Who we are, what we believe, and the clients we work with

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Founded in 1976 Advance is now one of Denmark’s largest independent creative agencies. Proudly headquartered in Copenhagen, our perspective is distinctly global thanks to a healthy mix of Danish and international clients. Today, 85 percent of our work is produced for international audiences.

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Beliefs

In our work with clients, we believe less can be more. For a brand to identify its true uniqueness and commercial potential, it needs to strip away the layers that distract from its central mission. Let’s explain what we mean…


Less Supplier – More Partner

If you’re a supplier and you get a brief, you answer it. As a partner our job is to care enough to question it. We know there is always a business problem behind every communication brief. That’s why we use our creativity to first solve the business problem before creating communication.


Less Promises – More Delivery

Many brands over promise and under-deliver. When a brand doesn’t deliver, it shows it doesn’t care and when a brand doesn’t care, consumers certainly won’t bother to. We encourage our clients to promise less and deliver more by identifying the single, inherent promise that is unique to their brand and work to coherently integrate that promise into everything the brand does; from the products they sell, the services they offer, the customer experiences they provide, and of course...the communication they create.


Less Observation – More Insight

Building resonant brand platforms starts with the easy part... doing the necessary work to gather the observations, patterns and facts accumulated through quantitative studies, trends, forecasts and share data. The hard part starts – the part we take great care to spend time on – when we begin to uncover what lies behind and motivates these behaviours, allowing us to identify the deeper instincts and desires that ultimately provide the insights that prove compelling enough to connect consumers to brands.


Less Advertising – More Advocacy

We know how essential it is for brands to start seeing their consumers as ambassadors. As well as effective advertising campaigns, we create content that encourages and facilitates brand engagement and advocacy.


Less Control – More Collaboration

Our long experience as a lead agency and brand guardian has taught us that true guardianship is not about maintaining control, it’s about understanding that our clients need us to support their organisations at both the central and local levels. Having learned how to let go at the right time and to be there with the right support is not only why we create real, lasting results, it’s also the reason why we have the longest client relationships in the business.


Less Surface – More Substance

The days of brands faking it and buying fame are long gone. Transparency rules with audiences refusing to be sold to as they celebrate the good and criticize the bad, demanding to know, and ready to reveal the truth behind brands. We make sure our clients avoid making false promises or indulging in superficial wrapping by identifying and communicating the true value their brands provide.

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History

Our story started in 1976 when the Ted Bates network won a Playmobil pitch. But they immediately faced a challenge: how to resolve the conflict of interest that came from already having LEGO as a client in Denmark? The solution was to spin off a new agency – Advance. Over forty years later, we remain proudly independent, and we continue to work with LEGO. Many more clients have since joined the family and, with 60+ employees from all over the world, we're now one of the largest creative agencies in Denmark.

Our clients

People

Ann-Louise Rosen

Co-CEO, Partner

30 30 29 73 ARO@advance.dk

Camilla Grove Pelle

Co-CEO, Partner

61 71 58 84 CGP@advance.dk

Henrik Hertz

CFO, Partner

HH@advance.dk

Jeppe Fonnesbæk

Client Service Director, Partner

40 31 35 66 JFR@advance.dk

Lone Poulsen

COO

60 40 69 52 LPO@advance.dk

Mads Thorsted Hald

Executive Creative Director

Trine Schou

Head of Film Production

20 96 30 66 TSC@advance.dk

Cathrine Esmann Jordansen

Head of MarCom Strategy

Helle Stübner

Reception

33 93 99 20 reception@advance.dk

Alberte Gretoft Hansen

Project Management

Alexei Patrascu

Digital Design

Anja Bjerregaard Nyvang

Client Service

Annemette Elkær

Art Direction & Graphic Design

Anne-Sofie Serup Kjærhauge

Project Management

Birgitte Ølgod

Project Management

Caroline Weinreich

Strategy

Charlotte Refsøe Holm

Project Management

Chris Calvert

Concept Development, Copy

Chris Lee Ramsden

Creative Director

Christian Dollerup Petersen

Film

Christian Nobel

Digital & Graphic Design

Cæcilie Jespersen

Film

Elize van der Laan

Copy

Fergus Kenny

Creative Director

Henrik Seeward

Client Service

Jacob Thomas Hollender

Film

Janne Pajulahti

Concept Development, Art Direction

Jon Thomsen

Project Management

Jonas Sjöwall Haxø

Digital Design

Joy Tronier

Project Management

Julie Johanne Holm

MarCom Strategy Assistance

Kathrine Birkelund

Project Management

Kim Flügel

Concept Development, Art Direction

Lene Ørsø

Finance

Luke Cooper

Concept Development, Copy

Maja Voola

Project Management

Malene Zarp

Finance

Maria Mundt

MarCom Strategy Assistance

Martin Haagensen

Concept Development, Art Direction

Michael Sten Andersen

Creative Director

Mie Götze

Film

Mikkel Brøndum

Film

Morten Olsen

Concept Development, Art Direction

Nina Dyreborg Bruun

Project Management

Peter Poulsen

Client Service

51 20 14 05 PP@advance.dk

Pha Khem

Project Management

Raluca Stroe

Art Direction

Rikke Aborg Nielsen

Film

Roxana Crivat

Digital Design

Rune Seir

Strategy

Saoirse McKenna

Copy

Sebastian Zacho

Client Service

Sille Martens

Film

Sine Skjershede Nielsen

Graphic Design Assistance

Sune Bjørn Pedersen

Creative Director

Thomas Østerby

Graphic Design & Final Art

Trudy Follwell

Creative Director

Yingzi Ni

Graphic Design

Zdenko Oliver Santini

Concept Development, Art Direction

Where to next?

Cases

Cases