Grit & Pearl has launched as a new global creative agency formed by Trident’s Creative Leadership team. The agency brings together entrepreneurial thinking and decades of global, award-winning creative expertise to support brands operating in an increasingly complex international marketplace.
As an independent agency, Grit & Pearl has been designed to operate with the flexibility of a startup while maintaining the capability to deliver strategic creative solutions for some of the world’s most influential brands. Leadership of the agency sits with Rob Roach, whose career spans senior roles at The Kraft Heinz Company and LPK.
“Brand Managers need creative partners who push beyond the expected without completely losing sight of what the brand stands for. They need a team brave enough to go far but seasoned enough to lead the way.”
The agency is proud to work with global organisations including SC Johnson, Procter & Gamble, and Unilever, and has played a role in shaping well-known brands such as Dove Men+Care, Grant’s, Popsicle, Glade, and Gain.
According to Rob, the creation of Grit & Pearl marks a natural progression of the creative work developed under Trident, while providing the opportunity to approach brand challenges with renewed focus and perspective.
Grit & Pearl’s Creative Leadership team has been building and shaping the world’s most iconic brands for their entire careers. The creative leadership team is comprised of:
- El Matanguihan, an industry influencer with successful tenures at Nice and Marks, will lead creative efforts as Creative Director of APAC.
- Antony Smith, an Equator alum with a passion for visual storytelling, will guide the European creative team as Creative Director, Europe.
- Chantelle Gatton, a consumer-packaged goods expert with experience building wellness and personal care brands, will oversee creative pursuits as Creative Director of the Americas.
With operations spanning Europe, Asia, and North America, Grit & Pearl partners with both multinational brands and ambitious regional startups. The agency’s approach is defined by its global structure and its commitment to uncovering insights that differentiate brands in competitive markets.
By reducing reliance on traditional administrative layers and integrating technology where appropriate, Grit & Pearl ensures that creative excellence remains at the heart of its offering.
“Many global agencies are mired in layers of unnecessary and costly support. We utilise technology in spaces where excessive administrative support is necessary so that our greatest investment matches that of our clients, the creative. Technology absolutely plays a role in creative development today; however, that visceral and passionate response to the expression of a brand. That takes soul. And this team has it in spades.”
Grit & Pearl is a strategic creative agency delivering brand and design solutions, supported by a state-of-the-art prototyping and product sampling facility that enables end-to-end digital and physical creative development.
