Adrian Levin

What exactly is a branded environment?

You’re sitting in one right now. It’s really any physical space where a brand lives and breathes. It can be an office like this one, a train station, or a trade show booth. And it can involve materials, interactivity, messaging, signage, and all of the above.

Sounds like a lot of ingredients.

That’s a good choice of words. I like to say that environmental branding lies somewhere between cuisine, theater and psychology. You mix media and materials in a way that expresses the brand personality and engages an audience.

How did you get into this? And why did you come to Sequel?

I had a background in architecture and design, and then took a succession of jobs that enabled me to blend the two. For me, a place like Sequel is an ideal place to work. I enjoy the collaborative atmosphere, working with a lot of people in many different disciplines, joining forces around a big idea. The synergy is tremendous, and it enables us to build a brand experience that is greater than the sum of its parts.

It’s that different from other agencies?

In a fundamental way, yes. In some big agencies, people are more siloed. They don’t come together in the same way or have the chance to learn from each other.

Do you think that gives clients an advantage?

It ensures that we’re all on the same page. It means that we’re all immersed in the process and take ownership. It’s a collective experience and, for clients, it delivers better results.