Fanaticism.
On a global scale.

Crate-digging music heads in Tokyo. Online video obsessives in Mexico City. Cosplaying comic nerds in Berlin. Sore-thumbed gamers in L.A. who promise to sleep just as soon as they complete this level. All at your service.

Welcome to 1021 Creative.
Our band of carefully vetted and trained pop-culture freaks apply their knowledge and intuition to your content, metadata, and algorithms. The results include playlists, posts, and improved algorithmic recommendations, all delivered on-time, on-budget, and up to your highest standards.

FACT: The corpus callosum holds the right (intuitive) and left (analytical) hemispheres of the brain together, communicating and coordinating impulses from one side to the other. So does 1021 Creative.

1021 Creative on Twitter
1021's creative brain
I rely on 1021 Creative when we need to move quickly on big and small projects. Their ability to identify high quality experts in an array of fields and locations has made them a key partner.
Kevin Allocca, Head of Culture & Trends, YouTube

Our Clients

You know their names. We've got their numbers.

Our corporate ethics (and their NDAs) prevent us from saying exactly what we do for our biggest clients, but we are allowed to proudly drop their names.

We work closely with each of them, within their systems, and even within their offices, offering a turnkey ability to launch new products, expand into new territories, and scale existing initiatives in ways that are efficient, affordable, and effective.


Amazon
Harper Collins
YouTube
B M G
Comixology
Rhino
The Harvey Awards
Keith Richards
I'm singing your praises across the organization so I think that's a good sign we are happy with your work!
HarperCollins, Sr. Director, Digital

Our Approach

Art + Algorithms = 1021

Yes, we're compassionate artists, DJs, writers, musicians, and collectors. But our approach to curation and content marketing values technology and metadata as much as taste and talent. We balance art with algorithms and use real-world data to create experiences that build trust, build revenues, and build brands.

"Machinery that gives us abundance has left us in want"

We've learned first-hand to value the insights and scalability that data and algorithms can offer, and we've worked with them enough to know that they need constant care and feeding to work well. 1021 Creative's team can work with your data to clean it up and add the kind of context, intuitive spark, and editorial nuance that other humans connect with (and that can't be replicated by artificial intelligence ... yet).

Our Skills

Curation

From the video that starts a conversation to the song that changes a life, we can put your best content in front of the people just waiting to discover it.

Social Media

When your brand meets our writers, curators, and culture calendar things start to click.

Consulting

Digital strategy, editorial direction, algorithm training, or metadata cleanup. We know what it takes to make programming feel passionate.

Product Development

Physical packages or digital experiences: Show us your archive. We'll do the rest.

We have established a relationship with 1021 that extends into product development, design, archival curation, marketing, and consulting. 1021 Creative helped us unlock new and creative ways of reaching and satisfying the most dedicated fans from our legendary catalog.
Michael Kachko, Senior VP of Catalog, BMG

Global Reach

All around the world or just down the hall.

Need a music curator in Korea? We're there. How about a team in Mexico to make sure your personalization algorithms are bueno? We got one. Want to keep some 1021ers on-site? Done. With more than 80 pop-culture preachers working in 15 different countries, 1021 Creative is wherever you need us to be, able to scale up for one-off projects or long-term initiatives.

Our team members live all over the world.

Our Team

Click a region. Meet who's there.

Our Network

Everyone's got opinions. We've got experts.

None of us knows everything, so we're constantly bringing new folks into the fold who can hit whichever corner of pop-culture fandom you're looking to reach, in whatever language they speak. Our ever-expanding, worldwide network of experts is sourced, screened, and trained to balance their own deep knowledge with the wisdom of the crowd and the most relevant data available.

Find 'Em

Creators, producers, DJs, bloggers . . . no matter the skill, no matter the country, we track down experts you need.

Vet 'Em

It's not enough to say you know your stuff. We interview and test every candidate to assess their expertise, professionalism, and ability to work within each project's parameters.

Lock 'Em Down

NDAs, tax forms, budgets, schedules, terms and conditions. We make sure everyone is qualified, legal, and ready to get started.

Train 'Em

Brand guidelines. Editorial style. Delivery format. We make sure everyone working on your project knows exactly what you want and exactly how you need it done.

Our Process

Stop. Collaborate and Listen.

We ask a lot of questions. Get used to it. Our curiosity is a constant. We want to learn everything we can about your company, its goals, what data matters to you and why. We want your feedback and your reactions. And once we put something out into the world we start asking questions all over again to measure its impact . . . and your satisfaction.

FACT: Only after spending three weeks on the set of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Secret Of The Ooze, did Vanilla Ice say he learned the "true meaning" of the Ninja Turtles.


Explore

Let's dig into who you are, what you want to accomplish, and what 1021 needs to do to get you there.

Enact

It's go time. We assemble the team, set up the workflow, and turn 'em loose.

Evaluate

How is the work being received? What did the audience think? What did YOU think? What do the metrics tell us? Where can we improve?

Repeat

Take everything we've learned back to the team and start over that much smarter.



FACT: Only after spending three weeks on the set of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Secret Of The Ooze, did Vanilla Ice say he learned the "true meaning" of the Ninja Turtles.




Our Culture

Many voices, but we all speak geek.

True stories: Our finances are managed by someone who flew to London for a Kate Bush show and chased down Noel Gallagher in a hotel bar. We also have a former record producer on staff who collects vintage synthesizers even though he's got plug-ins that perfectly replicate their sound. Then there's our climate change warrior whose commitment to the cause inspired one of our clients to launch an international initiative. 1021 Creative encourages all of it and more, knowing that when our team is free to indulge their passions, everybody reaps the rewards.

FACT: One of our founders had a recurring role on a nerd-worthy NBC sitcom. Buy him a soda and he might just tell you which one.