“We’re not shackled by convention.” Birch on building a creative practice on their own terms

They work with and are sought by the crème de la crème of brands. Each year, they craft ‘The Watch Annual’ for MR PORTER, a collectable book for watch enthusiasts and connoisseurs. They shaped ‘The View,’ a property-meets-lifestyle magazine for property consultancy Knight Frank that helped the business sharpen its brand language. Between the second and third lockdowns during the pandemic, they put Matt Smith in a taxi driving down central London to talk about his love for theatre and football for a winning campaign for Thom Sweeney. Meet Birch – a London-based creative agency whose small, senior team has been helping A-list brands tell their stories in elegant, meaningful ways. But the journey that led them here wasn’t without its challenges. To take a closer look, we spoke to Founder & Executive Creative Director James Allen and Partner & Strategy Director Aleks Cvetkovic about how Birch has grown over the years, the ‘deconstructed agency model’ that’s key to their success, and how, in the age of digital content, print can be the perfect palate cleanser. RB: Hi James and Aleks! How have things been at your end lately?