On Strategy Showcase – Detailed Episode Summary

Episode: Rick Brim, Martin Beverley and Polly McMorrow on Their New Venture
Host: Fergus O’Carroll
Date: September 12, 2025
Guests: Rick Brim (co-founder, Ace of Hearts; ex-Adam & Eve DDB), Martin Beverley (co-founder, Ace of Hearts; ex-Adam & Eve DDB), Polly McMorrow (co-founder, Ace of Hearts; ex-McCann London, ex-BBH)

Overview: The Launch of Ace of Hearts

This episode features an in-depth conversation with Rick Brim, Martin Beverley, and Polly McMorrow—three prominent figures in the creative industry who have come together to launch Ace of Hearts, a new creative company in London. The discussion centers on their reasons for leaving prominent agencies, their collective ambition in founding Ace of Hearts, industry challenges, the evolving role of creativity in business, and their aspirations to reshape agency and client relationships.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Leave Adam & Eve DDB? (06:13–09:51)

• Restless Creativity:
  Martin and Rick explain that, despite loving Adam & Eve DDB and their colleagues, the urge to "do our own thing" and "try to start something from scratch" (06:47) became impossible to ignore.

  • Martin: “We’d had a very lucky run for a decade and made a lot of work we were really proud of, but I think we just didn’t necessarily have anything more to prove.” (06:47)

• The "Itch" and Team Chemistry:
  Rick notes leaving was only possible because of the unique chemistry between the three co-founders:

  • Rick: “I wasn’t not excited for Adam & Eve, but I was just a little bit more excited about the possibility of what we could do... if we didn’t have a sort of playbook of how it’s done.” (07:38)

• Leaping Without a Net:
  Martin clarifies they left without taking clients, betting on themselves instead:

  • Martin: “We’ve leapt into the unknown… because this could become anything. We don’t know yet.” (09:03)

2. Ownership, Structure, and Strategic Partnerships (10:00–11:43)

• Minority Investment:
  Polly describes a partnership with Serviceplan Group, chosen for its progressive media/data/AI capabilities, while ensuring Ace of Hearts’ independence:

  • Polly: “It’s about a marriage of two equal parties... but importantly, that allowed us to run our own independent business.” (10:00)

• Team & Talent Philosophy:
  The vision is an expansive, diverse team (“expanding the gang”) rather than a superstar model:

  • Rick: “We want it to be about the gang. We want it to be about the collective.” (15:07)
  • Rick: “The hiring bit... is making sure that people... want to be part of something.” (15:07)

3. What is Ace of Hearts? (11:55–13:04)

• Defining a "Creative Company":

  • Martin: “We call ourselves a creative company. We want to solve problems for clients upstream... and really experiment with lots of different things in quite a neutral way.” (11:55)
  • The aim is to avoid becoming “expensive coloring in around the edges” as some legacy agencies do.

• Positioning vs. Uncommon and Mischief:

  • Martin: “Too many agencies have lost their seat at the top table, and I think creativity has become this kind of weak word… We have the same ambition to create our own brand that can be very strong in the category.” (13:11)

4. Creativity Beyond Advertising (18:00–20:17)

• Expanding Creativity’s Scope:
  The team wants to apply creative thinking "beyond comms" to areas like brand identity, business models (subscription & loyalty), and operational challenges.

  • Martin: “Sometimes advertising is the way to solve a business problem, but we just want to be far more neutral than that…” (18:26)
  • Polly: “Creativity… should play across a business, not down a business.” (20:17)

• Agency Role in Business Transformation:
  Rick and Martin believe modern companies value creativity as a core competency—Ace of Hearts wants to be the partner that brings that to more traditional brands.

5. Approach to AI, Data & Tools (22:45–24:25)

• AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement:
  • Rick: “I think they're tools… there has to be an organization… that has tastes and uses them as tools and directs them.” (23:03)
  • They see AI as enhancing the groundwork, but human “taste and sensibility” remain irreplaceable.

6. Strategy, Experimentation & Fun (24:25–27:03)

• Enduring Strategic Principles:

  • Martin: “I think the tenets of strategy don’t really change over time… but I think the tools for how you get there are changing quickly, and we can embrace those.” (24:25)
  • Emphasis on experimentation, learning, and fostering an environment of fun and optimism:
    Martin: “I just really want this to be, is just bags of fun... The industry feels so downtrodden a lot of the time. It doesn’t feel like it’s creating this kind of optimistic vision.” (24:25)

• Aspirational Brand:

  • Martin: “Our name is Double Positive Ace of Hearts—it’s like the high lucky card. So I hope we can live up to that.” (26:34)
  • They want to build their own brand as convincingly as they’d advise clients to.

