Jolyon Varley

OK COOL

Ok COOL is a (very) creative content studio. Official partners to TikTok,Twitch, Instagram and tier-1 brands, globally.

Find us @OKCOOL (IG & TikTok) & www.OKCOOL.io

Co-Founder

15Folds

15Folds is a online art gallery. We curate monthly group shows featuring original artworks from leading creatives worldwide. The project seeks to explore how creative thinking takes place within the context of a visual narrative and the parameters of uniquely online media.

15Folds also works with brands to curate original content around ideas, themes, collections and launches. Our partners include: Dazed & Confused, Absolut, The Andy Warhol Foundation, The Serpentine Gallery, Nike, Diesel and British Council.

www.15folds.com

NEVERBLAND

NEVERBLAND is a digital product studio. We design, engineer and launch websites and digital products for and with entrepreneurs and brands. Specialists in design & UX.

Fund us @NEVERBLAND & www.NEVERBLAND.com

Products:

www.slateapp.com (exited 06/16)

www.conjure.io

www.VOTD.tv


Notable partnerships:

www.Fnatic.com

www.bulb.co.uk

www.jukedeck.com (winners- Cannes Lion, Tech Crunch Disrupt '15, Le Web)

www.everpress.com

www.lick.com

SLATE

Slate is the SAAS tool that gives the world's leading commercial film production companies control over their brand. 

Slate was acquired by Source Creative in 2016.

www.slateapp.com

A Tale of Three Cities

A Tale Of Three Cities was the first arts and literature journal to join the dots between writers, poets and photographers in London, Paris and Berlin. We hosted supported Book Swap cocktail nights at Le Carmen, Paris and Soho Houses in London and Berlin. The journal was stocked in the most reputable literary and fashion retailers in each city, including Shakespeare & Co, Colette and Donlon Books

I’m Jolyon, Co-Founder at OK COOL— a (very) creative content studio. I genuinely believe that we are the most energised, culturally astute agency in the world right now.

We turn subcultures into content and humanise some of the world’s most renowned, tier-1 brands such as Nike, Gucci and Disney. We are official strategic and creative partners to TikTok and Meta.

I'm interested in what happens at the margins: counter culture + youth energy and the fault lines where high and low collide.

Whether you’re someone who wants to learn more about the marketing space and what it takes to run a business within it, you’re a brand looking to take your content to the next level, or you’re a creative looking to join an agency that delivers best in class work — stick around. My content may just be of interest.

And if it is, feel free to drop me a line ✌️

Ok COOL is a (very) creative  content studio. Official partners to TikTok,Twitch, Instagram and tier-1 brands, globally.

Find us @OKCOOL.IO & www.OKCOOL.io

Not every founder should be a CEO.
And that’s ok.

I’m a sh*t leader.

Not a natural coach.
Not patient enough for endless meetings.
Not interested in managing diff. personalities.

That’s why I’m not the CEO.

Right now, my focus is on:

1. Building the brand into an unstoppable force.
2. Nurturing a creative hotbed of talent & culture.
3. Ensuring our clients are ecstatic with our work.

I’m a doer, not a delegator. Always have been.

When I started OK COOL 8 years ago…

It was an extension of me.

→ My attitude & aesthetic.
→ My love of counter-culture.
→ My passion for content & socials.

It wasn't about leading a global team (of 90) 🌏

Sure, I could try to be the CEO.
Fake it til I make it.

But why?

I’d rather play to my strengths.

Surround myself with world-class leaders who excel where I fall short.

Leadership isn’t about titles and egos.

It’s about self-awareness, empathy & knowing when to get the f*ck out the way.

Agreed?

I was once interviewing a candidate for a role & towards the end of our call, nervously…

She told me about her side hustle.

She expected judgement.
Maybe even rejection.

So she was surprised when I said:

“That’s awesome, tell me more!”

↳ Her eyes lit up as she talked about her passion.
↳ She went from tense, to super confident.
↳ And the energy was infectious.

That sealed the deal.

I didn’t see her side hustle as a distraction.
I saw it as a sign of her ambition, drive & creativity.
I saw someone unafraid to take risks & learn new skills.

