Here’s Why That Matters
Too many agencies take the easy way out.
They hop on the call, nod vigorously, and say YES to every iffy client idea.
It works until it stops working, when those “small” tweaks add up to steer the project in a completely different direction.
Honest feedback is tricky to come to terms with today, especially on the receiving end. The honest-to-goodness truth is Mudge’s policy of radical honesty was born out of love, transparency, and a mutual respect for fantastic work.
Mudge is an agency that doesn’t do business with bullshit. We’re here to do the kind of work that works. And that means we’re going to be honest with you.
The sweet spot in producing exceptional work comes from a client-agency relationship built on trust and honesty. Killer creative sure doesn’t hurt, though.
We don’t tell clients what they want to hear. Is it uncomfortable telling someone paying you money that their idea might tank the message – and the brand? Hell yeah, it’s uncomfortable! Radical honesty makes the best creative, which cannot come to fruition without discomfort.
Know what’s even less comfortable? Putting your name on a product you’re lukewarm about that disappears into obscurity. It’s going to be the last thing you think about on your deathbed. Our agency’s #1 goal is to build the type of strategic partnership with our clients that creates meaningful, memorable work.
We don’t phone it in, so we challenge assumptions, ask hard questions, and speak up when something isn’t working.
Groupthink doesn’t grow brands
Saying “we push back” in a business based on service might feel counterintuitive, but for us, that sort of radical honesty is part of the process. Challenging an idea that’s off-track shouldn’t be perceived as a flex or the result of undiagnosed Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Instead, it must be viewed as a strategic recommendation from informed experts. With more than two decades of combined experience across the Mudge team, we’ve seen just as many brands blow up with wild success ao s we’ve watched sputter to a dead halt.
This stuff isn’t based on gut instinct, either – a study in Harvard Business Review once found that top-performing teams aren’t the ones who always agree, but the ones where people feel safe enough to speak up—even when it’s uncomfortable. That kind of psychological safety leads to better collaboration, stronger ideas, and ultimately, better business results.
On the CPG superhighway, where shelf space is limited and everyone’s next great idea is mere months away, brands are speeding with reckless abandon towards retail and Amazon listings. Unlike the real superhighways filled with weary-eyed podcast junkies, brands simply cannot play by the rules to get ahead. You want Mad Max lawlessness? Go to the grocery store!
Push back, push forward
One of the most notorious examples of what can go wrong when creative teams don’t challenge a brief—or operate in an echo chamber—is the 2017 Kendall Jenner Pepsi commercial. Stop – don’t Google it. I’ll give you the Cliff’s Notes version: Kendall Jenner solves racism with Pepsi.
The ad attempted to tap into themes of social activism. Instead, it was widely criticized for trivializing protest movements and co-opting serious cultural issues for commercial gain. The imagery of Jenner handing a can of Pepsi to a police officer during a protest scene sparked immediate backlash. People accused Pepsi of co-opting protest imagery to sell soda (which they did), and the internet lit up with criticism. It felt tone-deaf, out of touch, and – honestly – kinda baffling that it got made in the first place.
Part of the problem is that it came from Pepsi’s in-house content studio, Creators League. No outside agency. No fresh perspective. No one to say, “Hey, maybe a soda company shouldn’t comment on police brutality.” According to The New York Times, Pepsi pulled the spot within 24 hours and apologized, saying they “missed the mark. Adweek later confirmed what many suspected—there wasn’t much external input on the campaign.
When everyone’s too close to the work—or too eager to just get something out the door—it’s easy to miss the blind spots. Sometimes, the most valuable thing a creative partner can do is ask hard questions. Challenge the brief. Bring in a different lens. Not to be difficult, but to strengthen the work and protect the brand from costly mistakes.
It’s not always comfortable. But it’s almost always worth it.
Kind candor means better collaboration.
Our goal is never to derail a project—it is to protect, nurture, and elevate it to glory. That means we don’t push back without offering a solution. We ask better questions, knowing they will contribute to unearthing a better idea.
The internal culture at Mudge is no different: kind candor to foster an environment allowing open, productive disagreement without ego. It’s the same posture we bring to our client relationships. When we disagree, we do it with clarity, respect, and full alignment on the goals we’re all trying to reach.
Our best client relationships are where we can both say “no” and not lose momentum—instead, we gain clarity.
If we don’t speak up, the market will. CPG brands live or die by first impressions; packaging needs to communicate at a glance, and campaigns need to convert in seconds. Products need to move off shelves, not just garner awards. In this environment, honest feedback becomes a strategic advantage. If something isn’t going to resonate with shoppers, if the claims don’t hold up, or if the design blends in rather than stands out, we’ll say so.
The truth is out there
Some brands want an agency that’ll nod along and play it safe. Honey, that ain’t us. We are all in on honest conversation — even when it gets uncomfortable. Tension is a natural part of the creative process, not something to avoid. For the many clients in our roster who preach a no-B.S. approach to ingredients and sourcing, aligning on radical honesty means the final product you can take pride in.
In a noisy market, forgettable work isn’t just a missed opportunity—it’s a risk. Still don’t believe us? Just ask Erik from Farmwell.
“Working with Kelly, Kristen, and the Mudge team was an incredible experience. What set them apart wasn’t just their creativity – which was off the charts – but their honesty and commitment to excellence. They didn’t just tell us what we wanted to hear—they told us what we needed to hear. When something wasn’t working, they pushed back in the best way possible, guiding us toward stronger decisions rather than settling for something that wouldn’t hold up.
Their passion and attention to detail carried through to the very end of the project. It wasn’t about checking a box—it was about making sure every last element was right. Their dedication to delivering nothing less than their absolute best made all the difference, and we couldn’t be more grateful. If you want a team that’s not only talented but also deeply invested in getting it right, Mudge is it. We are incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to work with them and would highly recommend to anyone.” – Erik Ramstad, Founder, Farmwell