Sebastien built SLAPS, a creative agency for some of the biggest brands in the world, with no design degree, no advertising background, and no industry connections. He started by cold emailing strangers, Googling what a branding agency even does, and selling a $5K identity to a local Indian restaurant.
Now SLAPS works with brands like Nike, Oakley, Wingstop, and Under Armour. In this conversation, Sebastien breaks down the real agency game: why sales is an art form, why you should never sell services, and why brands pay more for vision. This is the story of building taste, selling ideas, and turning zero connections into a world-class creative agency.
This is Ourselves with Sebastien Vandecasteele.
00:00 Introduction
02:29 What SLAPS Does as a Creative Agency
03:54 The Wingstop Mango Habanero Campaign
06:35 How Social Media Rewrote the Agency Game
07:48 SLAPS vs Traditional Agencies (Wieden+Kennedy, 72andSunny)
12:36 Production: In-House vs Outsourcing
13:56 Starting With Zero Creative Background
16:00 Why Sales Is the Real Art Form
17:42 Lessons From a Year in a Call Center
18:10 Discovering Creative Direction by Accident
20:04 Cold Emailing Strangers to Land Brands
21:11 The First $5K Client (an Indian Restaurant)
23:28 Why You Sell Vision, Not Services
26:42 The Sales Exercise & Why Listeners Win
29:42 How to Actually Get a Brand's Attention
30:22 LinkedIn as a Creative Goldmine
32:07 Breaking Tension With GIFs in Cold Emails
37:33 The Brutal Reality of Unpaid Pitches
39:26 The 6-Month Music Video Pitch From Hell
42:08 Building a Voice So People Come to You
47:56 Inside the SLAPS Team
49:11 Working With His Wife at the Agency
50:46 How Creative Directors, Art Directors & Copywriters Work
53:15 Building a Global Agency Out of Barcelona
54:46 Running Ads for Brand Awareness
58:28 The Mistake of Trying to Do Everything
01:01:11 Handling High-Pressure Clients & Celebrities
01:04:31 What Big Budgets Actually Pay For
01:07:13 AI, Creative Jobs & the Renaissance of Craft
01:14:18 Pivoting SLAPS Into a Strategy-First Agency
01:16:08 Project 2027 & the AI Endgame
01:18:55 Favorite SLAPS Projects (HelloFresh, Wingstop, Oakley)
01:21:46 Living Between Amsterdam, New York & LA
01:24:18 Surfing Through Burnout
01:25:30 Building a Business With Your Wife
01:27:31 The Hustle Years vs The Balance Years
01:28:35 The DISC Sales Framework Every Creative Needs
01:32:48 Why Creative Is the Hardest Industry to Sell In
01:38:34 The Card Question: Most Meaningful Feedback
01:41:24 Closing Tradition
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