Pitchfest 2026 - Open House

This year, eight&four’s Pitchfest is evolving - and throwing open its offices for Open House: Art vs Advertising. Across our 3 wonderful floors in Soho, we will host an immersive afternoon of creative talks, panels and exhibits.
This year our theme is Art vs. Advertising. We will explore the tension created where pure expression meets commercial persuasion.
We will ask questions such as:

• "In a world drowning in content, has artistic thinking become a commercial advantage?”
• "Can Advertising ever be considered Art?"
• "Is all creativity ultimately trying to sell something?”

This theme is critical in modern marketing, where:

• ​Creators are brands ​
• Brands need to behave like entertainers ​
• Advertising is judged like culture ​
• Platforms reward feeling, originality and distinctiveness ​

This will be an afternoon of deep thinking, creative exploration and conversation about the real artistic tensions we all navigate in our brand and marketing roles.

Info: To kick things off - we're making our advertising agency an art exhibit. Come and explore the eight&four offices - filled with guest artists and iconic advertising examples. Drinks will be served as you browse.

Info: Join eight&four co-founder Amy McCulloch and her diverse panel of artists and advertisers to debate what happens when pure expression meets commercial persuasion. They'll tackle questions such as "Can creativity stay pure when it has a commercial objective?” and "What can art teach us about advertising, and vice versa?"

Info: We will have three streams of talks happening throughout the afternoon - drop in and out of the sessions, use our offices to work, or grab refreshments and enjoy the art exhibitions.

Info: We come together to close the afternoon, with two special surprises.

Info: As the afternoon closes, it's time to spill out into the street, for our own private after party. Expect street food, elaborate drinks and guest DJ's.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher eight&four