Bruno launches in London to compete with the world’s best agencies

After doubling its team and revenue in 2024, French branding and digital agency Bruno has set its sights on London. Founded by brothers Barthélémy and Léonard Chalvet alongside Marine Legrand in 2012, the agency has built a reputation across Paris and San Francisco for its integrated approach – bringing strategy, design and development together on every project. Now, with Léonard relocating to lead the London office alongside Lead Art Director Claudia Carvalho, Bruno is positioning itself to compete in what Barthélémy calls “the Champions League” of agencies. The expansion brings their distinctly French approach to branding – elegant, narrative-driven, culturally rooted – into a market they believe has become saturated with bold American and British styles. In this conversation, Barthélémy discusses why they’re hiring locally to assimilate native culture, what lessons from San Francisco they’re applying to London, and why creativity simply cannot happen in 30-minute video calls. TBI: Hey Barthélémy, it’s great to speak to you again! So – why London, and why now? BC: After having grown in various markets (US, Canada, Japan, etc.), London remains an essential playground for our agency. We find both major international clients and an arena featuring the biggest agencies in the world. What could be more stimulating than measuring ourselves against the best? We aim for the Champions League, so we might as well be where the competition takes place.