It's been 10 years

FutureKings was founded in January 2016, and the year that followed laid the foundations for everything to come.

We welcomed our first new client, PrivateFly, who achieved a 37% annual growth increase during our early work together, quickly followed by Punter Southall Group and SS Great Britain, which saw an 18% rise in visitor numbers. These early partnerships helped define our approach and ambition from day one, proving that our ideas could deliver real results.

2016 was also the year we found a home, moving into our first studio at Temple Studios, and began building the team that would shape the next decade. Benji, Jon, and Karen joined Co-Founder Ben in that first year, and remarkably, they’re still part of the FutureKings story ten years on.

It was a year of firsts, fresh starts, measurable results, and big belief in what we were building — a foundation that set the tone for the next ten years.

SSGB Case Study PrivateFly

Our second year saw FutureKings find its stride, building on the foundations laid in 2016 with growing confidence and ambition.

We partnered with new clients, including Ascentric, Aspire, and Chetwood, expanding our portfolio and the scope of work we were being asked to deliver. Early results were strong: Ascentric grew its market share from 2.4% to 8% and boosted its NPS from -13% to +16% by the end of 2017, while Chetwood Bank begain its journey that would see it secure £150m in private equity funding, launch four product brands, add over 300 staff in five years, and build £4 billion AUM, earning a spot in the FinTech Top 50. These achievements highlighted the impact FutureKings could have when partnering with ambitious businesses.

2017 was also a year of growth for our own team. We openedour first London office at The Metalbox Factory, and Richard joined as a freelancer and quickly became an integral part of the business, moving to a full-time role, a journey that reflects the collaborative, long-term culture we continue to value today.

With stronger relationships, growing capabilities, and measurable results behind us, FutureKings was firmly on its way, building momentum, confidence, and the foundations for more steady growth.

Chetwood Case Study

2018 was all about growth - both personally and professionally.

FutureKings continued to build momentum. We worked with clients old and new, including Prestige by Pernod Ricard, the launch of LiveLend, and we delivered work for a growing mix of ambitious brands that trusted us to help shape their next steps. We even made the front page with SS Great Britain.

Behind the scenes, the team continued to evolve. Kate got married (a big year all round!) and joined the business full time. The team grew stronger and tighter as we continued to balance great work with a culture built on trust, collaboration and, of course, the odd social along the way.

By 2019, FutureKings had settled into a rhythm, delivering consistently effective work while continuing to evolve our service offer in line with technology changes and client demand.

We partnered with exciting new clients including Artlogic, Brixton Distillery, Queens and delivered another new product for Chetwood; The Wave Credit Card, applying our thinking across different sectors and challenges, and building long-term relationships along the way.

It was also a memorable year on a personal level, with Ben getting married, and plenty of team moments that reflected a business comfortable in its own skin - focused, ambitious, and enjoying the journey - opening a third office in Manchester to get a foothold in the North and access the exciting businesses there.

Market Row Case Study

2020 was the year of business challenges that no one saw coming.

With offices in Bristol, London and Manchester, we were already set up for remote working, with daily video callls already very much the norm for us.

So, as the pandemic reshaped the way businesses worked, our team actually became even more connected, adapting to new ways of working while continuing to deliver for clients. New projects this year included the successful brands for Gretel, Altitude Gin and BetterBorrow (another Chetwood Bank product) alongside the work still being done for Ascentric which was sold by Royal London Group to M&G, to become part of M&G Wealth and PSG, PrivateFly and SSGB.

Despite the uncertainty, we made a decision to protect the FK team, no matter what. What was a challenging year for the business reinforced what mattered most: trust, flexibility, and a team that stuck together.

Altitude Gin Case Study Gretel Case Study

After the most challenging year for the business, 2021 was a year of recovery from the impact of the pandemic.

