Over the years, there have been new clients, challenges and studios, but all share an important common denominator: Frameworkers. Every high has been shaped and shared by our people – and we have a lot of weird and wonderful stories to tell.
Read on to discover our connection to Only Fools and Horses, the hobby we all love (well, most of us) and the client stories we simply won’t forget in our rundown of 35 moments from 35 years.
We're social creatures
Frameworker fun often features a game – we're a competitive lot – and we always throw ourselves into a party.
1. Tell me you work at a creative agency without telling me
Once Ben hosted a pizza-making competition at his house. Unsurprisingly, everyone went all in with team names, brand platforms, outfits and even conceptual pizzas. Rose
2. Who the F (said that)?
At my first Christmas party we played “Who the F (said that)?” That’s when I realised people had been sneakily writing down all the dumb stuff we’d said all year. Sophie
3. Our surprise Santa
The first time Terry dressed up as Santa completely unannounced was a time to be alive. It’s now a firm tradition. David
4. Raiding the bar dry
One summer party we realised we’d never make it through the pre-paid bar tab as we only had half an hour left to go. Cue everyone taking three or four bottles of wine home with them, raiding the bar dry. Ellie H
5. High stakes
It was at The Frameworks that I learnt to play – and win (once!) – poker. Alongside some healthy competition and a few harmless mind games, it’s always a good excuse for a takeaway and some wine. Charlotte
6. Sleepovers in the studio
After one Christmas party. Scott and I went back to get our bags from the Nutmeg House office. I went home but Scott ended up sleeping there. The next morning I arrived to him lying across two chairs in the conference room with his jacket as a cover. The next year, he brought an air mattress and blanket, just in case. Ian
7. Beating Dale at golf
That win has got to be up there. Terry
Hitting the high notes
It's a universal truth that all Frameworkers love karaoke. Even the most reluctant of singers have been caught by the karaoke bug, eventually.
8. A new passion
The first time I joined a Frameworker karaoke session I planned to just sit back, drink and enjoy the vibes. But I quickly got caught up in the fun and ended up taking the mic for way too many songs. I’ve loved karaoke ever since. Louise
9. Foodies who sing
I’ve introduced many colleagues to the joys of Tayyabs and persuaded a few that they might quite like karaoke too. Ben
10. "These words" bring joy
When Margot and I brought back the best of the 00s with our rendition of a Natasha Bedingfield song. Sophie
Making (studio) moves
While the spirit of the business remains unchanged, we’ve made a few different places our home over the years.
11. “Rodney!”
When I joined The Frameworks our office was a former toy factory in Islington. It was a really creative space, but it had one minor flaw: whenever it rained, water would leak from the downpipes, which, for some baffling reason, were located inside the building. Despite the occasional indoor drizzle, I loved working in that studio. And Cassandra from Only Fools and Horses lived right next door. Bonjour! James
12. Beautiful surroundings
I loved Nutmeg House’s Zanotta Leonardo tables, Eames Vitra chairs and views over Shad Thames. Don
13. Making a mark
When I started, we were all crammed into a tiny office by the Design Museum. It was a great location but it was clear we needed more space because within a week of being there, someone accidentally opened a door onto me, crushing the water glass I was holding and sending me to A&E with a nasty slice through my palm. I’ve still got the scar to prove it. Louise
14. New horizons
It was a momentous moment at Nutmeg House when we took the wall down to open up a spiral staircase to the new upstairs section. David
People make the place
Once a Frameworker, always a Frameworker. Ultimately, our culture is shaped by our people and how we connect.
15. A match made in… The Frameworks
We hired two outstandingly talented junior designers in the same month. A few years later, seeing them walk into the studio together, I turned to Terry and said: “There’s a magic between them.” Now they are both Design Directors and married to each other! Sheri
16. Passing the design baton
My chats with Terry where he’s shared his design wisdom have been so valuable. Ross
17. Lifelong friends
We say there’s no such thing as a typical Frameworker but we must be united by niceness because I’ve worked with so many great people – past and present – and made some lifelong friends. Rose
18. Shared knowledge
We are indebted to our Finance Partner Sharon’s invaluable guidance over the years. Terry
Client tales
Happily, we share close relationships with our clients: many feel like an extension of our team. And we have a few funny stories to boot.
