The world doesn't need another brand that maintains the status quo. It needs brands with gumption to challenge it. It needs disruptors, visionaries and innovators who look at an industry and see a better way forward.
These are the challenger brands. And we are the agency built to tell their story.
At Sling & Stone, “challenger thinking” isn't just a service we offer; it's our entire operating system. It’s in our name, our values, and the work we do every single day. We understand that for a challenger, PR and marketing isn't about noise - it's about making a tangible impact, changing perceptions, and delivering real business results.
Here’s why our challenger mindset is the difference-maker for the brands shaping our future.
Being a challenger isn't about your market share; it's about your mindset. A challenger brand is any brand, regardless of size or age, that is actively working to disrupt its industry, change conventions, and create a better future. They are defined by their ambition, not their budget.
Challengers are the ones who say no to the status quo: They exist to enact change, not to uphold old ways of thinking. They have a clear point of view: They stand for something and aren't afraid to tell stories that are provocative and purpose-driven. They are relentlessly focused on impact: They measure success in growth and perception shifts, not vanity metrics.
From early-stage startups to established icons looking to reinvent themselves, a challenger is any brand brave enough to build for the future, not the past.
We didn't just decide to work with challengers; we were born for it. Our entire agency was designed from the ground up to serve the unique needs of ambitious, future-focused brands.
It starts with our name. Sling & Stone evokes the ultimate story of the underdog taking on the giant - a narrative of strategic, asymmetric advantage that is core to every challenger's journey.
Our internal values are a direct reflection of this ethos: Gumption: We go after opportunities with guts and gusto, always with a can-do, solutions-focused attitude. Build: We have the curiosity and bravery to try new things without a blueprint, because challengers don't follow the map - they draw it. Play: We explore and engage with the world, bringing creativity and a sense of fun to the work we do.
This mindset is why we are part of VCCP, a global challenger agency brand that shares our commitment to world-class creative and premium service. It’s why we focus on "brand building sans vanity metrics," because we know that for a challenger, every dollar and every story has to deliver real, measurable business results.
We help challengers tell their stories across every industry, from deep tech to consumer goods. Our work is about creating brave, creative campaigns that capture hearts and minds.
Carma: Taking on the broken used-car industry. A car is the second biggest purchase most people will make, and the traditional used-car market is filled with risk and uncertainty. Automotive disruptor Carma is completely flipping that model on its head. By owning every car and implementing a rigorous quality inspection process, they are building a brand centered on trust and a seamless customer experience. Our job was to educate the market and build that trust through a strategic mix of earned media, social, and content that highlighted their mission to make the pre-owned car experience beautiful from every angle.
Turo: Reinventing the road trip. The traditional car rental experience is often uninspiring and full of hassle. Turo, the world's largest peer-to-peer car sharing marketplace, challenged that by launching in Australia. Their mission is to put the 20 million registered cars in Australia to better use, giving Aussies an alternative that brings back the sense of adventure to travel. We helped bring their much-loved product to Australian shores, telling the story of a new, more exciting way to find the perfect drive for any occasion.
Krispy Kreme: Challenging cultural indifference. Even an iconic brand can be a challenger. For Krispy Kreme, the challenge was to keep a beloved product at the center of pop culture. We worked with them to deliver their "Joymaker" brand platform through creative, integrated campaigns that injected the brand into everyday moments. From tapping into the Taylor Swift friendship bracelet phenomenon to creating a viral "Hip Hip Hooray" campaign for their birthday, we helped them act like a challenger to create joyful experiences that drove customers in-store in droves.
We're proudest of what our clients say about our partnership and our shared challenger mindset.
“As we aspire to become the trusted leader in Australian used cars, partnering with the right agencies is paramount. Sling & Stone has a record of working with disruptor and challenger brands and we were impressed by their creative approach to both consumer and corporate communications.” - Emily Meier-Murren, Director of Brand Marketing, Carma
“Stake was created to break barriers for ambitious investors, so it's important that we make investing relevant to today's audiences and set new standards across all marketing channels. To achieve this, we needed a PR partner that was in tune with the markets, while also having the creative flair to find unique and culturally relevant stories. During the pitch process, Sling & Stone demonstrated a strong understanding of what we're aiming to achieve.” - Bryan Wilmot, Chief Marketing Officer, Stake
“Krispy Kreme is a partner that truly values and delivers on creative work. Sling & Stone really understood our brand and value proposition, delivering a creative and out of the box pitch. They were the stand out agency when assessing our options and the calibre of the team made it an easy choice for us.” - Aimee Cutajar, Head of Marketing, Krispy Kreme
If you’re an ambitious brand shaping the future, you need a partner who gets it. We don't just work with challengers; we are challengers.
Let's talk about how we can tell your story.