Three members of the Virgin Money creative studio team have caught the entrepreneurial bug and quit their jobs at Branson’s bank to set up their own business, A Fine Studio – a brand new creative agency based right in the heart of Norwich.
Following in Sir Richard’s footsteps, Kelly Smith, Steve Kirkendall and Rob Skinn often talked about running their own business during casual lunchtime chats. Having both clocked up a decade at Virgin, Rob and Steve contributed to building the challenger bank’s brand identity, while Kelly joined as a senior copywriter in 2013, having worked freelance in the UK and abroad for brands like MINI, Google and Carlsberg. Together, they worked on high profile campaigns for the bank, the Virgin Money London Marathon and the company’s charitable venture, Virgin Money Giving.
The team says, “Running an agency had long been an ambition for all of us. We love working creatively together, and realised we’d finally found the perfect business partners. Taking the leap into the unknown with like-minded people, means we’re able to run our own business our way and build the right culture right from the very beginning.”
With their roots very firmly in Norwich, they’re so proud of the fine city they work in, they’ve even named their business after it. Kelly is a graduate of the prestigious MA in Creative Writing at UEA, and is a scriptwriter too, with her film short being shot this spring. Steve returned to his home city back in the 90’s after working as a Creative Director in London and Chicago, and Rob was born, bred, and built his career as a respected web developer in Norwich. Since leaving Virgin Money the trio hasn’t looked back, with international clients like Eastpak USA joining the agency within their very first week.
The team’s excited to be involved in Norwich’s thriving business community too; Rob and Steve both volunteered their time at Norwich’s Sync the City event that brought local start up founders and tech professionals together for three exciting days in November. Based at NUA’s cutting edge new start up workspace, the Ideas Factory, A Fine Studio is a small creative agency with big brand experience. They offer film and motion graphics, copywriting and online strategy, design and digital, branding and identity and illustration and animation.
View their showreel at www.afinestudio.com/#showreel
Contact:
www.afinestudio.com Kelly Smith – [email protected] Tel: 07833153810
A Fine Studio The Ideas Factory Cavendish House 28-32 St Andrews Street Norwich NR2 4AE
