Why advertising legend Jon Williams is putting 100% of his faith in freelancers to build his business
The Freelance Informer speaks with Jon Williams, a man of many advertising industry-firsts, about why he has placed freelancers at the heart of his latest venture
Advertising agencies can afford to mess up, frankly, and still get paid. Freelancers, on the other hand, know their reputation is everything. They rely on repeat business and positive reviews, so they’re incredibly careful about delivering on time and meeting expectations. These were some of the driving factors behind launching The Liberty Guild, an invitation-only ad agency that gives freelancers carte blanche to share their ideas with the biggest brands and budgets in the ad industry.
“In my experience, freelancers rarely miss deadlines,” Jon Williams, The Liberty Guild’s CEO and Founder tells The Freelance Informer. “Maybe two or three times in seven years have I seen it happen. They understand that their reputation is tied to their reliability, not just the quality of their work.”
Disrupting the advertising agency model
Williams says unlike agencies, which can sometimes rely on their established name and relationships, freelancers depend on consistent performance and trust.
Williams says it comes down to this: “If you trust freelancers, you’ll be rewarded.”
Jon Williams is known by many in the ad and creative industries for his work at Grey London where he helped develop the first interactive TV ad ever broadcast, the first mobile-enabled posters and the world’s first crowd-sourced long-form film. He also worked on the iPint, the world’s first native branded application for the iPhone, reportedly one of the most popular FMCG apps of all time.
While at Grey he helped build a 2000-strong pan-EMEA co-creation platform that allowed the firm to put the best team on the right job regardless of the constraints of geography. From that experience and knowledge, The Liberty Guild was born in 2017.
He says the freelancer-only agency model is “disruptive” because it makes the process from pitch to production faster. “It’s more cost-effective, but above all – the work is better.”
Williams says the mindset around freelancers in the ad sector has changed for the better. “About 10 years ago, some in the advertising world believed that success meant having a full-time job. If you weren’t employed full-time, you were seen as less capable and only used for occasional freelance work.”
He continues, “In my experience, even during busy periods when our agency needed extra help with pitches, we relied on freelancers. We trusted them with our new business pipeline, which proves their talent and capability.
Today, freelancers are often more responsible, smarter, and commercially aware – essential qualities for any successful agency.
Jon Williams, CEO of The Liberty Guild ad agency
What does invitation-only mean?
The Liberty Guild’s invitation-only distributed network has been built on the premise of only hiring “the smartest, most awarded independent creatives and strategists in the world.”
Not the regional award winners, but those bringing in the megas, such as the Cannes Lions Awards, according to Williams. He explains that the more than 400 freelancers the agency has engaged to date can showcase work that clients quickly recognise and admire.
“Every single one of those 420 … is an award winner and is amazing,” says the founder. “We have spotters on every continent. They’re constantly on the lookout for that special flare in the industry, actively seeking out the best of the best.”
Williams’ personal portfolio boasts over 300 international awards, including Cannes, D&AD and Effies. He’s looking for that level of quality in his freelancers. He has a team of spotters connecting with talent in various ways; sometimes through the Liberty Guild website or if they find someone interesting, spotters reach out and explain the platform and how they offer fractional work with some of the world’s biggest brands.
“If they’re interested, we learn about their track record, their passions, and the kind of work they enjoy. This is crucial because we believe in ‘passion casting’ – matching people with projects they’ll love,” he says.
Then if everything aligns, the agency will set up a Zoom interview to ensure a good fit. Freelancers engaged will be asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) which only applies when they’re actively engaged in a project. This means freelancers they hire are free to pursue other opportunities when not working with the agency.
Too elitist?
Some creatives may find the invitation-only approach elitist, but Williams justifies this.
“We have talent across the entire spectrum, from some very experienced souls to people just starting out. I was actually accused of being elitist the other day, but we’re actively working to counter that. We’ve partnered with D&AD and their Shift programme, which focuses on non-traditional educated individuals who want to break into the industry. They have locations in major cities like Sydney, Berlin, and New York. We’re committed to working with Shift graduates and offering their unique perspectives to our clients who are looking for something different.”
Williams says these individuals are incredibly talented and bring fresh ideas to the table. “However, we’re careful not to throw them into projects that might require a more traditional skillset. We want them to succeed and we’re mindful of not compromising our standards.”
He continues, “But for all other projects, we insist on a high level of proven talent. Our creatives must have won awards – and not just any local awards, but recognised accolades. When I tell clients I have the best creative team in the world, I need to be able to back that up. The last thing I want is to write apology letters.”
The agency takes client confidentiality and legal compliance seriously, but its agreements are designed to be talent-friendly. “For specific client projects, we use a separate, concise agreement outlining any particular requirements, such as exclusivity clauses,” he says.
“We don’t say sit at that desk from 9 to 5 to produce this stuff. This is a place where your skills and experience are valued, not just your ability to clock in and out,” says Williams.
So, what sets this agency apart?
For one, the agency is open to working with top freelancers regardless of their location. With a presence in 29 countries, it offers freelancers the opportunity to work with major brands worldwide. They can bring in strategists in Milan or just as easily connect clients and freelancers with projects in Istanbul, Mumbai, or anywhere in between.
The way they engage freelancers also means work is outside IR35 given the autonomy freelancers have throughout the process. “Here, you have the freedom to manage your own time and workload,” says Williams.
The freelancer is often working one one-on-one with the agency’s clients following their agreement to carry out the brief.
Williams explains the way the process works as navigating “two distinct marketplaces”. On one side, clients want direct access to creatives and strategists, cutting out the traditional agency bloat. They’re tired of inflated hourly rates designed to maximise agency profits.
“We offer a different approach: fixed-time, fixed-deliverable projects with transparent pricing focused on the value of the ideas themselves,” he says.
On the other side, talented creatives crave flexibility and ownership of their work. Williams says traditional agencies often claim ownership of all employee-generated ideas, limiting creative freedom and portfolio building. He says, his firm empowers freelancers.
What’s financial and creative compensation like?
Unlike traditional agencies, where countless ideas can get lost in the process, Williams says The Liberty Guild team aims to make every idea respected and protected.
Williams explains: “When a project starts, all the IP for everything that’s coming out is held in escrow… the idea the client doesn’t buy, falls back to the author.”
This is a game-changer for freelancers who often lose ownership of their work.
Williams says his background as a Creative Director and Chief Creative Officer at Grey has instilled a deep appreciation for the power of ideas. Sadly, in the traditional agency model, countless brilliant ideas are left on the cutting room floor.
“Ideas matter, and ideas are currency to people,” according to Williams. “This is the foundation upon which we’ve built our business.”
Fair compensation is also important. “We’re not going to haggle anyone on the price. We pay the same fee anywhere in the world, whether you’re in Miami or Mumbai.” This ensures that talent is rewarded equally, regardless of location,” says the CEO. Continuing, “I think people outside the agency culture… truly understand the way in which consumers consume advertising or avoid it.”
In his estimations, this shared understanding and respect for freelancers creates a collaborative environment where everyone works toward the same goal.
Williams wasn’t giving anything away about what he has up his sleeve next, but it will undoubtedly have freelancers at the heart of it.
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