Strategic and creative healthcare agency, Create Health, has completed a management buy-out (MBO), as managing director Ed Hudson and creative director Phil Blackmore become majority shareholders. Founded 10 years ago by Darren Clare, the agency’s creative work includes global and national campaigns for big healthcare brands such as Thermo Fisher Scientific, ConvaTec, BD and HOYA.

Ed Hudson, managing director, commented:

“Our proposition ‘We Influence Mindsets’ stepped us out from being a ‘same-same’ creative agency to being different in outlook, approach and creative impact. It drove significant growth in our existing client business, and had a transformative impact in our new business approach. The MBO was the natural next step for us to drive our belief that better health doesn’t just happen, it’s created. And that we must create a new mindset if we are to overcome some of today’s biggest health challenges.”

Based in central Bristol, the agency will use the MBO as a springboard to double revenue by 2025. Creative England helped part-fund the move through its Creative Growth initiative, described as a loan for “the most promising creative businesses”, in partnership with Triodos Bank UK. Darren Clare, will now take a step back but will remain within the business as Chairman.

With an 18-strong team, producing powerful creative work that drives change, matters. But another key part of the Create Health DNA is supporting community health initiatives. Healthy Young Minds, whereby primary school children were tasked with tackling some of society’s biggest health issues, was successfully launched in Bristol in 2019 and received 400 entries. It will be rolled out further in 2020.

Meanwhile, six films telling the stories of individuals who had found the strength to go again after true adversity were recently shot using Bristol-based cinematographer Remco Merbis.

Phil Blackmore, creative director, added

“Ramping creativity up the agenda of our client’s businesses is pivotal if we want to truly deal with current health issues. By being clear in strategy, emotive in thought and braver in execution we can not only have a positive impact on patient outcomes, we can make the bottom-line a lot healthier for our clients as well.”