2. edge | ABOUT US
Edge Amsterdam is an independent elite sourcing creative network that
connects brands, creative and media agencies and governments with our
community and team to generate fresh, new insights and creative output.
This serves as inspiration to further development and activation.
We are a creative nucleus dedicated to unbiased collaboration with an
inspired design and advertising culture that is influencing entire generations,
consumers, brands and business models.
3. edge | VISION
Everything is possible, even things we have not yet imagined. Work in
a productive, satisfying and socially responsible way for all partners and
never promise what we cannot deliver.
Authenticity is not a brand. Design as art in its most potent form, can be
frightening and provocative, until it becomes processed, stripped of its
initial violence and prepared for the mass culture industry. In our business,
it is vital that we find solutions to support all partners, while developing and
educating our community. It is important not to simply transfer design and
art into advertising, but to provide a platform, which nourishes, protects,
challenges and increases the flow and diversity in design with our clients.
We believe the advertising industry will grow into a model where young
creative talent, experienced creative professionals, agencies, governments
and brands will come together through community, developing ideas,
design and content for the future benefit of clients, brands and the general
public a like. Edge supports clients in bridging this gap. We believe in the
network economy and open systems, which enables brands to tap into
young creative talents, utilizing their knowledge and vision to anticipate
change in consumer behaviour and market demand.
4. edge | WHAT WE DO
Edge provides companies with new insights into branding, design and
product, providing innovative ideas and vision. Via events, workshops,
single online assignments and portfolio building with young creatives,
while building briefs, pitches and creative ideas in co-operation with brands.
Other services include online recruitment, magazines, events, creative
sessions and award shows.
We also support brands, governments, designers and agencies by providing
management and consultancy services. Offering a vast range of advertising,
marketing and promotional opportunities. Clients included brands,
governments, agencies, designers and companies, as well as the public
at large.
To support the edge platform we have developed other business areas such
as the ‘Edge’ design symposium, combined with a bi-monthly magazine
focusing on design, technologies, people and brands. Providing provocative
and thoughtful content to the industry and a public interested in
advertising, design and creativity.
We offer a holistic approach that works bottom to top and spreads back
down in a way not yet imagined.
5. edge | OUR SERVICES
Generate Consult
We activate the creative community We work with our clients on the use
to generate creative output by of crowdsourcing and co-creation
working on briefs supplied be as a tool for their creativity process.
the brands we work with. These Each brief is managed with the
ideas and concepts are then used support of Conspiracy Concepts
for inspiration for your team or who guide the process to ensure an
developed further and activated effective outcome for brands, while
into the market. educating and developing the work
of the young designers.
Involve
Engage and educate the creative Match
community by involving them Advertising, Design and Media
in the process of product and Agencies use the creative network
communication development. to scout for new creative talent. This
edge recruitment service matches
talent with companies and agencies.
6. edge | EDGE PRODUCTS
Elite Sourcing Creative Network Event Organization
& Consultancy Services ‘Edge’ design symposium, is a
We offer a wide range of services bi-annual creative platform bring
to brands, elite sourcing, original the world of advertising to the
advertising concepts and design, individual, with access to
idea generation, publishing, events, information, developments within
product and brand creative. styles, technologies and ideas.
We also organise Award shows
Human Resources | Job Search with (crowdsourceawards.com)
The Edge open source network and Masterclasses
and directory offers agencies (thecreativesessions.com)
exposure for their business where
they can upload portfolios to Publishing
inspire. Manage and post open This consists of a bi-monthly
creative jobs online. Search for magazine and possible catalogues
new undiscovered talent through profiling artists, designers, agencies
the edge database of producers, and brands, developing ideas
designers, and photographers. and giving insight into design,
technologies, people and brands.
