20 years of Pistachio – and we’re just getting started!

Yes, we know, we don’t look a day over fabulous. But the rumours are true. This month marks twenty years of Pistachio Design!! Happy Birthday to US!!

We’re still going strong, taking on the world and all that. But mainly, we’re in the twentieth year of making sure our clients get the very best branding, animation, content and top-tier creative.

It’s been a wild ride. Isn’t it always? There’s been ups and downs, wins and of course, losses. But our love for our agency, our team and our amazing clients has always been steadfast.  So, let’s rewind a bit and look at how we got here…

It all started in April 2005 (and if you can’t remember that far back then please shhhhh while we apply the retinol). Our fearless co-founders Paul Johnson and Marie Holden decided it was time to shake up their nine-to-five routine and fill a gap in the market for brands wanting agile, creative support. Things got off to a bumpy start, literally. Marie was heavily pregnant with her final child – not an ideal time to come off the payroll, is it? But, determined to create a better way of working and delivering great creative, Marie and Paul went from hard-working colleagues to fledgling co-founders. Et viola, Pistachio Design was born.

By April 6th, 2005, Pistachio’s first invoice was sent. The project? A recruitment agency’s ad campaign. Well, all creative geniuses have to start somewhere, right? Wasting no time, in May 2006, the dynamic duo had moved into the agency’s very first office at Teleport House in Cookham. But alas, don’t bother looking for us there anymore – like most good real estate, it’s now a set of fancy flats!

*But why Pistachio you ask? Why name your business after a salty, fiddly pre-dinner-drinks snack? All this and more will be answered in episode one of NADS (more on that later).

Fast forward a few years, many clients, projects and more than a few head scratching moments later and we took things north. Well, further north than Pistachio HQ anyway.

In 2017 Pistachio Notts was opened, housing the core of our very talented design team. Starting out at a very clinical-looking Regus office space in the city centre, the team now sits in the heart of Nottingham’s creative hub, the Lace Market District – the perfect spot for the team’s growing size and skill set. Fun fact about Nottingham? It was the place where shinpads and ibuprofen were invented.  Who knew. Keep reading to find out what other innovations the city is set to birth this year (hehehe).

Pistachio HQ has undergone a few upgrades over the years too. From setting up shop on a sprawling farm in Cookham in the mid 2010’s, to being in the mix in a (dare we say it) funky shared office space in Marlow up until 2021, we’ve had a taste of every type of office set-up. Now, you’ll find the team in the picturesque surroundings of Bray, sitting pretty right on the River Thames. If you look closely, you’ll often see a Pistachio clearing out the cobwebs amongst the greenery. How zen of us, hey?

Like the rest of the world, the pandemic brought a whirlwind of change. But it didn’t slow us down. As early, pre-Covid adopters of hybrid working, the team adapted quickly to remote work, continuing to create ground-breaking creative amidst all the woe. Despite its challenges and setbacks, there’s no denying that the pandemic made us stronger as a team and showed our creative fighting spirit. And guess what? The hybrid working model is now a thing. Does that make us trendsetters?

Of course, it’s not just about the space – it’s about the people in it. We’ve always had a knack for bringing in brilliant talent, and over the years, Pistachio has grown into a team that’s not only creative but also fiercely dedicated to the work we do. The majority of our design team have been with us for over 10 years, an incredible feat for such a competitive and rapidly evolving industry. What can we say? We must be pretty cool – and our designers must be darn good too #justsaying.

Each and every one of our team, whether a designer, a member of client services or part of the content and marketing team, has added their own unique touch to Pistachio’s story. Helping us to win, retain and impress clients for two decades.

You know who you are – and we love you all.

Now, let’s pick up the Pistachio journey in mid-2023. The year we decided it was time for a (drumroll please) rebrand. Led by design head-honcho, Marie, the Pistachio rebrand reinforced our identity as a bold, creative agency that’s unafraid to push boundaries. We didn’t just update our aesthetics, we redefined how we communicate to the world and ran with the ethos of being ‘consistently individual’ – here’s an on-trend video that gives you the inside scoop.

From a new logo, website, animated team avatars and banging merch, our fresh new look certainly turned a few heads. We were delighted with an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from clients and peers alike – and we even got nominated as a Best Branding or Identity Finalist at the We Are Creative Awards 2025 as a result!

Over the last 20 years, Pistachio has not just expanded across the UK, but we’ve also gone international too. In recent years our team has had the pleasure of working with clients in France, Spain, the US, and even the UAE, bringing our creative expertise to global campaigns and enabling Paul to top up his everlasting tan. From bustling cities to stunning skylines, these trips have allowed us to showcase the best of Pistachio and collaborate with some of the most innovative brands around the world.

You can find just a few of them here.

Now, as we celebrate our 20th anniversary, we’re gearing up for even bigger things to come. Very shortly we’ll be launching our very own podcast: Nuts About Design. Each episode will see Marie sit down with a member of the team to talk all things design; that means obsessions, new trends, insights, pet peeves and outright no nos. It’s a not-to-be missed BTS look at what makes a creative tick – and what it takes to make it in the big bad world of creative and digital design.

Not only that, but this year we’re also opening the Pistachio Motion Lab in Nottingham. That’s right, we’re changing the game with a state-of-the-art design studio dedicated to digital design innovation, including animation, stop-motion, and so much more. Keep your eyes peeled for more news on both these things in the coming months!

And now for something more serious. In honour of Marie’s late husband, Dave Holden, Pistachio has pledged to raise £10,000 for Brain Tumour Research in 2025.

After a fiercely fought battle with brain cancer, Dave sadly passed away in February 2019. His journey left a lasting impact, and through this grief, we’ve found a way to give back. Knowing how proud Dave would be that Pistachio has hit the big 2-0, the entire team is taking part in a year of fundraising. From charity events to personal challenges, we’re committed to making a difference. You hear that, Dave? Let’s do this!!

We’ll be keeping you updated on our progress and would love for you to join us in raising awareness. Stay tuned for how you can get involved and support us in reaching our goal. And to read Marie’s personal journey with grief in her own words, click here.

As we kick off our 20^th Birthday celebrations this month, we wanted to say a big THANK YOU. We wouldn’t be where we are today without the incredible clients and partners we’ve worked with over the years. Your trust, collaboration, and belief in our creative vision have made all the difference. And, of course, a massive shout-out to our team – you guys are the heart of Pistachio, and we can’t wait to see what we achieve next together.

Here’s to the next 20 years, bringing big ideas, creative solutions, and a whole lot of love to the world of design. And as always – we’ll be making things happen, one brilliant project at a time.