Why reframing the ad agency-client relationship can help creativity

Sticks and stones may hurt your bones but words can also really hurt sometimes, ya know?

Words matter, like a nasty glance that lingers. They shape perceptions, influence behaviors and affect emotional well-being. More specifically, we know that name-calling in personal relationships, schoolyards or the workplace has a real impact, messing with our minds and how we connect with each other. And let’s be honest, some of us never grew up so now this has crept into the world of advertising, where impersonal terms such as the client subtly (or not so subtly) reflect a vibe of tension and a friction bound relationship.

“The client, ugh. What do they want? More changes? More rationale? More testing? More versions? Bigger logo? Less funny? More free work? More meetings!?”

Don’t get this wrong. The evolution of "the client" from a straightforward descriptor — someone receiving services — to a phrase laced with frustration or negativity is easy to understand. Over time, passed down stories and shared experiences mutated that term to embody the worst challenges and conflicts that often arise in professional relationships. And yeah, some clients do seem to fit the stereotypical mold of “the client” at its worst. We have all experienced human-emotional-vacuums forcing a one-sided relationship and maybe some of us have even found ourselves up late at night thinking, “Who do these people think they are?”

This raises an intriguing question: Did these humans exhibit such behaviors before being labeled "the client," or did they begin to conform to the expectations and attitudes shaped by the label itself? Have they simply gone mad with power? Or maybe clients are just a product of their environment? 

I don’t know. I’m a creative, not a psychologist. I walked into my first day at Bandits & Friends thinking “this is going to be just like any other agency with any other clients,” and while I may or may not have actually said that out loud, I do remember one of the agency’s founders — Courtney, David or Danny — reminding me that “we call our clients ‘friends’ here.” I nearly caused myself permanent damage rolling my eyes back that far. Friends? Are we serious about that? 

Indeed we are.

I have learned, with a lot of trial and error, through my career to keep expectations within moderation so as not to hurt myself. I don’t expect the first edit to be instantly approved. I don’t expect holding companies to care about me. And I definitely didn’t expect any clients to fit into my definition of what I deem a “friend.” But here I was being asked to try reframing years and years of habit and expectations with a very simple and easy change of words. 

At first, it did seem really immature. We are in a business relationship with these people. This is a transaction and they are employed at that brand and I am employed at this agency. They need ideas and I need money — so we deal with each other. 

Reflecting on my career and this change of phrase, it dawned on me that along the way I had accidentally met some really kind people. The kind of people that made me want to do better. The kind of people that bought a crazy idea and together we created something that was amazing for the both of us. And if I really thought about it, I had actually already met a few kinds of people labeled “the client” who were also “friends.” 

It would be fun to say that, like the Grinch, my heart grew three sizes too large upon this realization but it didn’t. The truth is, it’s actually very rare that we use the words the client in our day-to-day lives. But on the occasion that it pops up and we instead use the word friends, it reminds me that we are in this together and that both sides of this relationship matter. 

We are celebrating each other’s success and we are providing unwavering support during challenges. There is a kind of trust in friends that lets us communicate more openly and resolve conflicts constructively. This isn’t always soft or nice and sometimes somebody still gets their feelings hurt. After all, a good friend tells you the truth when others won’t and that is better than a sharp stick to the eye.

So far what I’ve learned at Bandits & Friends isn’t just about rephrasing a term — it’s about reshaping a mindset. This isn’t about sugarcoating reality or pretending every relationship will be perfect, but words do have the power to soften hard edges, foster collaboration and turn tension into trust. Calling our clients “friends” may have started as a simple exercise in reframing, but over time, this has become something more meaningful. It’s a reminder to look at the human beings on the other side of the table. These aren’t faceless forces demanding more revisions or endless meetings — they’re people navigating their own pressures and challenges, just like us.

Rob McQueen is the group creative director of Bandits & Friends.