Scaling with Intention | Explorers Club Design

Explorers Club: How a Bold Creative Studio is Redefining Brand Culture

In under two years, Explorers Club has rapidly ascended from a nascent idea to a globally recognized studio shaping culture for major brands like Atlantic Records, Coca‑Cola, Nike, Instacart, and Universal Music.

The studio’s success is rooted in the collaborative partnership of Ayo Fagbemi and Aaron Skipper, who seamlessly blend strategic thinking with innovative design. Speaking at a session for The Studio, Creative Boom’s private network, the pair shared insights into their journey, lessons learned, and the core principles behind building a purpose-driven creative company.

From Nike to a New Partnership

The founders’ connection began while working on Nike campaigns at Wieden+Kennedy. “That mix of strategy and design between us just clicked,” Fagbemi explained. “Eventually, we realised that partnership was worth building a whole studio around.”

Explorers Club now operates across London and Los Angeles, fueled by a belief that every brand possesses a unique, untapped potential. As Fagbemi puts it, “It’s not about inventing something new. It’s about discovering what’s already there and bringing it to life; visually, verbally, experientially.”

A Foundation of Collaboration and Exchange

The studio’s foundation is built on a continuous exchange of ideas. Skipper described their working dynamic as a reciprocal learning process: “The title of this talk could easily be: ‘What a designer taught me about strategy, and what a strategist taught me about design.’”

This collaborative spirit extends to both internal teams and client relationships. “For us,” Fagbemi added, “strategy is a commitment to making brave work. Our job is to help clients be distinctive and disruptive, but still true to themselves.”

‘Music to Movements’: Reframing Atlantic Records UK

A pivotal project for Explorers Club was their work with Atlantic Records UK, which Fagbemi calls their “real launchpad.” Facing challenges in a rapidly evolving music landscape dominated by independent artists, the label sought a renewed sense of purpose. Explorers Club reframed its identity around the concept of ‘Music to Movements.’

“We asked, how do you take one track out of the 160,000 uploaded to Spotify every day and turn it into culture?” Fagbemi said. “That became the rallying cry.”

The resulting brand concept featured a dynamic identity – “never still,” constantly evolving through shifting logo animations and a comprehensive system spanning social, physical, and digital platforms. Even internal changes were symbolic, with employees receiving notebooks and reusable bottles to represent a fresh start. Notably, this work contributed to Ed Sheeran’s decision to re-sign with Atlantic, demonstrating the power of a revitalized brand identity.

The Importance of Play and Community

Explorers Club emphasizes the critical role of “play” in fostering meaningful creativity. “Design should connect both head and heart,” Skipper stated. “That intersection is where the best ideas happen.” This philosophy culminated in the publication of their first book, Play Is the Highest Form of Research, drawing inspiration from a quote by Albert Einstein. The book compiled reflections from industry peers on how they maintain curiosity in their creative work, presented alongside bespoke designs.

The launch event at London’s Barbican was itself a collaborative experience, inviting attendees to personalize book covers and rearrange letters to create new words. This emphasis on community stems from the studio’s origins above a London café-bar, where they hosted game nights for designers, artists, and musicians. “It levelled the field,” Skipper said. “Everyone just showed up as people.” This ethos now informs their approach to designing for brands, recognizing that “culture isn’t something you tap into,” but rather “something you build with others.”

Balancing Depth and Speed

Explorers Club’s approach is characterized by a unique combination of in-depth strategy and rapid execution. “Strategy is the deep work that allows for fast work,” Fagbemi explained. “You do the thinking first, then you can move instinctively.”

Their project with Instacart, resulting in the Gen Z-focused app Fizz, exemplifies this approach. Recognizing the importance of the chat interface to their target audience, they integrated it as the “beating heart of the brand.” This understanding even influenced their communication with the client, adopting a similar language and energy on Slack to accelerate collaboration. A testament to the project’s success, Fidji Simo, a former client, is now CEO of Applications at OpenAI.

From Structure to Movement: Coca-Cola and Real Thing Records

The studio’s work with Coca-Cola, in partnership with Universal Music Group, involved launching a new record label, Real Thing Records. “It was all about structure,” Skipper explained. “Strategy gave the foundation; design made it live.”

The visual system centered around a cube inspired by the Coca-Cola can, transforming into a responsive space that shifted and morphed in real-time with the rhythm of each song. This generative design approach ensured a unique expression for every artist. The launch event at London’s KOKO music venue incorporated live footage, further bridging the gap between brand and culture.

Designing with the Audience in Mind

A central tenet of Explorers Club’s philosophy is prioritizing the audience over industry recognition. “It’s easy to make work that lands well on LinkedIn,” Fagbemi said, “but harder to make something people actually care about outside our bubble.”

This principle guided their recent holiday campaign for Instacart, which involved creating hundreds of assets for various platforms, from out-of-home placements to digital banners. “Whether it’s a billboard or a banner ad,” Fagbemi explained, “the craft and care should be the same. The audience doesn’t experience a hierarchy. They just see the story.”

Simplicity, Clarity, and a Human Touch

A recent collaboration with Fred Again’s global tour further demonstrated this commitment to simplicity and human connection. The tour featured minimal branding centered around flags updated weekly with the name of each city. This system empowered fans to become storytellers, documenting the flags and sharing images online. “That’s when you know you’ve hit something real,” Skipper said. “When the audience does the storytelling for you.”

Notably, the entire project was managed through WhatsApp, fostering rapid decision-making and a unified team dynamic. This reflects Explorers Club’s ethos of becoming an extension of their client’s team.

Lessons for Growth: Bravery, Play, Partnership, and Clarity

Reflecting on their rapid growth, Fagbemi and Skipper emphasized the importance of synergy and sincerity. Strategy provides direction, while design provides form, creating clarity in a crowded cultural landscape.

“Everything moves so fast,” Skipper said. “The attention span is tiny. But if your message is clear and brave, it finds its place.” Fagbemi concurred: “Bravery, play, partnership and clarity,” he stressed. “Those are the threads that run through everything we do.”

Explorers Club, though still young, offers a compelling reminder to creative studios: building with intention not only ensures relevance but also shapes the future.