Interview
United States
Love Street & Company, founded in LA and now working remotely worldwide, is run by three friends creating standout work for Nike and others, aiming to shift marketing from chasing clicks to building lasting brand connections.
1 Congratulations on your achievements in the MUSE Creative Awards! Could you start by introducing yourself or your agency? Can you also share a bit about your journey into your current industry?
We are Love Street & Company, a small creative studio founded in LA and now operating remotely on an international scale. Run by three friends who share a common heritage, we create incredible work for Nike and other brands and agencies. Love Street was founded with the goal of shifting marketing away from chasing short-term clicks across the internet toward creating work that resonates with people, fostering genuine connections so brands are celebrated and businesses thrive long term.
2 What inspired you to submit your work for this competition, and what does winning mean to you personally and professionally?
We were tapped to rebrand Western Union from top to bottom, and it was a labor of love. In our three-year partnership, we touched nearly every channel of the brand—from digital product to retail and social media—and brand voice naturally became part of that. We believe this body of work was the most memorable and game-changing for the audience they serve. The work stayed true to their audience—immigrants who send remittances—and to current mediums like short-form video, Instagram, and TikTok. Winning something makes all the hard work, difficult conversations, and fun memories so worth it.
3 Can you share the story behind your success? What inspired its creation, and what do you feel it represents in today’s industry?
This work succeeded because we embedded ourselves with our clients—becoming an extension of both their team and their customer insights group. Everything starts and ends with the customer, so as part of our broader brand and social strategy, we searched for the connective tissue that could unite immigrants from all continents and walks of life through a shared online experience. By hiring global cultural consultants and creatives with immigrant backgrounds, we brought a fresh voice to an audience often overlooked by major brands—especially in financial services. And again, kudos to our clients for letting us play in the social media sandbox, experimenting with what works, what doesn’t, and iterating from there.
4 What do you believe set your project apart in such a competitive field? Were there specific elements or strategies that made it shine?
We changed the narrative for an audience that is often pandered to, misrepresented, or—at worst—demonized. By focusing on financial education and entertainment, we aimed to add real value to their channels rather than simply pushing out promotional content, as many brands do. Humor played a big role in lightening the mood and creating connection, and our cultural consultants helped shape content with IYKYK nods to immigrant life.
5 Every project has its challenges. Can you share a significant obstacle you faced during this process and how you overcame it?
When we started, Western Union’s audience consisted mostly of bots, trolls, or disgruntled one-time users. Sentiment was extremely low, with engagement being negative. To turn this around, we had to find new audiences—and to do that, we implemented a radically different, distributed content model, alongside securing approval for boosted budgets that proved highly effective in attracting new audiences and driving positive engagement.
6 Winning an award of this caliber often brings recognition. What do you hope this achievement will mean for your career, your team, or your agency in the long run? Have you already noticed any changes or opportunities arising from this recognition?
We love working with underdogs and challenger brands, and we hope this work inspires other legacy brands—or those hesitant about brand building and taking risks—to experiment more, take social a little less seriously, and trust creative teams to do what they do best.
7 What has the reaction been from clients, audiences, or stakeholders about your winning entry? Any feedback or memorable moments that stand out?
General happiness, nothing too wild. There was already a sense of pride and accomplishment—this was just the cherry on top.
8 For those aspiring to achieve similar success, what advice would you offer to help them not only thrive in their industries but also craft compelling, award-worthy entries? Are there specific practices, mindsets, or strategies you believe are key?
- Embrace experimentation: Whether that’s how you work (cultural advisers, in-house teams), emerging technology, or testing and learning throughout the process. - Take a beat to do insights: Whether that’s deep research or hitting up friends that represent your audience. Talk to real people, understand what motivates them, entertains them, excites them. - Don’t be too scared: Take a few risks and try new things (constantly). Especially on the client side – give creative teams some freedom to experiment.
9 The creative industry is constantly evolving. How do you view these changes, and where do you hope to position yourself in the future?
Technology and AI are here but they are merely tools to help us reach greatness, not the greatness itself. We’ll always be an insights-driven, design-focused agency that believes in brand and storytelling. Our positioning won’t change even if our toolkit does.
10 Entering awards can be daunting for many, especially those just starting out. What would you say to individuals who have limited experience, or are hesitant to showcase their work in competitions? How can they build confidence and see the value in participating?
It never hurts to try. Doing the intake work might help you see your work in a different light. Even if you don’t win, having a case study, press kit, or similar materials with some perspective on the work itself is valuable regardless.
11 Creativity thrives on community. What message would you like to share with fellow creatives, marketers, and advertising professionals?
We’re here to collaborate! In these ever-changing times, we like to think of ourselves as a broader creative collective, not just doing client service work but also incubating our own brands, experiences, and services.
12 Winning is a team effort in many cases. Is there someone or a group of people you’d like to dedicate this achievement to, and why?
The team — Fernanda Soria, Amine el Filali, Kelsey Wilkins, Raffi Torres, and Cristina Tartaro — are the real MVPs.
13 If you could describe your award-winning entry in one sentence, what would it be and why?
We made entertaining financial content in a social-first way for a population that deserves better treatment in this country.
14 Finally, what’s next for you? Any exciting projects or upcoming goals that you’d like to share with us and the audience?
Love Street is open for new clients, big and small, while we work on some passion projects, take care of our kids and our health, and build our dream home in Mexico.
Entrant Company
Love Street & Company
Category
Social Media - Financial Services
Entrant Company
Love Street & Company
Category
Social Media - Social Media Redesign (NEW)