Booms & Shakes: The creative industry's first big shifts of 2026

The creative industry never stands still. And neither do the people shaping it. From agency founders marking major milestones to new leaders stepping into the spotlight, every shift across studios, consultancies and agencies reveals something about where the industry is heading.

Welcome back to Booms & Shakes, our monthly round-up of the hires, promotions, partnerships and stories making waves across the creative world. Whether it's a studio opening its doors in a new city, a familiar name returning to its roots, or an agency celebrating a big anniversary, these are the changes worth knowing about.

January has already set an energetic tone for 2026. We've seen bold appointments, exciting expansions and collaborations that prove this industry is still full of momentum and fresh ideas.

Here's who's been making headlines this month.

Birthdays and Milestones

Anna Goodson's agency marks 30 years

This is a big one! Montreal-based Anna Goodson Illustration is celebrating 30 years, marking three decades representing a global roster of illustrators and animators across editorial, publishing, advertising, animation and design.

The agency is framing the anniversary as a celebration of people and long-term relationships, with a run of curated projects and retrospective features planned across 2026 to spotlight the artists and stories that shaped the agency's first three decades.

New Hires and Promotions

Virgin appoints Paul Ostryzniuk as first Executive Creative Director

Virgin Group has appointed Paul Ostryzniuk as its first Executive Creative Director, a move to deepen the brand's investment in creativity, speed and distinctiveness across its global businesses.

Ostryzniuk joins from AKQA, where he led work for Nike, LEGO, MINI and BAFTA, and will now head up the in-house Virgin Creative Studio, setting creative direction across campaigns, products, brand and customer experience.

His remit also includes leading creative for Virgin Red, the group's loyalty programme. Speaking about the appointment, Ostryzniuk said Virgin is "at its strongest when delighting its customers" and that the role is about "sharpening that voice" and building a team that designs experiences people actually care about.

LOVE expands into New York with Meghan Labot at the helm

Independent agency LOVE is officially planting a flag in New York, bringing in Meghan Labot as Managing Director, NYC, to help lead its North American expansion.

With senior growth roles across FutureBrand, Design Spring Partners and The Brand Consultancy, Labot's appointment signals serious intent: scaling LOVE's presence stateside while keeping its signature editorial polish and taste intact, now with more cultural proximity to the US market.

Taxi Studio promotes Natalie Matti-Brown to General Manager

Bristol-based Taxi Studio has promoted Natalie Matti-Brown to General Manager, expanding her remit to lead the senior team and accelerate global growth following a run of major new-business wins.

Having joined the studio in 2017, Matti-Brown has played a central role in scaling long-term client relationships with brands including Coca-Cola, Nestlé and Mars.

GOOD Agency appoints Nilesha Chauvet as CEO

GOOD Agency has announced Nilesha Chauvet as its new CEO, succeeding co-founder Chris Norman MBE as part of a planned leadership transition. Chauvet steps up from Managing Director, where she has helped drive sustained growth over the last five years. Norman will remain closely involved in a new Client Partner role.

Grey London promotes Chris Lapham and Aaron McGurk to ECDs

Grey London has promoted award-winning creative duo Chris Lapham and Aaron McGurk to Executive Creative Directors.

The pair, who joined the agency six years ago, are behind some of Grey's most celebrated recent work, including Stella Artois' Claustrobars campaign and Pringles Multigrain. Two further promotions see Sam Haynes and John Gibson step up to Group Creative Directors.

BBH welcomes Charlene Chandrasekaran back as Deputy ECD

BBH has appointed Charlene Chandrasekaran as Deputy Executive Creative Director, marking a return to the agency where she began her career back in 2010 after completing the Watford Advertising Course.

Since then, Chandrasekaran has built an impressive creative track record across Droga5 and, more recently, The Or, where she served as Joint ECD and led work for brands including ASOS, Taco Bell and Harry's.

In her new role, she'll help shape BBH's creative vision, culture and output alongside the senior leadership team. Speaking about the move, Charlene described the return as instinct-led — tarot cards included — and timed to a new chapter following maternity leave.

