Nick Eagleton at Goafest: On Branding, AI, Creativity, and the Power of Play

There Are Two Types of People at Creative Festivals

The ones who walk in with LinkedIn confidence and cocktails of charisma…
And the ones who enter quietly observant, grounded, and curious.

Me? I’m unapologetically the second type.

At Goafest 2025, surrounded by energy, ambition, and a blur of bold introductions, I didn’t feel the need to announce myself. I chose to notice. Because honestly, that’s where creativity lives not in knowing, but in wondering.

What Happens When You Lead with Curiosity?

I don’t walk into a room trying to dominate it. I walk in wanting to understand it.

I think the way we listen matters. I try to pay attention not just to answers, but to the questions behind them. And that’s not a talent it’s a practice.

Whenever I travel alone, I set myself a small challenge: ask one deep question to a stranger. Not just small talk but something real. That habit keeps me grounded, connected, and, most importantly, curious.

It keeps my ideas fresh not because I’m chasing trends, but because I’m listening to people. That’s where insight lives.

What Do I Really Think About AI?

AI? It’s the world’s fastest intern.

It can churn out words, images, even strategies in seconds. But it still can’t tell you which idea is good. It has no taste. No context. No instinct.

I believe the value of a creative isn’t in the speed of production it’s in the discernment. The judgment. The taste. That’s what we bring to the table.

Machines might have answers. But they still don’t know the question.

Can a Six-Year-Old Sell Insurance?

Yes. And I’ve seen it happen.

I worked on a campaign for AXA where, instead of preaching road safety to adults, we had children deliver the message.

When a little voice from the backseat says, “Slow down, Daddy,” even the most reckless driver pauses. It wasn’t logic it was love. It wasn’t information it was emotion.

That shift in perspective taught me something valuable: the best ideas often come when we stop trying to solve problems and start seeing them differently.

What’s the Real Meaning of a Brand?

Most people obsess over the surface the logo, the font, the palette. But I think the real power of a brand is in what people feel when they hear its name.

I once asked my daughter, “What comes to mind when you hear ‘Nintendo’?” She didn’t think long. She just said, “Fun.” That said everything.

Design is important, yes. But meaning that’s everything. That’s the emotion people carry. And that’s what I try to create.

Are Clients Really Paying for Our Time?

No. They’re paying for our taste.

The number of hours I spend on something? That’s irrelevant. What matters is whether it’s right. Whether it works. Whether it makes someone feel something.

At my new creative studio, Saboteur, we’ve built everything around that belief. There are no job titles. Just a flat structure, a team of people solving problems with their brains, not their egos.

It’s not about being faster. It’s about being sharper.

Why Do the Best Creatives Ask the Best Questions?

Because that’s where the magic begins.

AI might have all the answers. But we still know how to ask the better, stranger, deeper questions.

That’s our edge. Our art. Our responsibility.

I may not have all the answers. But I’m never afraid to ask the one question that could change the entire room.