The Hanging House won the Independent Creative Agency of the Year at the Campaign Agency of the Year Awards 2025.
Sharing why the agency won the award, the jurors said, “The Hanging House delivered an exceptionally detailed entry with strong financial transparency, cultural depth, diversity leadership and innovation.”
The Hanging House team shared their reflections on winning the award after they spent 2025 focusing on rebuilding themselves.
How does this award reflect the culmination of your efforts in 2025?
Husam Haris, Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer: This award is meaningful because 2025 was the year we focused on rebuilding ourselves from the inside out. We grew fast, expanded into new markets, strengthened our creative capability, and invested heavily in our people. What started in a garage with four people is now a 50-plus team delivering some of the region’s most ambitious experiential work. Winning Independent Creative Agency of the Year reflects the maturity of that journey. It shows that growth, culture, and creativity can move forward together when the team believes in the same vision.
What industry shift most influenced how you operated in 2025?
Luna Arja, Creative Lead: The move away from rented attention and one-off spectacle toward emotional relevance and belonging. Clients began stepping back from traditional media placements and instead invested in creating impact where audiences already exist, within culture, social behaviour and real moments. Excitement was no longer enough; it became expected. Audiences didn’t want to be sold to; they wanted to feel part of something. This shift pushed us to design experiences that are contextual, immersive and story-driven, personal, shareable and built to connect rather than interrupt.
How has being an independent shaped your ability to respond to change or uncertainty this year?
Anam Ahmad, Founder & Chief Creative Officer: Independence gives us the freedom to keep evolving. The world moves fast, ideas shift, demand doesn’t stand still and neither do we. Our ambition stays the same, but the way we achieve it keeps changing. Instead of cutting corners, we redesign the shape. That ability to adapt quickly without losing direction and do it so fast is what makes independence so powerful.
How do you compete with scale while preserving agility and identity?
Haris: We stay competitive by staying true to how we started. Our strength has always been speed, clarity and being close to the work. As we scale, we protect that by keeping decision-making tight, integrating strategy, creative, production and tech under one ecosystem, and building a culture where people take ownership, not instructions. Larger agencies win with volume; we win with sharp problem-solving and experiences that feel personal. Our identity stays intact because it lives in our people, our way of working, and our belief that creativity should move culture, not just fill a brief.
What does sustainable growth look like for independent agencies?
Abdul Aleem, Lead Creative Technologist: Sustainable growth in today’s market is a long game rooted in clarity, courage, and cultural relevance. It means moving with conviction rather than chasing validation, and resisting trend-hopping that turns intent into noise and originality into imitation. Real endurance comes from creating belonging, not spectacle. That growth starts with people and culture, when leadership trusts teams, it unlocks speed, ownership, and pride in the work. Over-engineering processes can dilute the agility and craft that make independents competitive. Instead, sustainable scale comes from hiring intentionally, investing in learning, adopting evolving technologies, and building lattice growth models that encourage cross-functional collaboration, allowing agencies to grow without losing their identity.
What do you think the industry needs to change or fix on priority in the months ahead?
Ijaz Ibrahim, Creative Lead: Move away from chasing validation and volume, and go back toward conviction and originality. Too much work today is shaped by trends, algorithms, and safe repetition, which turns intent into noise. The priority should be building work that creates belonging and long-term value, not just momentary attention. That shift requires courage – from clients and agencies – to trust ideas that are culturally grounded, emotionally honest, and not designed to please everyone.
In your opinion, what do consumers really want, and how can agencies help brands meet this need?
Jean Oosthuizen, General Manager: Consumers are seeking authenticity, relevance and genuine connection. They want brands to show up with purpose, not just presence, and to create experiences that feel human, considered and meaningful rather than transactional. Agencies play a critical role in translating brand values into real-world moments, helping brands listen closely, respond with empathy, and design experiences that resonate emotionally while remaining culturally and contextually relevant.
What will matter most as the industry moves into 2026?
Ayush Tandon, Creative Lead: As we move into 2026, relevance will matter more than reach. Brands that show up with consistency, empathy, and a clear point of view will earn loyalty in a market where attention is no longer guaranteed. For agencies, this means designing for long-term cultural presence, not just campaign spikes, and helping brands build relationships that last beyond the moment.
