In this series, we’re introducing you to some of the brilliant creative minds we know and love, so you can get to know them too. In this first instalment, you’ll meet our neighbour and founder of Bug Communication, David Thomas.
At Writers, we’re responsible for words. But with so many sides to the creative process, we have the opportunity to work and collaborate with many fantastic teams.
David and the team at Bug have an office downstairs from us in the old ginger beer factory we call home in Stanmore. Their office is full of gorgeous dogs and we work with them for most of our not-for-profit clients, adding our words to their designs. These include National Breast Cancer Foundation, Father Chris Riley’s Youth off the Streets and the Heart Foundation.
Tell us about you and what you do.
I own and run the graphic and digital design agency Bug Communication. Bug stands for Brand Utilisation and Graphics, and we’ve been in business for 24 years.
How did you get into the not-for-profit sector?
We didn’t choose the NFP sector, but thankfully it chose us. Our first NFP client was UNHCR. A mutual friend introduced us 17 years ago. Back then they were just two people working in an office in Sydney.
They needed some help with a Christmas campaign, so we applied our direct mail campaign experience with a more personal, urgent, and emotional ask.
After working with UNHCR for a few years they invited us on a 5-day fundraising hike through the Ruwenzori mountains in Uganda. It was an incredibly difficult trek that finished with a visit to what was then the biggest refugee camp in the world. Once we saw where the money was going and what it can do for others, we knew we had to keep going. You learn gratitude and you appreciate what you have.
NFPs quickly became our bread and butter, and we now represent over 14 different organisations across humanitarian, animal welfare, youth, ageing and medical research sectors. If we can make one person or animal’s journey a little easier through our work, even in a small way, then that’s worth it.
What was the best or most inspiring project you worked on last year?
It’s hard to look past the work Seeing Eye Dogs and Vision Australia do. The difference these amazing dogs make in people’s lives is extraordinary.
We’re an office of animal-lovers so working with World Animal Protection is another important one for me. Their work can be confronting, but their dedication to the animals they fight for is inspiring.
David Thomas rescued a greyhound called Smudge and a Daschund called Benji. The dogs are best of friends and go to work with David each day. Picture: David Swift
Why are creative partnerships like ours important to the way you work?
Working with other creatives makes the outcome better, and in the case of NFPs, that can mean more donations and more capacity to help. It’s our job to evoke an emotional response in people by sharing stories of both tragedy and triumph. Copy and creative should work together in harmony and support that mission. And that’s how we like to work.
Using Writers as an example, we have a diverse and talented team literally steps away from our office. We love the opportunity to get together and talk about campaigns, discuss concepts and tap into their resources to inspire the design story. Collaborating with a dedicated team who understands the process and really cares is great for us at Bug.
Whether it’s a great hero image or a fantastic headline we are both working to the same purpose and we want the experts to do what they do best. For us, good design can be invisible. It doesn’t need to win awards. It just needs to work.
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Unit 2543-53 Bridge Road
Stanmore, NSW 2048
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