The best way to predict the future is to create it. We are an innovation studio, and we work with ambitious leaders who are inventing or reinventing. What’s the future you want to create?

FILTER BY
search
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
1.2.22

Fanning, fostering and celebrating belief in New Zealand talent

Creating a brand story and identity with one of New Zealand’s top-tier VC firms to help the best New Zealand companies, founders and teams Believe Bigger.

arrow right
1.8.14

Snacking with a serious story

When Stolen Rum co-founder Roger Holmes created his next startup, we helped create a distinctive brand in a burgeoning category.

arrow right
1.7.15

Reinventing the future of Spark

Spark New Zealand engaged us to imagine the future of their business. Our ‘Spark Life 2025’ film brought the vision to life in high resolution.

arrow right
1.9.20

Creating a Seachange

How we helped with the pivot and relaunch of the incredible kiwi start-up making hydrofoiling transit seacraft.

arrow right
25.7.22

Neobrand: Brand Building in a World Anew

At this July 2022 event, four leading brand experts presented on how modern brands should be approaching their brand building strategies. Watch the presentations here.

arrow right
15.11.22

Brancott Estate is listed in the Drinks International Top 50 Most Admired Wine Brands in the World list.

Brancott Estate were the first to see the potential of Marlborough, now a world-famous wine region, turning sheep grazing into the first winery, winning the first international golds for the style, and turning the wine world on its head.

arrow right
1.7.21

A Drunk AF Podcast

Our podcast for AF Drinks features famous New Zealanders with a different relationship with alcohol.

arrow right
1.12.19

Better for your mouth and better for the world

Over 20,000 Kiwis and Aussies now brush with Toothcrush, the sustainable oral care subscription startup we created and launched in just 13 weeks.

arrow right
1.4.21

Transforming the impact of human generosity

How we gave fintech start-up Supergenerous their name, purpose and brand.

arrow right
1.10.20

Inventing a Category: Club Setter as New Zealand’s First Seltzer

Having seen the wild growth of Seltzer in the U.S. first-hand, we worked with DB Breweries to crack open the market in NZ.

arrow right
1.5.17

The podcast championing great NZ business and innovation

Each week, in association with The Spinoff and Callaghan Innovation, Previously Unavailable partner Simon Pound has interviewed one of New Zealand’s leading innovators. Now beyond its 250th episode, the series has included almost every iconic NZ startup founder and big business change agent.

arrow right
30.3.23

Master of Advertising Effectiveness

Master the development of advertising that creates outstanding business results, with this six-week online programme taught by one of the world’s leading advertising effectiveness experts.

arrow right
27.7.22

Ārepa — The Brain Drink

Ārepa think brains are amazing. They harness neuroscience to create products that optimise brain health. We worked together to build a brand that helps people engage with the brain.

arrow right
1.9.16

10x-ing the Hawker Roll

The fast-casual Malaysian restaurant concept we developed for iconic restaurateurs Fleur Caulton and Josh Emett now has five thriving outlets.

arrow right
10.9.20

Cool & Curious AF

We’ve been part of the team guiding AF Drinks through their creation, launch and scaling to more than 400 stores across New Zealand and beyond.

arrow right
1.9.16

Tackling the wicked problems of innovation

Our study of CEOs of 44 of NZ’s largest organsations explores how to overcome the challenges of innovation in corporate environments.

arrow right
1.5.21

The world’s first personal wave

How surftech start-up YourWave is making ‘the feeling’ accessible to anyone, anywhere.

arrow right
15.11.21

Reinventing brand health tracking for the 2020’s

Tracksuit, our JV with TRA, is a SAAS startup enabling companies to track their brand health for a fraction of the traditional cost.

arrow right
2.1.20

Odd Company

Sensing a new wave of enthusiasm in the category, we helped DB decode the category and speak to a new generation of drinkers.

arrow right
19.7.22

The Principle of Future Demand

Watch James Hurman present the principle of Future Demand on the WARC stage at the 2022 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

arrow right
1.5.19

The brand helping boards deliver more impact

BoardPro needed a brand as engaging, dynamic and professional as their company and product. We worked with them to define their UVP, most influential customer and mission, and then created the brand, website and key customer videos that have underpinned years of successful growth in NZ and into Australia.

arrow right
1.5.18

Changing plastic for the better

We’ve led brand and messaging development for one of New Zealand’s most ambitious bioengineering startups, working to change how plastic products are made, used and recycled.

arrow right
6.12.22

The Risk Assessment Canvas: A simple way to take calculated risks

When we don't ask the right questions, we default to avoiding risk. So to help ask those questions, we’ve created a simple tool for anyone to use to assess whether a risk is worth taking.

arrow right
20.8.21

The Icehouse’s 20 years through 20 stories.