19. Relationships that last
I’ve been working with two clients since my first week in 2009 and I love that. We work on many one-off projects, but a lot of what we do is connections through brands or people. Rose
20. Near misses
During my first pregnancy I had terrible sickness all day, every day, peaking at 10.30am precisely. So I knew I was in trouble the day I had to be in a 10-11am client meeting. I just about made it through, turning slowly green, hand over mouth, and legged it to the bathroom straight after to explode. Louise
21. Strong starts
Watching David (Alexander) command a room full of Telewest executives in his first presentation, right out of university, and thinking this is exactly how a Creative Director would handle it. The first step of many great things to come. Sheri
22. What’s in a name?
When David Alexander and I arrived for a meeting with the DVLA in Swansea, David kicked things off with, "Hi, I'm David," and I followed with, "Hi, I'm James." The client looked at us, paused, and then broke into a smile: "Well, that's funny – I’m David James." James
When it just feels right
For many, our first encounter with The Frameworks has stayed with us.
23. Book worms united
In my initial interview with Sheri I saw her vast bookshelf behind her for the first time. It immediately put me at ease and we talked about books for the whole call, something which has continued ever since. Ellie H
24. “Gut feeling felt so right”
The Frameworks is my first job in London. Five years ago, I was travelling down from Nottingham every week, cramming in several interviews a day. In between some disappointing interviews, stress and getting rained on, The Frameworks stood out. Looking back in my Notes app I wrote “Best interview so far. Really enjoyed meeting Rose and Sheri. Gut feeling felt so right.” It turned out to be true. Ross
25. Finding your people
Before I joined, I'd had some unusual jobs (professional sailor, science magazine founder, maple syrup smuggler) that involved working with equally unusual characters (a rowboat-surfing carpenter, The Dali Lama, the mathematician who invented fractals). When Sheri asked me to meet Terry and the team, I was ready for just about anyone. But what I found, perhaps for the first time, were my people. Don
The big wins
Over the last 35 years, we’ve had some huge successes that we’re really proud of.
26. Levelling up
It was amazing to win an award for our work for Level. Rose
27. Lucky jackets
When Ben’s bold awards jacket brought us the luck we needed at the UK content marketing awards in 2023 (for our work with UST). Charlotte
28. International fame
It was pretty cool to stumble across ads I’d written in airports in London and Mumbai. Ben
29. Celebrity voices
We were thrilled to secure Stephen Fry as the voice of a frog and Alistair McGowan as the voice of a dodo – both graciously volunteering their talents – for our award-winning Lonely Dodo film created for The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. James
30. Geeks who succeed
A combination of geekiness and confidence that has seen us embrace everything from live 360 video to Small AI. Ben
Frameworkers in the wild
Travel expands the mind. And our global client base has given us plenty of opportunities to leave the studio and go out into the wild.
31. Spring in Chicago
A team of us collaborated on an IBM content project with a US agency and spent a few blissful late-spring days in Chicago. I’m sure we did some work, but all I remember is a series of delicious meals out – including some life-changing guacamole. Louise
32. (Not) lost in translation
I loved exploring Tokyo on our visit to Yokogawa…after conducting a full-day workshop via simultaneous translation through headphones, which had a strong UN vibe. Ellie H
33. Our resident jet-setter
One year Chris made an impressive 26 trips to the US. Terry
34. Taking the stage in Cambodia
I won’t forget learning to love a lapel mic on stage at a client conference in Cambodia. Ben
35. Battling the New York traffic
Some of us got a particular thrill as we got up at the crack of dawn for a three-hour taxi journey from New York to Philly for client interviews. It was worth the early start: we just made it on time. Sophie
And now we can't wait to see what the next 35 years hold.