Redscout strengthens leadership with two senior hires

Brand consultancy Redscout has made two senior appointments to bolster its leadership and strategy bench. Jess Manganelli steps into a newly created role as Head of Client Services, tasked with shaping the client services function and supporting the consultancy's new business pipeline.

Ryan Barton joins as Senior Director, Strategy, bringing experience spanning brand strategy, sponsorship and partnerships, with previous roles at 160over90 and Known.

GBM Group appoints Michaela Marson as Director of Marketing and Commercial Strategy

GBM Group has appointed Michaela Marson as Director of Marketing and Commercial Strategy, joining from a career spanning The Times, Omnicom and LADbible Group. She'll focus on marketing initiatives, commercial strategy and client-facing leadership as the business continues to scale its hybrid model, combining the reach of a social publisher with the strategic thinking of a social agency.

Aer Studios appoints Jay Robinson as Creative Director

Creative technology studio Aer Studios has appointed Jay Robinson as Creative Director to lead its user-centred design practice, rounding out its senior leadership team as the agency continues to grow.

Robinson brings experience across brand, digital, and experience work for names including Netflix, Microsoft and Samsung, with recent highlights spanning everything from a nationally scaled education platform for the Royal Shakespeare Company to global UX transformation work for Nestlé.

GentleForces appoints Quba Tuakli as Creative Practice Lead

Quba Tuakli has joined GentleForces as Creative Practice Lead as it gears up to celebrate its fifth birthday later this spring. Joining from Uncommon, Tuakli will lead the practice across disciplines, supporting the studio's ambition to build an interdisciplinary team designed to create more enduring brands.

The timing also tees up what sounds like a bigger "season" from GentleForces in 2026, including a major research report on the future of iconic brand-building.

Frost*collective strengthens UK leadership as Luca Frost relocates to London

Frost*collective has announced that Luca Frost has relocated to London to become Managing Director of its London studio, bringing the story "full circle" for a business founded in the city over 30 years ago.

The move reinforces the studio's UK momentum across place branding, environments and experience design, with major London projects in play and more launches expected in Q1 2026. It's both a strategic shift and a neat "coming home" narrative – heritage meeting the next chapter.

Client Wins and Partnerships

Edelman appointed UK communications agency for Sani Resort and Ikos Resorts

Luxury hospitality group Sani/Ikos has appointed Edelman as its UK communications agency of record, supporting a strategy to grow visibility and differentiation across travel, lifestyle, wellness and luxury audiences.

The remit spans media relations, influencer engagement and brand storytelling, as the group continues to expand its award-winning resort portfolio across Greece, Spain and beyond (this will definitely spark some envy).

O.Agency kicks off 2026 with new client wins

Newcastle-based O.Agency has started 2026 with multiple new retained wins, including holiday park group Verdant Leisure and fast-growth tech and data business Seriös Group. It's also been appointed lead consultancy, creative and comms agency for the TSA (The Surveyor Association) on a UK-wide geospatial skills and awareness push, plus a December campaign for Tullie Museum & Art Gallery.

The wins build on a strong close to its 20th year, including regional "Agency of the Year" recognition and a £19m savings deposit impact stat tied to Darlington Building Society's 'We Did That' campaign.

Studios, Spaces and Launches

Associates by Design launches first official website

After years of keeping their heads down and letting client work do the talking, Associates By Design has launched its first official website. The studio says 2025 was its busiest year yet, and the new site is a "small but meaningful step" towards sharing more of what it's been quietly building – starting with a handful of recent projects, with more to come.

It's positioned as the beginning of a more open chapter: making space to show work, spotlight collaborators, and "pull back the curtain" without shifting focus away from clients.

Le Cube and Hey Studio trade skills in rare creative collaboration

In a move that feels refreshingly old-school, international animation studio Le Cube and Barcelona's Hey Studio have teamed up on a collaboration that's literally a trade: Le Cube produced a motion reel showcasing Hey's work, while Hey rebranded Le Cube in return.

Hey's new identity draws on the layered structure of animation projects (think software timelines and stacked frames), translated into horizontal lines that nod to retro aesthetics while staying clean and contemporary. It's nice to know that not every partnership needs a pitch deck and a procurement process. Sometimes it's just two studios deciding to make each other look great.