Brewing Big Ideas with School of Thought

At Jaywing, we believe the next generation of creatives will shape the future of our industry – and we’re proud to play a part in that journey. As long-time supporters of School of Thought, we were delighted to host students from this year’s cohort at our Leeds office for a hands-on creative challenge set for one of our clients, Yorkshire Tea. 

And what a challenge it was. 

The brief?

Make Yorkshire Tea the most talked-about brand at festivals this summer. 

Sounds simple. But this wasn’t about handing out free brews or waving a branded flask around. It was about rethinking relevance. Tea is iconic but amongst 18–35-year-old festivalgoers, it’s not the go-to drink. The task was to make it feel exciting, cultural, and right at home in muddy fields, hot tents and sunrise sets. 

The students were asked to push boundaries, spark conversation, and deliver ideas that could live across experiential, social, and outdoor. No tea puns. No whippets. No clichéd Yorkshire stereotypes. Just proper creative thinking that could win hearts, minds, and maybe a few weary partygoers. 

And they rose to the occasion. 

From televised reunion points to brass band-led activations, the ideas were as smart as they were unexpected: 

• We loved Hannah’s use of a brass band to bring real joy and energy to the festival space; a proper slice of fun you wouldn’t forget in a hurry. 
• Joao tackled a real festival pain point with a clever idea to bring people together, giving lifts across the site via Yorkshire Tea-branded rickshaws. 
  
  
• Bertie smashed it with Found Property: a tongue-in-cheek meeting point that reunited lost friends and broadcast it live on the big screens. 
  
  
• Ags tapped into festival culture with a smart social-first idea, encouraging people to spill their ‘tea’ (aka gossip and stories) online in exchange for rewards. 

Every single student brought something to the table; from beautifully crafted ideas to strategic thinking that showed a real understanding of the audience and the brand. 

“It was one of the most challenging briefs for me, but it was inspiring to be focusing on a local brand in a novel setting. Some cracking ideas in a cauldron of creativity. Thanks Jaywing!” 
— Bertie Weber, School of Thought student 

“Thank you to everyone at Jaywing for your hospitality and the actionable feedback that will help us elevate our ideas. Not to mention the pearls of industry wisdom that we can take with us as we continue our journey as creatives. A proper good pitch night.” 
— Joao Coimbra, School of Thought student 

“Even though I've been involved with School of Thought for years, I always forget just how much fun it is. We saw some fantastic responses to our brief to make Yorkshire Tea the talk of festival season, with cracking insights, beautifully crafted creative and genuinely exciting ideas. At its best, School of Thought is 90% inspiration, 10% fearing for your job. This year didn't disappoint.” 
— Tom Lines, Creative Director at Jaywing 

Throughout the session, we were blown away by the passion, originality and lateral thinking on show. The teams delivered bold ideas and thoughtful strategy, tackling the brief with curiosity and energy. And just as importantly, they were open, collaborative, and eager to learn; everything we value at Jaywing. 

It’s always refreshing to see how a new generation responds to live, real-world challenges. There’s nothing hypothetical about the pressure of a proper pitch and the students stepped up, offering a glimpse into the creative talent of tomorrow. 

A huge thank you to everyone who took part, to our brilliant client Yorkshire Tea for inspiring the brief, and to School of Thought for continuing to champion ideas, initiative, and bravery. As ever, it’s been a proper pleasure.