Award-winning creative leader Justin Drape has opened Creativity & Commerce, positioned as a 'professional practice' rather than an agency, studio, or consultancy, likened to that of a medical or law practice, offering experience, objectivity, and results.

Creativity & Commerce has already established partnerships with a range of businesses and brands, such as The Many, Emotive, Bullfrog, Marriott Luxury Collection, Intercontinental Hotel Group, and Millennium Hotels through T3 Media.

It has also hit the ground running with Movember and Gillette, featuring Australian Cricket Captain Pat Cummins, in partnership with The Many and Wellcom.

Drape stated, "We exist to help clients see creativity not as a cost, but as a critical investment."

"The two cultural forces of creativity and commerce influence our lives daily, yet their pairing still struggles to be taken seriously in most boardrooms, in policy and in classrooms. Too often they are thought of or utilised separately: left brain/right brain, logic/emotion or sandpit/spreadsheet," he added.

Embedded in the new venture will be Exceptional Alien, an international travel platform that curates recommendations through the lens of global creative talent.

Drape, who co-founded The Monkeys (now known as Droga5), which was acquired by Accenture Interactive, has won over 500 creative awards. His work is featured in The Guinness Book of Records and the National Library of Australia, and he was inducted into the AWARD Hall of Fame in 2024.

He highlighted the importance of creativity in the modern world, stating, "Creativity is the critical skill for people and organisations to innovate, compete, adapt and succeed in a world where AI will play a main character role. And creativity will continue to be a defining skill and competitive advantage so it’s crucial for people and businesses to understand its power and how to commercialise it."

Drape concludes, "Clients engage us when they need proven creative experience and commercial acumen in an ally who can think beyond the limitations of advertising."

"And when I say ‘us’ or ‘we’, I’m referring to the diverse talent I can bring to every project. We won’t pitch for business. We don’t do ‘cheap and cheerful’, and we only take on challenges with clear commercial intent," he said.