ON A DAILY BASIS celebrates 12.5th anniversary: It starts with passion

After 12.5 years, ON A DAILY BASIS is an established agency, but at the same time an underdog. And that should stay that way, says founder Yonah van Andel. What started as a passionate music blog in an attic has grown into a desk that literally sits “among the greats” on Leidseplein. The mission: “We want to live in a world where brands inspire. And that's why we're creating it,” says Yonah.

ODB didn't start out as an agency that wanted to make a lot of money. The creative agency has grown organically, with a passion for music as its main fuel. Good things take time, and that includes building a brand for a new generation. 12.5 years ago, ODB (to be) was still a music blog for music lovers between 16 and 24 years old. Hence the name ON A DAILY BASIS: they blogged about music and lifestyle every day. That network led the music blog to do more than just blog, such as organizing parties and club nights. “Nightlife is the networking event for creatives,” says Yonah.

From underdog to established agency

That organizational talent led ODB to supervise creative talent. “Leading creative talent is a real skill, but it wasn't a sustainable business model at the time,” says Yonah. But it was a lot of fun to do. It also ensured that ODB's already no small creative network continued to grow, which still benefits the agency today. From young people, for young people, because ODB focused mainly on Gen Z and Millennials at the time.

In 2024, the transformation from music blog to marketing agency is completely complete. ODB now works with major brands such as the KNVB, National Postcode Lottery and ASICS. In addition, the network of the past has proved invaluable: contact with the KNVB or ID&T, for example, was established via via and the recent campaign with the National Postcode Lottery in collaboration with The New Originals could be set up by having a favor factor. With our years of experience and strategic advice, we can really help brands to keep growing and remain relevant in a dynamic market.

The brand's creative partner in crime

After 12.5 years, passion is still the foundation of ODB. But with those 12.5 years of experience in the back pocket, the target group has become a little more nuanced. The pay-off was “We sync brands with the new generation”, but thanks to all the lessons over the years, it has now become “We help brands pioneer for a new generation”. A subtle but crucial difference, according to Yonah. “We help brands stay relevant to a new generation and provide both strategic and practical advice. We not only help young people to engage, but also to rejuvenate brands in their brand expressions, which is essential for the long term. Brands need to adapt to stay relevant, with their DNA as the driving force. This requires a deep understanding of both the brand and the target group. We don't work for a brand that we don't understand. How can you create something beautiful if you don't understand the brand and the target group? It's not for nothing that it says “We're fans of the brands we work with” on our wall. We are also going for the long term. “We don't run one-off projects, we build brands as creative partners,” says Yonah.

Yonah: “We do things out of passion and our customers feel that. A brand is emotion and has a responsibility. With the current strategy, we believe we can continue to build big brands that not only make an impact, but also contribute to our mission to live in a world where brands inspire. To achieve this, we split the company into specialized service departments for brand development, creative campaigns and social content. This structure allows us to develop specialists in every domain, so that we can truly be 'the brand's creative partner in crime' for major brands. We currently have a permanent team of 20 and are really creating a 'gift culture' together, to develop each other. We embrace each other's differences.

Leidseplein as home base

With the ODB HQ in the middle of Leidseplein, we literally position ourselves where it happens. This location is not only fun, but also emotionally helps us in the corporate culture to “see what's going on”. We stay true to our roots by organizing our own initiatives, such as the ODB Radio events in the ADAM Tower, our participation in ADNIGHT and various partnerships. By doing so, we stay engaged with the creative community and can continue to share our expertise and vision for building brands for a new generation. Right within our own DNA. On to the next anniversary!”