Part of that involved an office move to Paintworks, into a wonderful open space overlooking the courtyard. The new space allowed us to make the place our own, and we look back at our time here very fondly. We also steadily grew the team, with Tom "rejoining" us from a previous role, and Alice made the leap from client to staff member, following in the foosteps of Jon and Karen (Ben at this point made a note to self to stop hiring all our clients)

Workwise, we continued to build our reputation of working with some of Bristol’s best visitor attractions, adding Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm to the list, and working with a number of exciting startups (as they were in 2021) building brands for DNAPal, KiteEdge, Invisage (now Althub after being acquired) along with some lovely new work for Engage Group and their ICON brand.

The highlight of 2021 was how the team stuck together, supported each other, and did all we could to service our clients as they needed us to.

Engage Case Study

In 2022 FutureKings continued to focus on rebuilding, notably by welcoming Tom as our full-time Design Director. Having worked with the team previously, and having freelanced over the last few years, his permanent move added strength and craft to our design team.

The results? Some of our strongest work to date as we partnered with clients including Qorus, EvolveYou and Natural England. One of our proudest moments was winning a Transform magazine award for our rebrand of SkiZoom to Heidi.

Outside of client work, our summer party was spent narrow boating in Wiltshire. It sparked an obsession with the waterways of South West England, which now themes our parties every year. 🛶

Heidi Case Study Qorus Case Study EvovleYou Case Study

In our 8th year, 2023 saw the biggest change on the journey so far. Still feeling the pandemic’s impact, we rekindled a conversation that began pre-pandemic and agreed terms to join the Mr B and Friends Family. We relocated to their Whitefriars office, giving our team a new home and a big brother to collaborate with and learn from. Our expertise focused on smaller, leaner projects and clients, allowing them to concentrate on larger, multinational clients.

The model worked immediately, seeing our client list grow while continuing to work with fast-growing Huboo and Chetwood, and rolled out the brand for Carifit. We worked with ambitious startups 1Lux, Aturna, and Kabyn, and ambitious SMEs VPG and Ledgy, as well as the UK-based venture studio EHE. Despite the seismic change, this was a very positive leap forward for FutureKings.

We also danced and sung together at our own Tom’s wedding, we continued our watery themed summer parties, and we got really into darts!

Carifit Case Study Huboo Case Study Ledgy Case Study Ledgy Case Study

2024 was a brilliant year. You don't always get many of those in the agency world, but with a strong, close-knit team, incredible clients, and a little bit of luck, it’s absolutely possible.

We loved collaborating with new clients like We The Curious, Anumana, Hustl, Berkshire Consultancy and Qtac — delivering work shaped by years of experience and a truly collaborative approach. We also continued our proud partnerships with existing clients including Heidi, M&G, Carifit, COGNIKIDS™ and many more.

It was also a milestone year for our team. Liam officially became a full-time employee after 9 years of on-and-off freelancing, further strengthening our core group. We also celebrated some team members welcoming new children (Future FutureKings?) into their families, and yet again taking to the open waters for a rowing session in Bath for our summer party! 🚣‍♂️

Heidi Peak Campaign Case Study Berkshire Consultancy Case Study Anumana Case Study Qtac Case Study Hustl Case Study We The Curious Case Study

After a couple of years with our friends at Mr B, the time came for us to return to independence. As we did so, Karen joined the board, and we welcomed Andy Bing as our new Chairman. With our new board in place, we began the new era by opening the Amsterdam office, with Alice at the helm.

Meanwhile, in Bristol, Ezra Chambers, already a friend, joined us to head up our Activate services, and we moved into DeskLodge | B Corp™, which has given the team the facilities and flexibility to find a perfect balance.

We partnered with clients, existing and new, including Heidi, Zeus, Durstons, Zopa Bank, Aerospace Bristol, Crest Experiences, Keiser, Forestry England and WWT; organisations doing meaningful and ambitious things.

Our passion for water-based activities was taken to the next level, as we transitioned from boats to boards for a surf lesson at The Wave. In no time at all we were popping up and hanging ten. Gnarly 🤙

Overall, it was another year where personal milestones and professional progress went hand in hand, a reminder that FutureKings has always been about its people first.

Crest Experiences Case Study Durstons Case Study Aerospace Bristol Case Study Zeus Case Study