And that’s exactly the kind of person I want on my team.

A week later, she was hired.

➤ Not *despite* the side hustle.
➤ But *because* of the side hustle.

And she’s been killing it ever since.

So, my advice to employers?

Don’t fear the side hustlers. Embrace them.

They’re not a threat.
They’re an asset.

You WANT to hire the doers, the makers, and the creators.

Because when they bring that same energy to your work…

The results are extraordinary ⚡️🪐

Who agrees?👇

A 30 second masterclass in brand-building (after a royal f*ck up):

In 2018, KFC ran out of chicken.

Forcing them to close hundreds of stores.

Naturally, this caused outrage across the UK.

🐔 Enter: #ChickenCrisis
😡 53,000 complaints across social-media
🍔 Customers ‘forced to visit Burger King instead’

London’s Tower Hamlets were even forced to send a tweet reminding people that the chicken shortage ‘was not a police matter’ 😅

But KFC’s response was a stroke of genius.

A print Ad:
→ Letters of KFC spelt out ‘FCK’ on a chicken bucket.

Featured in two key UK papers:
→ The Sun & The Metro

The campaign went VIRAL.
→ Reaching 1 billion people.

All from a single press ad.

Using humility, humour & honesty…

KFC single-handedly rewrote the rulebook for corporate crisis management.

But most importantly, KFC was forgiven.
Zero lasting brand-damage whatsoever.

The best example of a human-first strategy.

What do you think?

I’m not saying traditional marketing is dead…

But I am saying it’s tired. Very tired.

The old way:

1. Interrupting people’s lives with unwanted ads
2. Prioritising transactions over trust-building
3. Pushy sales tactics & chasing clicks
4. Spray & pray broadcast advertising
5. Talking AT people, not WITH them

The new way:

1) Authenticity & transparency to build trust
↳ People want realness, not perfection.

2) Building a community of brand evangelists
↳ Start bottom up, with subcultures & creators.

3) Providing value, earning the right to THEN sell
↳ Give before you ask.

4) Storytelling with narratives that resonate & engage
↳ People connect with people, not products.

5) Meeting customers where THEY are across channels
↳ Be present and relevant in their world.

The old way was about control.
The new way is about connection & community.

Today’s best marketing isn’t all about selling, it’s about serving 🤝

Agreed?

January 2016: a gut feeling social was the marketing channel of the future.

June 2024: a global content agency working with the hottest brands on the planet.

In the early days, we were told:

‘You’re too niche’
‘The hype will die down’
‘How’s that gonna work?’

… and my personal favourite:

‘Social media? It’s just a fad’ 🥱

Yet, here we are.

➤ Two best friends.
➤ Running a business across 3 continents.
➤ Carving our own space, amongst a sea of giants.

8 years in…

❌ We (still) don’t do PR.
❌ We (still) don’t do old-school ads.
❌ We (still) don’t play by anyone else’s rulebook.

Instead…

We do what we do best:
↳ Create dope sh*t.

With just as much passion as we did when we started.

🤏 No longer a team of 3
🌏 But a global team of 90

Here’s to the next 8 years - doing the work of our lives 🤙🪐

Dismissing candidates for lack of ‘experience’ is outdated. ESPECIALLY in marketing.

I don’t care:

→ How old you are
→ If your portfolio isn’t perfect
→ How much ‘experience’ you have
→ If you’ve never worked at a big agency
→ Whether or not you have a fancy degree

I care that you:

→ Are a team player
→ Take bold, creative risks
→ Are excited about your work
→ Are hungry to learn and grow
→ Chase originality and innovation

You don’t need a decade of experience to make an impact.

In my experience…

Some of the best ideas come from those just starting out.

Do you agree?

Don’t sell a product, sell a feeling 👏🌞

This billboard ad isn’t just selling coke.
It’s selling relief. Refreshment.

Simple but genius. Agreed?

In the last 15 years, I’ve met 100s of great marketers. They ALL have this in common ⤵️

Not creativity.
Not data analysis.
Not strategic thinking.

✨ Empathy ✨

➤ The gateway to understanding consumers.
➤ The secret to crafting messages that resonate.
➤ The foundation for building meaningful connections.