7. edge | EDGE PRODUCTS
Brands Media Agencies
Brands have access to the next Use Edge to provide their clients
generation of designers, working with useful, fresh and innovative
with and utilizing their knowledge insights into their products/brands,
and talents in design concepts while generating creative output.
and idea generation, giving you They can also use Edge for creative
an insight into what your end and strategic input when pitching
consumers needs and wants are. for new accounts.
There are also opportunities within
communication and marketing and Governments
advertising with our events and Societal issues exist in any country,
publishing. on crime, violence, environment,
traffic, etc. Design thinking can
Creative Agencies solve these issues. Creative talent,
Use the creative network to scout under the guidance of experienced
talent, post jobs and generate professionals can create new ways
new and creative insights as an of dealing with these societal
inspirational starting point. They issues. This may lead to cheap
may also use the network for PR and innovative solutions that can
opportunities, market surveys help governments overcome these
and briefings. problems.
8. edge | CREATIVE DIRECTION
Edge has the support and structure of Conspiracy Concepts, giving access
to highly experienced creative professionals to guarantee optimal quality
output. Conspiracy acts as coach for the talents during the creative process,
reviewing work and guiding the creative development to the presentation
of final work. This ensures brands receive creative ideas ready for further
development and activation.
9. edge | WHO WE ARE
Charly Heusschen, Norbert Pollemans, Derek Ariëns,
Managing Partner Managing Partner Managing Director -
Charly is co-founder and partner Norbert is co-founder and partner Edge Amsterdam
of Conspiracy Concepts and Edge of Conspiracy Concepts and Edge Derek started out as marketing
Amsterdam. Conspiracy is an Amsterdam. His last position was manager for the Spanish football
independent creative agency in at O’Neill Europe as European PR magazine Don Balon. After 3 years
Amsterdam with a client base that and Media Manager, responsible in Barcelona, he returned to the
includes ING, Samsung, Kempen for O’Neill’s media strategy, PR/ Netherlands to work for TRIPLE i,
Capital Management and Nationale Communications and media buying. a financial publishing company.
Nederlanden. Charly’s roots are He started his career at Leaf Holland In 2009, he founded Edge together
firmly entrenched in the advertising as brand manager for brands such with Charly and Norbert. Derek is
industry. He has worked for Young as Xylifresh, Bentasil, Lakrisal and responsible for day-to-day business.
& Rubicam in Amsterdam, Barcelona Ben Bits.
and Portugal, and subsequently for
ON, a joint venture of Heineken
and Sony.
Garry Maidment, Val Foster,
Stategy and Business Creative Director
Development Director Val Foster is an awarded designer
Garry holds a broad business with a wide breadth of experience
knowledge, combined with at high-profile design firms,
strategic thinking and magazines, and most recently
understanding of international in advertsing where she has
markets. His experience spans honed her talents on identity
publishing, advertising, design, systems, campaigns and brand
brand creation and event communications, both in Canada
production with a primary focus and the Netherlands. Clients
on lifestyle and leisure, arts and include BMW/Mini Cooper, Insigner
culture sectors, creating design de Beaufort, TELUS, WestJet
and communication platforms and Surfrider Foundation.
that inspire and activate change.
10. edge | CASE STUDIES
GDR Creative Intelligence
Description
GDR Creative Intelligence is a London-based
research consultancy that specialises in identifying
innovation in design with a focus on the retail and
hospitality industries. They publish an exclusive
trend research publication - the Global Innovation
Report - every three months, which documents
their latest research findings and trend analysis.
Challenge
Their July 2011 issue was themed consumer trends,
the consumer is the trend and crowdsourcing is the
tool. To practice what they preached GDR asked
Edge Amsterdam to take care of designing the
cover with the creative network.
Approach
In co-operation with Volkswagen we designed a
briefing for our creative network that then started
working on it. After 3 weeks we collected the
creative ideas and reviewed them with creative
professionals to ensure quality output. The short
list of ideas was presented to Volkswagen who
then chose 2 concepts to be further developed
with their feedback. Finally Volkswagen chose one
concept as a winner and they decided to involve
Conspiracy and Edge in the further production of
samples of the winning gimmick.
