building immersive brand experiences, installations, and content. Directly comparable on ambient installations and immersive event production, though at a larger global scale.
• Saint Urbana: Germany-based experiential marketing agency executing brand experiences, events, and cultural activations for major consumer brands. Closest direct match to ERROR's festival and subculture activation model in the DACH market.
• Amplify: Global experiential marketing agency producing brand experiences, cultural activations, and content for major consumer brands. Comparable to ERROR as a subculture- and experience-led peer at international scale.
• Kollektiv Studios: German creative studio specialized in brand experiences, content production, and activations for fashion, lifestyle, and consumer brands. Directly comparable boutique creative/experiential peer in Germany.
• Sparks (Omnicom): Global experiential and brand engagement agency within Omnicom, producing events, exhibits, and cultural activations for enterprise clients. Closest global experiential holding-company competitor to ERROR's offering.
• Everyday Agency: Berlin-based experiential and creative agency with strong roots in music, lifestyle, and youth culture. Comparable to ERROR in subculture-led brand storytelling and event activations.

Broad incumbents

• Serviceplan Group: Largest independent German-owned creative and media agency group, offering brand strategy, content, and experiential services. Comparable as a generalist German incumbent with cross-channel capabilities.
• Jung von Matt: One of Germany's largest independent creative agency networks with deep brand activation capabilities. Broad incumbent that competes for the same enterprise brand budgets as ERROR but at significantly greater scale.
• Scholz & Friends: Germany-based creative agency network within the WPP family. Competes for the same enterprise brand activation budgets that ERROR accesses, but as a much larger generalist.
• Publicis Groupe: Global advertising holding company and ERROR's strategic partner. Functions as a broad incumbent delivering integrated campaigns while also serving as the channel through which ERROR accesses large enterprise briefs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/error-contemporary-ideas
• Instagraminstagram.com/we_are_error_
• TikToktiktok.com/@error_agency_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 ERROR | Contemporary Ideas & Culture