What if I told you that a single creative studio was behind the marketing for the PGA of America, the Smithsonian Institution raising $1.88 billion (the most in history for a cultural institution), the capture of stories in 28 countries in one day for Starbucks,, and Disney’s Women in Film program in addition to dozens of other diverse, top-line global brands?
Ideas United (iU) is a full-scale creative studio with a global Community led by a core team headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. They were founded on the idea that everyone has a story to tell, bringing the stories of big name brands, universities, and nonprofits to life through content, campaigns, and experiences that range from social media and commercials to hybrid events and original content.
“Our purpose and passion at Ideas United has always been to create for a better future by changing the way stories are told,” says David Roemer, co-founder and CEO of iU. “From the conception of the company almost two decades ago to the present, we’ve found a magical balance. Between our exceptional full-time team members and our global community of creators, we get the opportunity to tell stories like no one else – full of different passions, expertise, backgrounds, and geographic locations. We are able to provide our partners – leading brands, nonprofits, and platforms alike – with the highest level of quality and consistency collaborating with thousands of diverse storytelling talents ranging from writing to directing to animation to music composition and more.”
iU works on a truly decentralized, progressive model that allows them to take an unconventional approach. By finding and fostering top talent for twenty years, iU has built a network of 3,500 diverse storytellers working alongside over 50 in-house creatives. Together they’ve been able to share stories across 50 states and over 60 countries around the world – all from right here in Atlanta.
This network is iU Community: a collective of producers, directors, designers, art directors, writers, ideators, editors, strategists, composers, web developers, data analysts, and everyone in between. By providing high quality, professional creatives with real income opportunities from trusted, established brands and fast, fair pay, they’re able to pull leading talent at the drop of a hat for any content, experience, or campaign an organization could ask for. And their approach benefits the creators themselves, too.
iU unifies and coordinates everything through a strong core team rooted in a historically revitalized structure, known as GlenCastle. The building is more than 125 years old, and the iU studio lives on the third floor, with 13,500 square feet overlooking the Grant Park area with stunning views across downtown and midtown.
If you name it, iU can create it: a fundraising campaign, an event (whether virtual, in-person, or social hybrid events on their interactive Commons platform), a commercial, a feature film. Any creative need an organization has can source professionals from the global iU Community with the expert management, creative, and quality control of the Core team. With a focus on DEI and such a large and diverse pool of talent, iU can match the best creators to a brand in a unique partnership that brings out the best in both.
iU started with Campus Movie Fest, the world’s largest student film festival founded by four Emory University students who expanded their scope into what iU is today. While still running the annual festival, the studio has grown up, partnering with some of the most influential organizations in the world, such as Brightwell, Fisher-Price, Realtor, the Weather Channel, YouTube, Everytown for Gun Safety, Adobe, NCAA, and more.
Since the turn of the millennium, iU has built an expansive, ever-growing network of the most influential emerging creatives in the world, allowing their partners instant access to top talent. They pride themselves on telling stories — not just their own, but those of the people and organizations working to make a positive impact. They’ve managed to do so in an industry-shaking, game-changing way that makes a win-win for everyone involved — and in the process, they’re changing the way stories are told.
