Friends of Cartel

02/03/2026

Manamana becomes Agency in Residence at Cartel Agency. 🤝
It's not a merger, but an exclusive collaboration built for a market that demands scale and specialisation at the same time. We’ll sharpen each other’s work, both creatively and strategically. 🚀

Want the full story behind this collaboration? 👉
https://friendsofcartel.be/en/news/manamana-and-cartel-agency-are-not-merging

06/01/2026

"Create a vacancy for a new CEO, but make it stick", said Elly & Jo from Het Poetsbureau. So, we made it happen. Due to obvious availability issues, every CEO you see is generated. Including everything else in this video. Fun fact: the opening office shot was created from a screenshot from Google Street View. So, yes, we went all the way.

PS: who remembers Bucky? 🏝️

29/12/2025

It’s New Year’s. Glasses are raised. And then it happens. ‘Can you say a few words?’ 😶‍🌫️
No more clammy hands thanks to the ultimate speech tips from our copywriter Alix.

https://friendsofcartel.be/en/news/public-speaking-without-sweating

18/12/2025

Talk about ending the year with a bang: Born Digital is joining Friends of Cartel. 💥 The agency will form an integrated digital studio with our existing tech team. From UX/UI to AI-driven solutions: our digital offering will be even stronger in 2026. 🖥️

👉 Get the full story here: https://friendsofcartel.be/en/news/born-digital-joins-friends-cartel-and-becomes-groups-digital-engine

02/12/2025

Beer, fries and chocolate? Belgium is so much more. 🇧🇪
With 200 years on the horizon, Tom Van den Bergh and Fons Van Dyck explore how to turn our quirky mix into one powerful brand story.

Curious about their vision for “Brand Belgium” in 2030? Read the full interview 👉

België viert in 2030 zijn tweehonderdste verjaardag. Hoe maken merken, bedrijven en overheid samen van dat jubileum een sterk en trots merkverhaal?

27/11/2025

What a night! 🎉 Our Friends absolutely crushed it at the Best of Awards show, bringing home no less than 9 awards! 🏆They impressed the jury with bold ideas and brilliant ex*****on. We couldn’t be prouder of this amazing collective of talent. 💪

19/11/2025

How much should you really spend on marketing?
It’s a question every growth-driven team asks and one that rarely gets a straight answer. In his latest piece, Managing Director Micha Appermans breaks it down with real benchmarks and a practical approach.

👉 Discover his take: https://friendsofcartel.be/en/news/million-dollar-question-answered

03/10/2025

Awards season is on. 💪 Several of our Friends are shortlisted for the Best of Awards:

🏆 3x BOA – Cartel Agency (Wibra)
🏆 5x BORA – RCA PR (ITAA, Oog voor Lekkers)
🏆 1x BORA – Cartel Agency (BelOrta)
🏆 4x BOCA – Cartel Agency (BelOrta)
🏆 4x BOCA – HeadOffice (Samsung, Solidaris)

Proud to see so much creative work being recognized. 🚀

24/07/2025

Hello, Mara! 🤩 As Creative AI Developer, they'll make sure our AI game remains on point. 🤖 A warm welcome to the newest member of our team.

10/06/2025

In the latest episode of the Blackbird Podcast, our CEO Tom Van den Bergh joins Andy Coomans for a deep and open conversation about creativity, entrepreneurship, and staying true to your DNA.

The episode was recorded just weeks before the official launch of Friends of Cartel, but already reflects the structures, ambitions and ideas that would shape our collective.

From RCA’s roots to the vision behind Friends of Cartel, this is a story about evolving with purpose and building something new without losing what matters most.

Listen on Spotify via https://open.spotify.com/show/0VAmKwJqywubmOjE0DIlyr

05/06/2025

How can football players and their families build a successful career? We helped CRESTA to host the event, conducted interviews and shot video footage. What an inspiring evening!

26/05/2025

From anonymous to unforgettable. In just four years, BelOrta turned a simple ‘O’ into a symbol of freshness, craftsmanship, and trust and became a top-of-mind fruit and vegetable brand. Proof that smart, consistent creativity wins hearts and shelves.

How? By building a recognizable brand ecosystem, telling authentic stories, and turning every touchpoint (from packaging to TV spots) into a celebration of trust, taste, and origin. Because noise doesn't build brand love, consistency does.

Read more: https://friendsofcartel.be/en/cases/belorta/anonymous-top-mind-brand