Agency Announces Strategic Rebrand, Accidentally Renames Itself 'Synergy Pants'
Auckland-based creative agency formerly known as 'The Furnace Room' has unveiled a bold new direction this week, accidentally rebranding themselves as 'Synergy Pants' after a series of file-naming mishaps and one incredibly confident intern.
The rebrand, which leaders described as 'a visual and verbal ecosystem of relevance', began as a month-long brand sprint held mostly on Slack and in a breakout room called 'The Nook'. After heavy rounds of mood boards, emotional marathons, and 14 internal workshops on what it means to “show up with vision,” the team selected the placeholder name 'Synergy_Pants_Final_V21_REALREAL'—mistaking it for the approved option. The name was then rolled out across business cards, company T-shirts, and a questionable TikTok dance filmed on Karangahape Road.
“We’re leaning into uncertainty,” said co-founder and Chief Culture Archer, Denim Epworth. “Synergy Pants isn’t just a name, it’s a provocation. It invites clients to step into... well, pants. But synergistically.” Insiders report that the agency originally intended to call itself 'Torchlight Republic', but that was already taken by a competitive paintball club in East Tamaki.
In a follow-up Q&A, the agency confirmed they will not revert the name. Instead, the brand story will centre around a fictional 90s business consultant named Craig Synergy who famously said, "The pants maketh the plan." A short biopic, to be shot in vertical format, is expected to launch during Q4 or whenever the strategy team comes back from their off-site on Waiheke.
The rebrand, which leaders described as 'a visual and verbal ecosystem of relevance', began as a month-long brand sprint held mostly on Slack and in a breakout room called 'The Nook'. After heavy rounds of mood boards, emotional marathons, and 14 internal workshops on what it means to “show up with vision,” the team selected the placeholder name 'Synergy_Pants_Final_V21_REALREAL'—mistaking it for the approved option. The name was then rolled out across business cards, company T-shirts, and a questionable TikTok dance filmed on Karangahape Road.
“We’re leaning into uncertainty,” said co-founder and Chief Culture Archer, Denim Epworth. “Synergy Pants isn’t just a name, it’s a provocation. It invites clients to step into... well, pants. But synergistically.” Insiders report that the agency originally intended to call itself 'Torchlight Republic', but that was already taken by a competitive paintball club in East Tamaki.
In a follow-up Q&A, the agency confirmed they will not revert the name. Instead, the brand story will centre around a fictional 90s business consultant named Craig Synergy who famously said, "The pants maketh the plan." A short biopic, to be shot in vertical format, is expected to launch during Q4 or whenever the strategy team comes back from their off-site on Waiheke.