Results
In total 12 designs were uploaded and on of
them, Lennart Gaebel, has won the challenge and
has seen his work being printed. GDR have been
very satisfied with the result and were pleasantly
11. edge | CASE STUDIES
Volkswagen
Description
Since 1988 Volkswagen is the official supplier of
the Dutch Olympic Committee (NOC*NSF) and has
a relatively high brand awareness since about 115
Olympic athletes drive a Volkswagen with stickers
on the side of the car that say: Olympic Athletes
Drive Volkswagen”.
Challenge
Volkswagen will be introducing a new model The
Volkswagen UP in 2012. The Up falls with in the
so-called A00 segment of the car market. In this
segment are amongst others Mini, the Fiat 500 and
the Volkswagen Lupo. Volkswagen wanted to use
the Olympic Games to create awareness for the
new Volkswagen Up and asked Edge Amsterdam
to involve their creative network to create a
gimmick and activation of that gimmick for their
Olympic Sponsorship activation.
Approach
In co-operation with Volkswagen we designed a
briefing for our creative network that then started
working on it. After 3 weeks we collected the
creative ideas and reviewed them with creative
professionals to ensure quality output. The short
list of ideas was presented to Volkswagen who
then chose 2 concepts to be further developed
with their feedback. Finally Volkswagen chose one
concept as a winner and they decided to involve
Conspiracy and Edge in the further production of
samples of the winning gimmick.
12. edge | CASE STUDIES
Eneco
Description
Eneco were interested in building 1-on-1
relationships with their clients. This meant
connecting as many fans as possible by offering
relevant and interesting content, while keeping
fans connected on a regular basis via Facebook.
Challenge
More and more people are active on social
networks, sharing information, content and
experiences. An increasing number of Facebook
users are also utilizing the platform as a
communication channel. Eneco believed that
a big part of their future was on Facebook.
Not only for the increasing number of users,
but as well the better possibilities for brands
to express themselves. Eneco Facebook as an
important medium to connect and bond with
their consumers. The Question was how do you
communicate sustainable energy via the medium
to obtain an increasing fan base?
Approach
Eneco set a brief that which we reviewed and
adapted for use within the edge network. On
completion we collected the concepts ready to
presented to Eneco. Once they had chosen their
winning idea it then went back to the designer for
refinement. The second presentation was pitched
by the designers to Eneco’s agency FHV BBDO.
The reception and effect was positive with the
students then having the opportunity to work and
develop the ideas in conjunction with the agency.
13. edge | CASE STUDIES
Heineken
Description
Heineken acknowledges that media consumption
is changing and so to the communication mediums
towards their target group. So with this and with
the decline of ‘’ The BeerTender’’ sales decide to
counter act this and look to the development of a
social and online campaign
Challenge
To develop ideas to create interaction with
consumers and ultimately increase sales of the
‘The BerrTender..
Approach
By keeping the brief concise and open we
managed to inspire more creativity out of the
edge community. We decided to limit the time to
2 weeks as it was the holidays and therefore most
students were not attending school. One of our
interactive art directors was on hand to work with
the students in developing ideas and fast ideas
ready for presentation
Results
We managed to generate 20 creative concepts in
2 weeks time of which we presented 6. Heineken
used the winning ideas as inspiration tools for
their own marketing team and to further brief their
online agency AKQA. This resulted in a substantial
cost saving since Heineken far better knew what
they wanted in social media and therefore could
brief their agency better.
14. edge | CONTACT US
Edge Amsterdam is a worldwide creative network
with offices located in the creative hub of Amsterdam.
For enquiries, please contact Derek Ariëns.
Edge Amsterdam
Helicopterstraat 3
1059 CE, Amsterdam
T: +31 20 623 6543
E: info@edge-amsterdam.com
+ Map
+ Facebook
+ Twitter
+ Blog