Previously created a 20th Anniversary publication for The Icehouse and Icehouse Ventures, which reflects on the trials and tribulations within those first two decades. The publication highlights unique stories in the context of where New Zealand is now, and where it will be in the future.

arrow right
1.6.21

Genesis Energy x PU: Designing the future of energy retail

Genesis Energy approached Previously Unavailable to help them completely re-envision the future of their retail service.

arrow right
1.4.20

Backing New Zealand’s Bravest Founders

We gave Icehouse Ventures their new brand positioning: Backing Brave

arrow right
1.7.14

The Coming of Age of a New Auckland

Our study of the zeitgeist and identity of New Auckland brings together the views of 50 leading Aucklanders.

arrow right
1.2.14

The world’s first smoked rum

The US product we conceived for Stolen Rum quickly became a cult icon in America, leading to the company’s $21M majority stake sale in 2015.

arrow right
8.6.20

Comfortable in the Uncomfortable

Putting the wrong people on an innovation team can doom it from the outset. The best picks are those who, above all, cope well with ambiguity.

arrow right
1.2.20

Helping New Zealanders live their best financial life

We worked with Become, a new kind of financial advisory, to communicate and brand their unique all-of-life connected approach to finance, where they aim to be one of the best things to ever happen in a client’s life.

arrow right
1.6.20

A new way of measuring marketing effectiveness

In 2020 we developed the Creative Effectiveness Ladder - a marketing effectiveness framework that’s now used by major brands all over the world.

arrow right
1.8.17

Taking an NZX50 company direct-to-consumer

We helped New Zealand’s largest fishery business create and launch a vertically integrated, direct to consumer subscription nutraceutical business.

arrow right
31.7.22

Starshipit: Delivering great shipping experiences

Helping Australasia’s largest, leading shipping and fulfilment platform create a new positioning, brand strategy, identity, website and assets.

arrow right
1.5.19

The simple story any company can tell

At TEDx Auckland 2019, Previously Unavailable founder James Hurman spoke about the power of storytelling and how start-ups can develop a brand story that’ll accelerate their growth.

arrow right
2.4.21

Your brain on new ideas

Millions of years ago, our brain evolved to reject the unfamiliar. Thriving in our present-day age of innovation means overcoming our cave-person response to new ideas. Anyone can do it, and this is how…

arrow right
1.3.20

Bringing The Icehouse’s brand to life

We worked with the Icehouse on their positioning and creating the first assets to bring it to life.

arrow right
1.2.18

Helping babies and parents sleep better

We helped New Zealand’s largest bed manufacturer capture the potential of a novel infant mattress technology and created them a whole new brand and business.

arrow right
3.11.22

Future Demand Second Edition

Friends and clients of Previously Unavailable celebrated the success of the second edition of Future Demand.

arrow right
1.1.22

Simplifying KiwiSaver

We led the brand and digital product experience strategy for Simplicity’s market entry. They’re now New Zealand’s fastest growing KiwiSaver provider with $4B under management.

arrow right
1.9.17

Helping launch the world’s first home compostable cling film

New Zealanders use enough nasty plastic cling film to wrap the world around the equator twice. We worked with Compostic to launch their brand and world-first home compostable cling wrap.

arrow right
1.6.17

The other Heineken 0%

We developed a unique and compelling non-alcoholic product and brand for Heineken’s global business.

arrow right
1.11.14

1,000 Tees for 1,000 Women

Each summer, 1000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. To raise money to support those women, we created a unique fundraising initiative.

arrow right
22.7.22

How not to waste a good recession

How can businesses win during a recession? Whether or not we’re technically in a recession yet, we’re definitely experiencing a downturn and many recession-like conditions. It’s natural for leaders to feel a strong urge to cut back, hunker down and lay low. But history shows that this is precisely the wrong thing to do. Here’s why.‍

arrow right
30.6.20

CGA — The World's Premium Online High School

Crimson Global Academy is a world-class high school that brings academic excellence together with global opportunity, putting students on an accelerated path toward extraordinary global success.

