2025 has been a year of creativity, momentum, and big ideas. We leaned into bolder thinking, sharper storytelling, and some of our most exciting collaborations yet. Thank you for inviting us to help shape your world, and for proving once again how powerful great partnership can be. We’re so glad you were a part of our year.
Here’s to more fun, cheer, and good times next year!
Recognition and proud moments
The UnAwards win – the first ever in the Human x AI Collaboration category
Our West Berkshire Council brand audit didn’t just push our creative thinking – it earned us a shiny new accolade. A bold approach built through thoughtful human creativity and AI-powered exploration. New territory, new tools, new ideas…and a proud milestone for our whole team.
We turned 16!
A milestone that made us feel proud, grateful, and just a tiny bit emotional. Sixteen years of ideas, collaborations, storytelling, team growth, creativity, and energy. Fun fact, Alan & Alex (founders of Alive) – the Als as we call them – met when they were 16 years old too!
The Dog & Duck newsletter relaunched
Our much-loved newsletter returned with fresh energy, sharper thinking, and plenty of personality. A space for insight, inspiration, and wellbeing warmers. Sign up here.
Team day
We held our Alive team day – a proper reset, reflect, and reconnect moment. A whole day dedicated to conversations that matter and the people who make the magic happen.
Alan’s adventures
Our very own Alan went international this year, taking his talks across the pond to the US before returning home for stops in London and Bedfordshire. Our very own globe-trotting storyteller.
Three Alive weddings!
Love was definitely in the Alive air – three members of the team married their partners this year. Joyous celebrations that lit up our Slack channels with confetti emojis!
Alive projects that made our hearts full
The Elephant and Ant
A beautifully illustrated reminder that every role, big or small, has meaning. A story about perspective, purpose, and the magic of differences brought to life with so much heart.
Our first ever Alive event: Stir Creativity
Hosted at the Bombay Sapphire Distillery, this was a day of fizzing ideas, shared passions, and genuine connection. A room full of creative minds, curiosity everywhere, and conversations we’re still thinking about.
The Zombie Comic finally unleashed
After years of love, commitment, and a lot of undead humour, our zombie comic launched at FirePro. Created by our brilliant studio team, it captures our mission perfectly: fighting workplace zombies and helping people feel alive at work. A true labour of love. Get your hands on a free copy here.
Proud to partner
- Water Literacy Project: championing education and awareness.
- British Red Cross: volunteer character campaign with glowing feedback.
- Sainsbury’s: a suite of bold, bright animations for team members.
- Hughes: eight promotional campaigns, a store interior uplift for Lowestoft, and improved website checkout flows.
- Subsea7 and Seaway7: supporting their global teams with a plethora of campaigns and videos.
- Braskem: monthly safety campaigns and videos that shine a light on their internal heroes.
- City of London Police: work for their annual awards that we’re incredibly proud of.
- Barts Health NHS Trust: a recruitment campaign that was human and heartfelt.
- SGN Employee Survey: we turned a last-minute employee survey into an energising, high-engagement campaign that sparked real participation and insight.
- South East Water Stakeholder-ready animation: we distilled a complex drought and infrastructure story into a clear, compelling animation that won stakeholder confidence fast.
- Tower Hamlets Council Charge Safe Battery-Fire animation: a high-stakes public safety message brought to life through clear, accessible storytelling – entered into the Local Government Awards and garnered more than 1 million views on social media.
- National Energy Action Marginalised Groups Fuel Poverty animation: we created work that matters, with a team we admire. Excited to be partnering again in 2026.
- Huntingdonshire District Council Quiet Friend animation: a delicate, thoughtful project part of a wider campaign that resonated deeply, and was met with stunning feedback from local MPs and councillors.
- Nottingham University Limitless campaign: a bold, energising, anything-is-possible message for the next generation of thinkers.
- Waltham Forest Together campaign: we brought the borough to life with real impact, showcasing authentic voices and quite literally fostered a sense of togetherness.
A year told through Alive’s Slack numbers
36 dog snaps
Our dog channel was thriving this year. Paws, snoots, floppy ears, existential stares, and at least one lil’ pupper wearing a jumper. Essential morale-boosting content.
35 blogs published
From creative thinking to internal comms wisdom to studio stories. Missed a few? We’ve rounded them all up for you here.
50+ creative bootcamp emails
Fired off with love, caffeine, and occasional chaos. Fuelling weekly creativity and pushing us all to stretch our skills just a little further.
40+ recognition channel messages
Shoutouts, client praise, team wins, and moments where someone just absolutely nailed it. Our recognition channel was buzzing this year, and it shows in the work we delivered.
82,200 LinkedIn impressions
A year full of scroll-stopping posts, thought starters, and project showcases that reached a whole lot of eyeballs.
24 pint pics
The official count of moments where an Alive-er raised a glass. Often found near one of Alan’s speaking stops: USA, Bedfordshire, Birmingham, London, and anywhere else a good pint can be obtained.
56 clients
Some with multiple projects – that’s a lot of buzzing Slack channels.
New faces, new ideas & familiar friends
We welcomed a brand-new (but long-time friend of Alive) into the fold: Katie, joining us as our Comms Consultant. And after dedicating precious time to their new little ones, we were thrilled to welcome Olivia and Amy back from maternity leave. The studio feels brighter with them all here.
The A.L.I.V.E framework
What our clients are saying
- “It’s the first time I’ve worked with you and I’m really impressed.”
- “People said you would be good, but I opened it and thought God damn, that’s good!
- “The early work is absolutely on track, I love it – you are spot on.”
- “Very clearly got exactly what we are looking for and showed understanding of the brief. Great work all!”
- “I really like the ideas and creative approach you’ve shared! It’s a fresh perspective that we haven’t thought about before!”
- “A huge thank you to the team for pulling this together in such an incredibly short timescale. It’s truly appreciated!”
- “I couldn’t imagine us doing it without your super help, creativity, and the general awesomeness that you bring – you make it all so easy for us!”
- “You clearly understand our values and the challenges we face.”
- “Our project had great brand recognition and has been successfully rolled out across the council.”
A call to adventure
Creativity isn’t a moment. It’s a momentum. It’s the brave choice to try something new and the belief that stories, when told well, can change whole workplaces, cultures, and communities.
So, here’s to the people who dream big, speak openly, experiment wildly, and refuse to settle for “that’ll do.”
And if you want 2026 to be your boldest year yet – let’s build something impossible together.
