School Reports 2023: Amplify

Nielsen billings 2022 n/a
Declared income £52.2m
Total accounts at year end 77
Accounts won 22 (biggest: Activision)
Accounts lost 0
Number of staff 205 (+35%)
Key personnel Jonathan Emmins, founder and global chief executive; Zoe Lewis, head of client services, UK management team; Sophy Vanner Critoph, head of strategy, UK management team; Anton Mercier, chair; Jeavon Smith, chief creative officer
Females in senior management 43%
BAME in senior management 16%
BAME in permanent staff 27%
Churn rate among permanent staff in 2022 12%
Females in permanent staff 61%
BAME in entry-level recruits 43%
Gender pay gap 29%
BAME pay gap 28%
Star player Sandra Suchocka E Silva, design director. “Guardian of craft. Team leader. Driving client work and internal brand alike.”

Living up to its name, Amplify turned up the volume in 2022 as it continued to flourish in the experiential space at home and abroad. After incomes soared by 142% after the pandemic, the creative agency's earnings continued to climb by 60% in 2022 (to £52.2m), bringing home its best-declared income since it set up shop in 2008.

In 2022 Amplify bagged 22 accounts, adding Activision, Pinterest, Heineken, PepsiCo and Paramont Pictures, with no account losses to report. The agency's ability to claim and retain business guarantees a smooth passage as it continues to drive its international presence across Europe, the US and Australia in 2023.

Amplify's Pinterest experience at the Carlton Beach Club was a Cannes Lions 2022 highlight, thanks to the creator workshops that included screen printing, mindful drawing, aura photography and micro tattooing.

After a virtual hiatus during lockdown, 2022 brought the return of Nike's annual SNKRS Day in person for the first time since 2019. The activation (pictured) involved eight hours of digital and physical celebrations spanning London, Paris and Berlin. In total, Amplify brought to life four live streams, 12 films, five product drops and three sold-out events.

A "World of magic" experience for celebrating the creative possibilities of Google Pixel 6 (an AI "magic eraser" tool) was mocked up like an old-school photographic services store, where a secret portal in the Unexpected Photo Booth transported visitors into a world of interactive installations, presenting "deleted delights".

A sign of a healthy business, Amplify added 53 people to its burgeoning agency. Though the business continued to reduce its gender pay gap in senior positions to 0.39%, the overall median is 29%, up from 23% last year.

From the headmistress: Showing you can be creative, successful and have fun

2022 in the agency's words

Amplify is a creative agency specialising in experience and culture, solving problems, breaking formats and worldbuilding for some of the most innovative brands globally.

Creatively, culturally and commercially, 2022 was Amplify's most successful year to date as we continued to focus on scaling our international offer across Europe, the US and Australia.

We continued to deliver high-profile global campaigns for Activision, Dr. Martens, Fortnite, Google, Lego, Nike, Pinterest and PlayStation, adding 22 new clients.

With our focus on expanding our footprint and doubling down on our content and production capabilities, we feel poised for 2023 and beyond.

To read the full article, visit Campaign.

Read more about our School Reports success here + here.