arrow right
12.5.22

Top Tips for Innovation Strategy and Ideation

6 things that we tell innovation leaders when they’re wanting to get their company’s innovation engine humming.

arrow right
1.8.20

Telling the story of a breakthrough medical device

To support The Insides Company’s Series-A round, we created their pitch deck and explainer video.

arrow right
1.10.18

How we turned brand strategy into a digital product

We developed and launched the world’s first digital productisation of the brand strategy process, making it affordable for start-ups and small businesses.

arrow right
Case Study
30.3.23

Master of Advertising Effectiveness

Master of Advertising Effectiveness

Master the development of advertising that creates outstanding business results, with this six-week online programme taught by one of the world’s leading advertising effectiveness experts.

Brand Identity
Article
6.12.22

The Risk Assessment Canvas: A simple way to take calculated risks

The Risk Assessment Canvas: A simple way to take calculated risks

When we don't ask the right questions, we default to avoiding risk. So to help ask those questions, we’ve created a simple tool for anyone to use to assess whether a risk is worth taking.

Content
Communications
Case Study
15.11.22

Brancott Estate is listed in the Drinks International Top 50 Most Admired Wine Brands in the World list.

Brancott Estate

Brancott Estate were the first to see the potential of Marlborough, now a world-famous wine region, turning sheep grazing into the first winery, winning the first international golds for the style, and turning the wine world on its head.

Beverages
Brand Strategy
FMCG
NPD
Brand Identity
Previously Insights
3.11.22

Future Demand Second Edition

Future Demand Second Edition

Friends and clients of Previously Unavailable celebrated the success of the second edition of Future Demand.

News & Content
Case Study
31.7.22

Starshipit: Delivering great shipping experiences

Starshipit

Helping Australasia’s largest, leading shipping and fulfilment platform create a new positioning, brand strategy, identity, website and assets.

Tech
SAAS
Start Up
Communications
Website
Article
27.7.22

Ārepa — The Brain Drink

Ārepa — The Brain Drink

Ārepa think brains are amazing. They harness neuroscience to create products that optimise brain health. We worked together to build a brand that helps people engage with the brain.

Brand Identity
Brand Strategy
Beverages
Article
25.7.22

Neobrand: Brand Building in a World Anew

Neobrand

At this July 2022 event, four leading brand experts presented on how modern brands should be approaching their brand building strategies. Watch the presentations here.

Communications
Content
News & Content
Start Up
Article
22.7.22

How not to waste a good recession

How not to waste a good recession

How can businesses win during a recession? Whether or not we’re technically in a recession yet, we’re definitely experiencing a downturn and many recession-like conditions. It’s natural for leaders to feel a strong urge to cut back, hunker down and lay low. But history shows that this is precisely the wrong thing to do. Here’s why.‍

News & Content
Communications
Interview
19.7.22

The Principle of Future Demand

The Principle of Future Demand

Watch James Hurman present the principle of Future Demand on the WARC stage at the 2022 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

News & Content
Content
Article
12.5.22

Top Tips for Innovation Strategy and Ideation

Top Tips for Innovation Strategy and Ideation

6 things that we tell innovation leaders when they’re wanting to get their company’s innovation engine humming.

Innovation Strategy
News & Content
Communications
Case Study
1.2.22

Fanning, fostering and celebrating belief in New Zealand talent

Global from Day 1

Creating a brand story and identity with one of New Zealand’s top-tier VC firms to help the best New Zealand companies, founders and teams Believe Bigger.

Start Up
Brand Strategy
Brand Identity
Website
Case Study
1.1.22

Simplifying KiwiSaver

Simplicity KiwiSaver

We led the brand and digital product experience strategy for Simplicity’s market entry. They’re now New Zealand’s fastest growing KiwiSaver provider with $4B under management.

Start Up
Tech
Fintech
Venture Portfolio
Innovation Strategy
Case Study
15.11.21

Reinventing brand health tracking for the 2020’s

Tracksuit

Tracksuit, our JV with TRA, is a SAAS startup enabling companies to track their brand health for a fraction of the traditional cost.

Start Up
Venture Portfolio
Tech
Martech
Brand Strategy
Case Study
20.8.21

The Icehouse’s 20 years through 20 stories.

The Icehouse 20th Anniversary

Previously created a 20th Anniversary publication for The Icehouse and Icehouse Ventures, which reflects on the trials and tribulations within those first two decades. The publication highlights unique stories in the context of where New Zealand is now, and where it will be in the future.

