CEO and co-founder Patrik Thelin contemplates WeThink’s global output

The other day I got to thinking – the world is chock-full of ways to approach being creative, what sets WeThink apart from the rest? I’d argue it’s the tool we’ve spent a decade perfecting: the Nordic mindset. Taking inspiration from our Scandinavian surroundings, Nordic thinking seeps into all our creative and digital communication solutions.

But what is the Nordic mindset? To answer that, we might look towards the well-known Scandinavian exports: furniture, toys, art, architecture, sustainable living methods, to name a few. These products shape our view of Nordic thinking; seeing the elegance in a simple form of creativity, one that exudes modernism while evoking nostalgia. It pushes boundaries, but it’s also practical and self-aware.

For most of the ten years WeThink has existed, Ghita Holst (my fellow co-founder) and I have been focused strategically on establishing our agency in the Nordic market. But lots has changed for us – after our first overseas client and campaign in 2019, we spent the pandemic exploring the potential of extending our reach outside the Nordics. And so far, it’s been a success! The strong relationships we’ve built with our many global partners are a testament to that.

It was through feedback from our global partners that I realised our special approach to communication solutions was powered by the Nordic mindset. In discussion with our creative director Thomas Bo Nielsen, we found that our unspoken philosophy is to put the idea first, meaning function comes before form. That may seem like a simple mantra to follow, but it’s exactly what makes our process special. Through always keeping in mind the story we’re setting out to tell, we allow that initial idea to shape our methods of storytelling, rather than the other way round. We work with insights in an analytical approach to ensure authenticity and relevance, ultimately capturing that elegant simplicity iconic of the Nordic way of doing things through creative precision.

Based in a country that thrives off the export market, I see this agency as exporting a product of our own; Nordic-inspired creative solutions for our clients’ communication needs. Specialising in the export of our Nordic mindset has led us to success with 70% of our work happening outside of Denmark – in the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland and Spain. And in some cases, clients have gone global with WeThink, letting us take charge of their creative and digital marketing strategies worldwide. Although our hardworking team hails from multiple walks of life, we come together to keep our export of Nordic thinking up and running, ready to take on new challenges from all over the world.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you’re interested in learning more about our Nordic mindset, and perhaps how it can help you.