7. Breaking the Mold of Agency-Client Relationships (31:56–41:28)

• Rethinking Remuneration & Value:

  • Polly: “We don’t want to work on an hours plus, because creativity doesn’t work in an hours plus model. It’s so extraordinary... that’s not how ideas are conceived, so why... is that how we’re charging?” (32:52)

• Pitching Reluctantly, Not by Default:

  • Martin: “We will pitch, but almost as a last resort if we feel like it’s the right opportunity for us, but it’s certainly not the place we would most like to play.” (35:46)
  • They prefer deeper problem-focused conversations rather than “popularity contest” pitches.

• Strong Agency Brands Can Change Industry Behavior:

  • Fergus: “If you want the best talent, you have to change your behaviors too, on the client side.” (40:03)

8. The Chemistry Among Co-Founders (41:28–44:34)

• How They Met & Why the Fit Works:
  • Martin, on Polly: “She has this amazing sort of positive, forceful energy... She loves creative work... Also she has a different kind of commercial lens on things.” (41:52)
  • The trio describe their partnership as a “gang,” emphasizing equal contribution, mutual challenge, and openness to change.

9. Looking Ahead & Output (44:34–45:32)

• Upcoming Work:
  • Polly: “It’ll be soon. I think end of the summer.” (44:57)
  • The first projects may not look like traditional ads; expect multiple outputs that “look completely new and sort of radically different” (45:04).
  • Rick: “Whatever it is is interesting and not... and makes you think, then I’ll be happy.” (45:27)

Notable Quotes

• On Independence & Team:
  Martin: “It’s terrifying, by the way, but also really exciting at the same time because this could become anything—we don’t know yet.” (09:03)
• On Creativity as a Core Value:
  Rick: “Founders put creativity at the heart of the business they’re starting, but not every business has that. I think that’s what our role needs to be, moving into the future.” (17:54)
• On Revaluing Agency Work:
  Polly: “We want to have a healthy conversation about value—creativity doesn’t work in an hours plus model... why in the name of Christ is that how we’re charging?” (32:52)
• On Agency-Client Dynamics:
  Martin: “We’re going to try and not play the game and play our own game.” (40:56)
• On Optimism & Ambition:
  Martin: “We’d really like it to feel like an optimistic place because I think that’s where the best talent wants to be.” (29:27)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [05:42] — Why build Ace of Hearts? The trio’s motivations and chemistry.
• [11:43] — What is Ace of Hearts? Defining the company’s mission.
• [13:11] — Industry positioning vs. Mischief, Uncommon.
• [18:00] — Expanding the definition of creativity for clients.
• [22:45] — Approach to AI, data, and human creativity.
• [24:25] — Strategic evolution, “bags of fun,” and brand philosophy.
• [31:56] — Rethinking value, remuneration, and pitching.
• [41:28] — Founders’ chemistry and shared vision.
• [44:34] — Timeline and approach for their first output.

Memorable Moments

• “We’ve leapt into the unknown…”
  The founders’ willingness to risk established careers for a new adventure is both relatable and inspiring. (09:03)

• Pitching Policies:
  Their refusal to default to pitches is a pointed critique of agency norms—“We want to talk to you about the problem... that was our pitch and we won.” (35:57)

• Fun as a Differentiator:
  The group’s insistence that work must be enjoyable recurs throughout: “We want this to be... just bags of fun.” (24:25)

Episode Tone and Atmosphere

The conversation is warm, candid, and laced with humor. The trio’s camaraderie and mutual respect shine through, balanced by honest reflections on industry frustrations. The atmosphere is optimistic, experimental, and determinedly un-corporate—setting the tone for Ace of Hearts’ ambitions.

In summary:
Ace of Hearts aims to be a “creative company” that puts creativity back at the heart of business—not just communication. The founders are committed to challenging ingrained agency habits, fostering infectious optimism, and ensuring their work has both joy and substance. They’re betting that clients—and talent—will want to join a team that prizes experimentation, partnership, and genuine value over simply following industry norms.