Odd Wins Marketing & Advertising StartUp of the Year at the UK StartUp Awards 2026

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Odd has been named Marketing & Advertising StartUp of the Year at the UK StartUp Awards 2026, recognising the studio's strategic approach to branding, design and website development, as well as its growth from supporting local SMEs to delivering creative projects for global brands.

To be honest, I'm still not entirely sure how to process that sentence.

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Entering felt like a long shot. Being named a finalist felt like a win in itself. And if I'm really honest, I turned up mostly hoping to get a cool photo for social media.

I never expected to be walking away with the award.

The Journey So Far

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When I started Odd, I wanted to build the kind of studio I'd want to work with.

Honest. Strategic. Creative.

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A studio focused on crafting genuinely good branding, visual identities and websites that have a real impact for the businesses behind them, rather than simply making the most noise.

At the time, there wasn't some grand business plan hidden away in a drawer. There wasn't a five-year roadmap or a detailed growth strategy.

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I'd like to say everything that followed was intentional, but the truth is I've been winging it since day one.

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I'm not a businessman.

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I'm just a guy who loves design and genuinely believes it can transform a business when it's done properly.

From Local SMEs to Global Brands

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What started as supporting local SMEs has quickly grown into partnering with global brands and delivering larger-scale branding, design and website projects.

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Some of my earliest projects were for local businesses looking to strengthen their brand and establish a professional online presence, such as StepWise Storage, a growing local SME that needed a brand identity and website capable of supporting its ambitions.

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Over time, those opportunities have grown into larger projects, including work for international brands such as Kingdom Water Gardens, where strategic branding and design played a key role in helping the business communicate its expertise and stand out in a competitive market.

That's probably the part I'm most proud of.

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Not because of the names involved, but because every project has been built on the same principles that Odd started with: honest communication, strategic thinking and a relentless focus on quality.

The scale has changed.

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The values haven't.

What the Judges Saw

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The judges recognised Odd for its honest, distinctive and strategic approach to design, along with the rapid growth the business has achieved along the way.

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To have that journey acknowledged by the UK StartUp Awards means a huge amount.

When you're running a business, most of your time is spent looking forward. Chasing deadlines. Solving problems. Planning the next project. Trying to keep momentum moving in the right direction.

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You rarely stop to look back.

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Awards like this force you to do exactly that.

The Reality of Building a Creative Studio

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Like many founders, I've spent plenty of sleepless nights wondering whether I'm making the right decisions, taking the right risks, or doing enough to build a studio that has any chance of surviving.

Most business owners will probably recognise that feeling.

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The reality behind any award is usually far less glamorous than the photo on stage. It's the late nights, the difficult decisions, the rejected proposals, the projects that don't go to plan, and the constant feeling that you're figuring things out as you go.

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I guess that's why moments like this matter.

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They give you an opportunity to pause, reflect, and appreciate how far you've come.

Thank You

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A huge thank you to every client who has trusted me with their brand, every partner who has supported me, and everyone who has recommended Odd, shared my work, or simply followed the journey.

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Odd wouldn't exist without you.

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And while this award is a milestone I'm incredibly proud of, it doesn't change the mission.

The goal remains exactly the same as it was on day one:

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To help ambitious businesses stand out through strategic branding, thoughtful design and websites that work as hard as they do.

Looking for Branding, Design or Website Support?

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Whether you're launching a new business, refreshing an existing brand, or investing in a new website, strategic design can have a huge impact on how your business is perceived and remembered.

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From local SMEs to international organisations, Odd helps ambitious businesses build brands that connect with the right audience and create lasting impressions.

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Recent projects include branding and website work for businesses like StepWise Storage and Penny Freedom, alongside larger-scale international projects such as Kingdom Water Gardens.

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If you're planning a branding, design or website project and would like to discuss how Odd can help, I'd love to hear your story. Becuase life is too short for ordinary.