MG Empower is a fully integrated marketing powerhouse that’s in the business of storytelling. The agency works with household names across the world and turned to office design and build firm Peldon Rose to create a space that showcases impactful work, celebrates its own story and equips its people to write the next chapter.  

Their new location at 10–11 Clerkenwell Green, in the centre of London’s creative design hub, is perfect for the ambitious agency. The building was once a uniform factory during the Second World War, and its modern renovation celebrates its history. Glass floors allow all aspects of the architecture to shine through, and the light, airy space is an ideal fit for a company that thrives on creativity and innovation. 

Bringing a portfolio to life 

MG Empower prides itself on innovation and impact,
 and its office needed to showcase the brilliant work it does with clients from the moment you enter the building. As a bold marketing agency, being able to welcome existing and potential clients into the space was a top priority, as was being able to tangibly demonstrate the team’s unique set of skills.   

To make that impact from the outset, Peldon Rose created a shopfront that features pivoting LED screens to give the brand a powerful and immediate street presence. This outward-facing feature can be easily adapted to suit the needs of any given day and helps the company make its mark on the wider creative industry that occupies its surroundings. 

Once inside, visitors find themselves stepping into a live portfolio of MG Empower’s work. The hallway that links the entrance to the heart of the space has been designed as a ‘catwalk moment’, where an 85-inch, iPhone-style interactive screen displays successful campaigns in the formats they were designed for. Here, the agency’s client list, including brands such as Dior, Biossance and Bumble, are allowed to speak for themselves – a central feature of the brief to Peldon Rose.    

A specialist pitch space sits at the centre of the office, allowing potential clients to be in the heart of the action as they weigh up the agency’s credentials and ideas.  

Tash Hewlett, Senior Designer at Peldon Rose, said: “It’s
 vital to MG Empower that it stands out from the competition, so the client experience in its workspace was really important to the agency, especially when it comes to reflecting the amazing work the business does. 

MG Empower’s work is dynamic, and doing it justice in the physical space from a design point of view was always going to be a challenge. By incorporating innovative technology throughout, including virtual reality areas and a catwalk of screens, we were able to showcase its digital capabilities as well as displaying the agency’s core values.” 

Creating a strong brand experience throughout the design was vital for both MG Empower’s clients and its people. Moving into its own space for the first time, the agency wanted to tell the company’s story while shouting about what lies ahead. A 7-metre-wide ‘EMPOWER’ sign provides just one of the many ‘Instagram moments’ curated across the space, encouraging its people and visitors to develop and share their own relationship with the brand. Another is an infinity mirror, creating a striking visual experience that embodies the agency’s innovative and bold approach, and breathes life into its promise to send its clients “smashing through the looking glass”.   

More subtle touches have also been incorporated into the space from a day-to-day perspective. For example, the tea point is modelled around the coffee shop where founder and president Maira Genovese started the agency in 2017.Each glass fronted meeting rooms are named after one of the company’s core values, acting as a visual reminder to the team each day. Instead of individual desks, an 11-metre-long table was created which sweeps through the office, with space for up to 30 team members to collaborate.   

Just the first chapter 

As well as making its team an integral part of the story, MG Empower wanted to make sure they also feel part of its future. Measures to support wellbeing include biophilic elements and muted colour palettes, which tone down rich branding in focus-driven areas. High-end finishes aren’t reserved for client-centric spaces either but are present throughout the workplace, with elements such as marble worktops creating a luxury, tactile experience that will last.   

A diversity of social spaces has also been created,from relaxation areas with soft furniture to a roof terrace where the team can unwind or celebrate client successes. The space is also designed to minimise its environmental impact utilising real oak timber. Overall, MG Empower’s attitude is one that consistently goes above and beyond, and Peldon Rose was able to deliver a workplace that embodies that mentality. 

Maira Genovese, founder and President at MG Empower, said: “Our new headquarters translates everything MG Empower represents - our values, our innovation, and our mould-breaking attitude. Peldon Rose took our brief on board and was committed to our vision since the beginning, supporting us to find a way to tell our story through architecture and creative. The entire team is excited about what the future holds, and our new physical space now reflects that." 

Steve Taylor, Project Director at Peldon Rose said “From the first moment meeting Maira and the MG Empower team - we clicked, there was an immediate alignment of minds and inspirational ideas. It was clear that we would be great creative partners to collaborate with on such an important project. The streetlights in Clerkenwell literally came on as we started imagining all of the design possibilities we could explore with this project. We dreamed big and delivered something exceptional. A new destination space in the heart of London!” 

Team:

Designers: Peldon Rose

Photographer: SOLK photography