WHO WE ARE
Understory exists because the marketing landscape changed and the old agency model did not. Too many shops are slow, antiquated, and focused on awards instead of outcomes. Brands today need a partner that is strategic, fast, and culturally relevant.
We built Understory for First Movers who thrive on speed and clarity, for Agency Dropouts who are done with bloated processes and big promises, for Modern Marketers who live where audiences live, and for Communities that need authentic connection.
We are a lean, senior team that lays the strategic foundation, moves at real-world speed, and turns clarity into measurable growth, without the bloat.
We believe great creative is driven by culture, not convention.
We believe in momentum over perfection.
We believe empowered teams outperform overstaffed ones.
We believe in work that builds brands, not portfolios.
WHAT WE DO
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We establish the roots—digging into insights that ground every decision, building the foundation for effective marketing.
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We turn your brand’s best qualities into work that sticks. Think less spectacle, more “that’s so you”—crafted to connect and convert.
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We walk the tightrope of fitting in and standing out—crafting content that feels native yet impossible to ignore.
BRAND PLANNING •
AUDIENCE UNDERSTANDING •
JOURNEY MAPPING •
CAMPAIGN STRATEGY •
COMMS STRATEGY •
CAMPAIGN CONCEPTING •
NARRATIVE DEVELOPMENT •
MESSAGING FRAMEWORKS •
ART DIRECTION •
MOTION DESIGN •
PAID STRATEGY •
ORGANIC CONTENT •
INFLUENCER MANAGEMENT •
CONTENT CREATION •
PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION •
PERFORMANCE & REPORTING •
BRAND PLANNING • AUDIENCE UNDERSTANDING • JOURNEY MAPPING • CAMPAIGN STRATEGY • COMMS STRATEGY • CAMPAIGN CONCEPTING • NARRATIVE DEVELOPMENT • MESSAGING FRAMEWORKS • ART DIRECTION • MOTION DESIGN • PAID STRATEGY • ORGANIC CONTENT • INFLUENCER MANAGEMENT • CONTENT CREATION • PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION • PERFORMANCE & REPORTING •
OUR EXPERIENCE
BRAND
AGENCY
THE TEAM
As founder of Understory, Darren has led strategy for Airbnb, e.l.f. Cosmetics, Fernet-Branca, Pokémon GO, Samsung, Miller Lite, and P&G, delivering measurable results across brand, comms, and social efforts.
Understory taps a decade-plus network of senior creative and strategy talent. Rather than full-time headcount, we handpick the right specialists for each brief and brand.
Understory partners with Super-Conscious for creative leadership, design, and animation. Across toolkits, brand systems, motion, and 2D/3D content, they turn ideas into reality.