Communications
Start Up
Podcast
1.7.21

A Drunk AF Podcast

Drunk AF

Our podcast for AF Drinks features famous New Zealanders with a different relationship with alcohol.

Content
Start Up
FMCG
Beverages
Communications
Case Study
1.6.21

Genesis Energy x PU: Designing the future of energy retail

Genesis Energy x PU

Genesis Energy approached Previously Unavailable to help them completely re-envision the future of their retail service.

Corporate
Energy
CX Strategy
Case Study
1.5.21

The world’s first personal wave

YourWave

How surftech start-up YourWave is making ‘the feeling’ accessible to anyone, anywhere.

Start Up
Tech
Brand Strategy
Brand Identity
Article
2.4.21

Your brain on new ideas

Your Brain on New Ideas by James Hurman

Millions of years ago, our brain evolved to reject the unfamiliar. Thriving in our present-day age of innovation means overcoming our cave-person response to new ideas. Anyone can do it, and this is how…

Content
Case Study
1.4.21

Transforming the impact of human generosity

Supergenerous

How we gave fintech start-up Supergenerous their name, purpose and brand.

Brand Identity
Brand Strategy
Start Up
Fintech
Case Study
1.10.20

Inventing a Category: Club Setter as New Zealand’s First Seltzer

Club Setter

Having seen the wild growth of Seltzer in the U.S. first-hand, we worked with DB Breweries to crack open the market in NZ.

Beverages
Brand Strategy
Corporate
FMCG
NPD
Case Study
10.9.20

Cool & Curious AF

AF Drinks

We’ve been part of the team guiding AF Drinks through their creation, launch and scaling to more than 400 stores across New Zealand and beyond.

Start Up
FMCG
Beverages
Venture Portfolio
Brand Strategy
Case Study
1.9.20

Creating a Seachange

Seachange

How we helped with the pivot and relaunch of the incredible kiwi start-up making hydrofoiling transit seacraft.

Start Up
Tech
Brand Identity
Brand Strategy
Case Study
1.8.20

Telling the story of a breakthrough medical device

The Insides Company

To support The Insides Company’s Series-A round, we created their pitch deck and explainer video.

Start Up
Tech
Medtech
Brand Strategy
Website
Case Study
30.6.20

CGA — The World's Premium Online High School

Crimson Global Academy

Crimson Global Academy is a world-class high school that brings academic excellence together with global opportunity, putting students on an accelerated path toward extraordinary global success.

Brand Identity
Brand Strategy
Communications
Tech
Article
8.6.20

Comfortable in the Uncomfortable

Comfortable in the Uncomfortable by James Hurman

Putting the wrong people on an innovation team can doom it from the outset. The best picks are those who, above all, cope well with ambiguity.

Content
Case Study
1.6.20

A new way of measuring marketing effectiveness

Cannes Lion

In 2020 we developed the Creative Effectiveness Ladder - a marketing effectiveness framework that’s now used by major brands all over the world.

Corporate
NPD
Innovation Strategy
Product Design
Case Study
1.4.20

Backing New Zealand’s Bravest Founders

Icehouse Ventures: Backing Brave

We gave Icehouse Ventures their new brand positioning: Backing Brave

Corporate
Start Up
Brand Strategy
Communications
Case Study
1.3.20

Bringing The Icehouse’s brand to life

The Icehouse: Grit Goes Further

We worked with the Icehouse on their positioning and creating the first assets to bring it to life.

Corporate
Brand Strategy
CX Strategy
Brand Identity
Communications
Case Study
1.2.20

Helping New Zealanders live their best financial life

Become

We worked with Become, a new kind of financial advisory, to communicate and brand their unique all-of-life connected approach to finance, where they aim to be one of the best things to ever happen in a client’s life.

Start Up
Financial Services
Brand Identity
Brand Strategy
Website
Case Study
2.1.20

Odd Company

Odd Company

Sensing a new wave of enthusiasm in the category, we helped DB decode the category and speak to a new generation of drinkers.

Beverages
Packaging
Brand Identity
Corporate
FMCG
Case Study
1.12.19

Better for your mouth and better for the world

Toothcrush

Over 20,000 Kiwis and Aussies now brush with Toothcrush, the sustainable oral care subscription startup we created and launched in just 13 weeks.