Because marketing isn’t about manipulation.
It’s about understanding & serving customers.

So, how do you cultivate empathy?

1. Call customers & actively listen to pain points.
2. Don’t assume you know what customers want.
3. Ask questions beyond the surface. Be curious.
4. Put yourself in their shoes. What keeps them up?
5. Be human. Share your story, not just your product.

Without empathy, marketing is just blah blah blah 😅

Agreed?

Another dope campaign from our world-class team 💐

Urban Outfitters Europe came to us with the aim:

→ To create a space for ingenuity & play on TikTok. 
→ To champion creative freedom for emerging artists.

Using this insight ⤵️

Gen Z TikTok searches for 'customisation' and 'personalisation' up 100% YoY 📈

The team came up with an epic idea 🤝

We partnered with 5 creators from different corners of social & challenged them to use a piece from UO as creative inspiration to go push the boundaries of customisation.

The result?

🔥 5 super creative, unique videos 
🤙 17,600 engagements 
🤯 3.5 million views

Well done team OK COOL, killed it (as always) ❤️‍🔥

And big up our dream collaborators at Urban Outfitters Hannah Wilkinson Chloé Ann Wilkes Maisey Brown Scott McWilliam Oluwafunmilayo (Funmi) Adedeji 🪐

A harsh truth for up & coming entrepreneurs (particularly agency owners) ⤵️

Success is not all down to:

🔻 How talented you are
🔻 How well you can sell
🔻 How big your vision is

8 years ago, when I started OK COOL…
↳ I hustled. I pitched. I believed.

8 years later, thankfully…
↳ my business is well-established.

But COUNTLESS friends & agency peers…
↳ Were forced to shut their doors.

Despite being just as talented.
Despite being just as hungry.

The difference? Luck.

In reality, so much of success is down to:

✨ Chance encounters
✨ A streak of good, or bad luck
✨ Market timing out of your control

It’s rough.

Had I understood just how much would be out of my control throughout this journey, when I started in my 20s, honestly…

I don’t know if I’d have taken the leap.

My point?

When all logic tells you to quit, naivety is your fuel.

So, when the odds are stacked against you:

1. Create chance opportunities

↳ Put yourself out there. Network relentlessly. You never know who you'll meet or what doors might open.

2. Embrace uncertainty & optimism

↳ Luck favours the bold. Trust your gut, take risks & believe in yourself.

Sometimes, blissful ignorance is your greatest asset.

Agree/Disagree?

If you found this story helpful, feel free to repost ♻️
And follow me, Jolyon, for more 🤙

I don’t usually do this… but today, I’m giving away our monthly Trend Drop 🔥

At the moment, it’s only shared in-house.

But I’d love to start sharing more resources on here 🤝

This month’s:

↳ The Rise of IRL & URL Sub-Communities.

Actionable advice for brands on:

➤ What’s hot rn 
➤ Why it works on socials 
➤ How you can apply the trends

Everything from Substack, to Discord, "netwalking" and run clubs.

PLUS an insight into OK COOL’s latest work with:

➤ Jimmy Choo 
➤ Coinbase 
➤ Bumble 
➤ Nike

So, if you want to grab the deck…

Comment ‘OKCOOL’ ✍️

& I’ll send you this month’s 🤙

-- 

UPDATE: 

Wow - a lot of love on this post! I THINK I've gotten back to everyone... but if you're yet to receive the deck, you can now grab it here: 

https://lnkd.in/eDAsTPQQ

Thank you all 🪐

The ULTIMATE example of knowing your audience.

6.7M views
569,130 likes

… organically.
… in just 3 DAYS.
… on just ONE PLATFORM.

Beats by Dr Dre. nailed the campaign for their new Pill.

How?

By tapping into their cultural affinity with hip-hop.

The 90-second video, titled 'The Predicament', shows:

📹 LeBron James hosting a house party.
📹 Lil Wayne’s hit ‘A Milli’ blasting on a Beats Pill.
📹 Preventing Lil Wayne from sleeping.

