Idris Elba might have starred in ads for Sky TV, Toyota, Stella Artois, Tanqueray, Arsenal FC and Squarespace but now he aims to create them after joining forces with Miroma Group founder Marc Boyan to launch marketing and content business SillyFace.
The venture, which will operate as part of Miroma Group with the first three offices opening in London, New York and Los Angeles, aims to unearth new storytellers and reinvigorate creativity and fun in brand marketing through ideation, creation and distribution of both long and short form content.
According to research by GfK, there is a growing sense of ‘purpose-fatigue’ among consumers with the duo claim makes it more difficult for brands to gain and hold the attention of their targeted audiences. They argue that. against this backdrop, brands need to adopt new approaches to garner attention from consumers.
Boyan said: “On a daily basis, I work alongside global brands who are struggling to understand the intersection between modern cultural trends, brand identity and its consumer base. It is creating apprehension and hindering creative storytelling.
“SillyFace has been created to lean into culture and new global trends, offering a fun environment to get creative rather than be afraid. Idris and I are both from underrepresented backgrounds and we see the world a little differently. We’re aiming to bring our thinking to brands to give people a voice and share stories that resonate with the consumer, whilst keeping the brand safe from criticism.”
Elba added: “I’m at my creative best when I am relaxed, not anxious or considering all the ‘what ifs’. However, this isn’t always the atmosphere that creatives are faced with when brand building. SillyFace is here to bring back that feeling of creative excellence.
“We want more voices, more views and open, mutually respected ideation. This new venture will give me the ability to create powerful marketing campaigns. Campaigns that will truly resonate and engage with the people I want to connect with. It will also allow me to share my knowledge and experience with other brands and co-create campaigns we’re all proud of. This is just the start for us. I can’t wait to get started.”
SillyFace will bring together a team of global, creative marketers and content creators – under the guidance of Elba and Boyan – all with different perspectives and backgrounds, to ensure they add the excitement back into brand building.
The first new hires for SillyFace include Rahul Chopra as chief strategy officer, Miroma Group, who recently joined from Instagram where he was director, Reels and Camera, and was previously at Facebook app and Snap Inc in senior roles.
SillyFace has also brought in Margot Hauer-King as chief client and revenue officer. She who joins from Beentheredonethat and was previously at WPP. Both will be based in New York.
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