Bravand Turns 13: Creative Chaos, Growth & Digital Agency Lessons
Today, Bravand officially reaches teenager status - thirteen years in a world that moves fast, changes shape often, and sometimes refuses to make sense.
It feels worth pausing to reflect not because we’re great at milestones (we often forget them), but because this one really feels like one.
Thirteen is an age of:
- curiosity with edge
- rule-challenging with purpose
- risk with just enough confidence to make it interesting
And that feels… very Bravand.
The Origin Story (With Pints, Because Why Not)
If you’ve been with us for a while, you might already know how Bravand began.
Thirteen years ago, mid-afternoon, in the Nell Gwynn pub on the Strand, Jilly was:
- redundant
- questioning the creative and digital agency world
- half cut after four pints (excellent pub - still recommend it)
Then one phone call with Tim Shelton at Horsham Accountancy Services and, £80 later, Bravand was born.
- Day one: we were sat in the café at Google Campus on Old Street.
- Day two: we onboarded our first client.
- And the rest… well, that was history in the making.
This story isn’t polished. It’s human. It’s not a founder myth - it’s the messy unfolding of unexpected beginnings.
13 = Bravand
For this birthday, we leaned in hard to the number 13.
In fact, we even played with alphabet positions and came up with a delightfully unnecessary equation:
B=2, R=18, A=1, V=22, A=1, N=14, D=4
(14 − 1) + (22 − (18 + 4)) × (2 + 1) = 13
(N − A) + (V − (R + D)) × (B + A) = 13
NAVRDBA = 13
So yes, the official rebrand is NAVRDBA.
…just kidding.
We kept Bravand. But we really did have fun with the maths.
Thirteen Years of Creative Chaos
If the last year has taught us anything, it’s this:
- Growth isn’t linear.
- Creativity isn’t tidy.
- Digital isn’t predictable.
- Life isn’t perfect.
And that’s exactly the kind of chaos we like.
Over thirteen years we've:
- built and rebuilt ideas
- experimented, failed, iterated
- stood by clients when strategies shifted
- designed, coded, launched, and launched again
- learned that a tidy process helps, but a flexible mind wins
It’s been brave. It’s been bold. And, yes, it’s occasionally been bonkers.
To the People Who Made It Happen
This isn’t a solo achievement. It’s collective.
- To the brilliant team - past and present - who bring heart to the work: thank you.
- To our clients - brave enough to take creative risks with us: thank you.
- To collaborators and mates who challenge us, support us, and sometimes call us out: thank you.
You are the reason Bravand doesn’t just look good on screen - it genuinely matters.
Teenage Years Ahead (Expect Laughs, Not Boredom)
If thirteen teaches us anything, it’s that the best way forward isn’t being safe - it’s being smart and bold, curious and brave, structured and a little quirky.
We’re looking forward to:
- more bold ideas
- sharper thinking
- work that surprises us (and others)
- a bit more rule-breaking
…and probably another equation or two that only half of us understand.
Thanks for being part of the story. Here’s to the next chapter.
#TeamBravand #13YearsStrong #DigitalThatWorks
Want to work with a team that loves brave ideas as much as execution? Let’s talk.
