How can a newly established media enterprise command immediate attention within the highly competitive technology landscape? One particularly effective route is to collaborate with Day Job, a Los Angeles–based creative agency renowned for its inventive approach to branding and its ability to translate abstract vision into striking, contemporary visual identities. This is precisely the path taken by the hosts of the “Technology Business Programming Network,” more widely known by its acronym, TBPN, when they sought to refine the podcast’s look, feel, and overarching brand philosophy.

Rion Harmon, the cofounder of Day Job, articulated the vivid creative concept behind TBPN’s transformation. He described a layered, attention-grabbing visual collage — a so-called “cacophony of logos” scattered across the screen like sponsorship patches adorning Formula 1 racecars — complemented by a refined aesthetic of “country club” forest green and nostalgic VHS-style grain effects. The end result was designed to fall somewhere between the sleek professionalism of a traditional news network and the kinetic energy of a sports broadcasting channel. This new sensory identity prompted a rebranding from the straightforward “Technology Brothers Podcast” to the sharper, more network-like “TBPN.” Harmon emphasized that the team’s ambition was to capture TBPN’s distinctive vitality: “They’re doing something genuinely original,” he explained. “It doesn’t feel weighed down by the usual stiffness or monotony associated with traditional tech journalism. Instead, their content feels vigorous, authentic, and humorously self-aware — delighting in its playful over-sponsorship.”

Since its official launch in 2024, TBPN has experienced a meteoric rise, becoming a central stage for some of Silicon Valley’s most high-profile personalities. Guests such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Palantir’s Alex Karp, and Anduril’s Palmer Luckey have appeared on the show, lending it credibility and curiosity alike. Major national publications, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, have both profiled the show’s hosts — entrepreneurs John Coogan and Jordi Hays — noting that their burgeoning media company projects roughly $5 million in annual revenue. This breakout success not only boosted the podcast’s reputation but also elevated Day Job’s standing within the tech sector, catalyzing a wave of new interest from startups and venture capital firms eager to invigorate their own branding strategies. The increased attention from Silicon Valley innovators has been highly profitable: according to Harmon, Day Job managed to double both its revenue and employee count over the past year. Hays praised the agency’s methodology, emphasizing their multidimensional creative process: “What distinguishes Day Job,” he said, “is that they develop multiple branding pathways — each one strategically sound and aesthetically coherent in its own distinct way.”

Founded in 2018 by Harmon and Spen Madsen, Day Job began as a self-financed creative studio that now employs a roughly twenty-person team distributed across Los Angeles, New York, Portland, and Europe. Over the years, the agency has collaborated with hundreds of consumer brands, including the pastel-toned CBD beverage Recess — a design widely associated with millennial culture — and the cult-favorite chili crisp condiment Fly By Jing. Harmon also previously assisted in the branding of Coogan’s nicotine alternative, Excel, a direct competitor to Zyn. Day Job’s collaborations span the full marketing lifecycle, tackling everything from early-stage brand ideation and name development to detailed product design, packaging, and advertising campaigns.

Although its early reputation was firmly rooted in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) space — with viral campaigns such as the one for the protein bar “David,” showcased on whimsical billboard installations featuring massive fish imagery in New York City — the agency is now attracting a steady influx of technology-related clients. Recent partnerships include Patron, a venture capital firm focusing on emerging consumer categories, which commissioned Day Job to completely redesign its brand and web presence. The agency also spearheaded creative direction for Stuut, an Andreessen Horowitz–backed artificial intelligence startup specializing in payment automation, and has conducted advertising campaigns for Bland AI, a customer service startup, and Gemini, a well-known cryptocurrency exchange platform.

Harmon observed that the technology industry has reached a turning point where branding is no longer seen as an afterthought, but as an essential channel for differentiation. “There’s a tremendous amount of noise out there,” he said, “and that’s forcing tech companies to communicate with their audiences in deeper, more emotionally resonant ways.” Indeed, many modern tech interfaces tend to blur together — a point echoed by Amber Atherton of Patron, who lamented that there is a pervasive “addiction to homogenous design choices,” where identical fonts, minimalist color palettes, and overly familiar layouts dominate digital spaces. This aesthetic sameness makes it exceedingly difficult for a company, particularly one in AI, to cultivate a distinctive identity. Harmon noted that “AI has a branding problem”: while Silicon Valley eagerly embraces the technology, the narrative surrounding it often carries unsettling connotations of displacement and job loss. To counteract these associations, Day Job crafted Stuut’s identity around playfulness and optimism, presenting the brand as an approachable, time-saving ally rather than a cold technological threat. Stuut’s mascot — a whimsical cartoon inspired by old punch-clock machines — humorously ‘devours’ invoices on the website and even offers a friendly kiss when a visitor reaches the footer, reinforcing the theme that automation can coexist with warmth and humanity.

Atherton summarized Day Job’s ethos succinctly: “Storytelling is everything,” she remarked. Whether a company seeks to attract investors, hire new talent, or prepare for an IPO, its ability to narrate a coherent and emotionally engaging story defines its success. In her own collaboration with Day Job, Atherton was drawn by the agency’s TBPN work and requested an identity refresh that would feel “as far from a typical venture-capital site as possible.” Day Job often operates as a creative therapist of sorts, prompting founders to articulate their motivations and internal dynamics. For Patron, the process involved introspective exercises — the founding partners were asked to describe one another, reflect on why their collaboration works, and identify the qualities that make their partnership resilient. Atherton acknowledged that Day Job’s approach demands courage: “You have to be bold to work with them. Their process isn’t about staying safe — it’s about breaking convention.” Hays likened the agency’s sensibility to that of Silver Lake, the trendsetting Los Angeles neighborhood, calling Day Job’s aesthetic “timeless yet innately digital — a blend of modern internet fluency with enduring design sensibility.”

As the creative industry increasingly grapples with the influence of generative AI tools, Hays noted a paradox: “It’s never been easier to produce visual assets,” he said. “Anyone can log into ChatGPT or some automated design platform and command, ‘Build me a website.’ Yet paradoxically, this ease of creation has amplified the need for genuine creativity — for minds capable of lateral thinking and for ideas that rise above algorithmic sameness.” Harmon expressed confidence in this dynamic, arguing that while AI excels at reproducing established patterns, it lacks intuition for emerging cultural currents. “No AI,” he quipped, “would ever suggest naming your protein bar ‘David.’” As brands increasingly experiment with automated design, many are discovering that standardization dilutes authenticity rather than enhances it. Harmon concluded with a note of cautious optimism: “In a world where algorithms drive everything toward the average, our value as creative thinkers may actually increase. AI can replicate what already exists — but it can’t forecast what’s next.”

Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/day-job-advertising-creative-agency-behind-tbpn-tech-cpg-brands-2025-12