Start Up
FMCG
Venture Portfolio
Brand Strategy
Product Design
Case Study
1.5.19

The brand helping boards deliver more impact

BoardPro

BoardPro needed a brand as engaging, dynamic and professional as their company and product. We worked with them to define their UVP, most influential customer and mission, and then created the brand, website and key customer videos that have underpinned years of successful growth in NZ and into Australia.

Start Up
Tech
SAAS
Brand Strategy
Brand Identity
News
1.5.19

The simple story any company can tell

TEDx Auckland

At TEDx Auckland 2019, Previously Unavailable founder James Hurman spoke about the power of storytelling and how start-ups can develop a brand story that’ll accelerate their growth.

Corporate
Start Up
Content
Brand Strategy
Case Study
1.10.18

How we turned brand strategy into a digital product

Storytech

We developed and launched the world’s first digital productisation of the brand strategy process, making it affordable for start-ups and small businesses.

Start Up
Tech
Venture Portfolio
Martech
Brand Strategy
Case Study
1.5.18

Changing plastic for the better

Futurity

We’ve led brand and messaging development for one of New Zealand’s most ambitious bioengineering startups, working to change how plastic products are made, used and recycled.

Biotech
Brand Strategy
Tech
Brand Identity
Website
Case Study
1.2.18

Helping babies and parents sleep better

Growbright

We helped New Zealand’s largest bed manufacturer capture the potential of a novel infant mattress technology and created them a whole new brand and business.

Corporate
Start Up
Brand Strategy
NPD
Product Design
Case Study
1.9.17

Helping launch the world’s first home compostable cling film

Compostic

New Zealanders use enough nasty plastic cling film to wrap the world around the equator twice. We worked with Compostic to launch their brand and world-first home compostable cling wrap.

Start Up
FMCG
Venture Portfolio
Brand Strategy
Brand Identity
Case Study
1.8.17

Taking an NZX50 company direct-to-consumer

Sea to Me

We helped New Zealand’s largest fishery business create and launch a vertically integrated, direct to consumer subscription nutraceutical business.

Corporate
FMCG
Brand Strategy
Innovation Strategy
NPD
Case Study
1.6.17

The other Heineken 0%

Soda Brewery

We developed a unique and compelling non-alcoholic product and brand for Heineken’s global business.

Corporate
FMCG
Beverages
Brand Strategy
Innovation Strategy
Podcast
1.5.17

The podcast championing great NZ business and innovation

Business is Boring

Each week, in association with The Spinoff and Callaghan Innovation, Previously Unavailable partner Simon Pound has interviewed one of New Zealand’s leading innovators. Now beyond its 250th episode, the series has included almost every iconic NZ startup founder and big business change agent.

Content
Start Up
Publication
1.9.16

Tackling the wicked problems of innovation

Big I Little i

Our study of CEOs of 44 of NZ’s largest organsations explores how to overcome the challenges of innovation in corporate environments.

Content
Corporate
Case Study
1.9.16

10x-ing the Hawker Roll

Hawker & Roll

The fast-casual Malaysian restaurant concept we developed for iconic restaurateurs Fleur Caulton and Josh Emett now has five thriving outlets.

Corporate
Hospitality
Brand Strategy
CX Strategy
Innovation Strategy
Case Study
1.7.15

Reinventing the future of Spark

Spark 2025

Spark New Zealand engaged us to imagine the future of their business. Our ‘Spark Life 2025’ film brought the vision to life in high resolution.

Corporate
Telecommunications
Innovation Strategy
CX Strategy
Communications
Case Study
1.11.14

1,000 Tees for 1,000 Women

Breast Cancer Foundation NZ

Each summer, 1000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. To raise money to support those women, we created a unique fundraising initiative.

Corporate
Communications
Innovation Strategy
Case Study
1.8.14

Snacking with a serious story

Serious Popcorn

When Stolen Rum co-founder Roger Holmes created his next startup, we helped create a distinctive brand in a burgeoning category.

Start Up
FMCG
Brand Strategy
Publication
1.7.14

The Coming of Age of a New Auckland

AK2: The Coming of Age of a New Auckland

Our study of the zeitgeist and identity of New Auckland brings together the views of 50 leading Aucklanders.

Content
Corporate
Case Study
1.2.14

The world’s first smoked rum

Stolen Rum

The US product we conceived for Stolen Rum quickly became a cult icon in America, leading to the company’s $21M majority stake sale in 2015.

Beverages
Start Up
FMCG
Brand Strategy
Innovation Strategy