Weezy ultimately joins the party 🤝

✅ Super relatable
✅ Super entertaining
✅ On-the-mark ambassadors

Beats, take a bow 👏

What do you think of this ad?

I’m Jolyon, Co-Founder at OK COOL— a (very) creative content studio. I genuinely believe that we are the most energised, culturally astute agency in the world right now.

We turn subcultures into content and humanise some of the world’s most renowned, tier-1 brands such as Nike, Gucci and Disney. We are official strategic and creative partners to TikTok, Twitch and Instagram.

I'm interested in what happens at the margins: counter culture + youth energy and the fault lines where high and low collide.

Whether you’re someone who wants to learn more about the marketing space and what it takes to run a business within it, you’re a brand looking to take your content to the next level, or you’re a creative looking to join an agency that delivers best in class work — stick around. My content may just be of interest.

And if it is, feel free to drop me a line ✌️

Angela Buck

London creativity at its finest.
Lime bike 🤝 ice bucket 🧊🍻

Have a great weekend all 🌞

I have worked with 200+ of the most sought-after brands in the world.

The 3 things they have in common?

They don’t do mediocrity.
They don’t pussyfoot with feedback.
They don’t copy, imitate or play it safe.

They DO set the bar incredibly high.
They DO give clear, direct & candid feedback.
They DO create dope, original, extraordinary sh*t.

So, if you’re a marketer under never-ending pressure to:

↳ Nail briefs
↳ Address feedback
↳ Deliver pie-in-the-sky results

Remember WHY you do what you do.

To start conversations.
To push boundaries.
To BE creative.

Set your bar high, and do the work of your life.

Trust me, it will be worth it ⚡️

10 strategies for overcoming creative block ⤵️

(that took me 15 years to learn)

1. Do something new: new activity = new ideas
2. Go outside for fresh air & nature to clear the mind
3. Stop forcing it, step away & return with fresh eyes
4. Do a simple task, eg. cleaning, to let the mind wander
5. Speak to other creative people to unlock new inspo
6. Rearrange your space or work from a diff. one
7. Remove fear of failure, accept mistakes as inevitable
8. Try to attack the task/brief from a different angle
9. Refresh your memory on past work you're proud of
10. Start: momentum helps ideas flow (good & bad)

Creativity can't be forced.
↳ But it can be nurtured.

These are my go-to hacks, what are yours?

♻️ Share this post to help others unblock creativity
🤙 Follow for more on all things creativity, culture & content.

If you’ve ever worked in marketing, you know one simple truth ↓

The best, most effective campaigns...

Aren’t glossy visuals or catchy slogans.
They make the audience FEEL something.

It doesn’t matter if:

→ Your graphics are sick
→ Your ad spend is sky-high
→ You’ve got the buzziest hashtags
→ You have a celebrity endorsement
→ You have all the data at your fingertips

What truly matters is:

→ You tell a compelling story
→ Your brand's voice is authentic
→ You have a clear value proposition
→ Your audience feels seen and heard
→ Your message feels timely & relevant

Emotion trumps logic every time 👏

Agreed?

Agencies often get pushed around.

Here’s how to stand your ground without p*ssing off a potential client.

In 2020, I helped TikTok launch TikTok for Business. 
In 2024, TikTok is the new Google.

We’ve come a long way in 4 years huh?

People thought TikTok was just an entertainment app. 
↳ A place for Gen Z to do dance trends.

How wrong they were…

Recently, Adobe surveyed:

➤ 808 consumers 
➤ 251 business owners

To discover how TikTok was being used.

And the results are clear:

TikTok is WAY more than an entertainment app. 
↳ It's a place for products & trends to be discovered.

Turns out...

Our 2020 campaign message is as relevant as ever:

“Don’t make ads, make TikToks”

Do you agree? 🤷

TikTok: The New Google 

Let the Olympics marketing begin 👏

✔️ Train platform-turned running track
✔️ Relevant comedian & TV presenter Tom Allen
✔️ Athletes & the public beginning their journey to The Games

Love this!

Great work Eurostar + Adam &Eve//DDB 💐

Do you like this Ad? 

+ Any predictions for more Olympics-themed content?

I’d love to hear your thoughts ↓

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