In ancient Greek mythology, Proteus is an early sea god or the god of rivers and bodies of water. Known as the “Old Man of the Sea” or the god of “elusive sea change”. The constantly changing nature of the sea and the liquid quality of water, Proteus can see the past, present, and future.
Proteus can also shape-shift, but to avoid doing so, he only answers to those who are capable of capturing him.
From this principle, comes the adjective ‘protean’, which means “versatile”, “mutable”, or “capable of assuming many forms”.
And so that is where we get our Proteus name, from the god of flexibility, versatility and adaptability just like our creative skills.
The World Land Speed Record, Harry Potter, the Elephant Man, the Bristol Brabazon and Neptune
With our heritage in Bristol, we can’t ignore that there was a gas turbine engine called the Bristol Proteus. It was the Bristol Engine Company‘s first mass-produced gas turbine engine design, a turboprop that delivered just over 4,000 hp (3,000 kW). The Proteus engine was even used to power Donald Campbell’s ‘Bluebird Proteus‘ to the World Land Speed Record on Lake Eyre in Australia on 17 July 1964. With such a powerful engine, the Proteus was even used to power the second prototype Bristol Brabazon airplane – the enourmous British airliner designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company to fly transatlantic routes between the UK and the United States.
In Harry Potter, Hermione Granger used the Protean Charm to link fake coins together in order to communicate with the members of Dumbledore’s Army. The Protean Charm was a charm that allowed several objects to change simultaneously.
Joseph Merrick, more often known as John Merrick, was an English man known for having severe deformities. He joined a travelling circus in 1884 and was cruelly exhibited as the Elephant Man. While the exact cause of his deformities was inconclusive, it is commonly thought that Joseph suffered from Proteus syndrome.
Finally, did you know that there is also a moon called Proteus? Otherwise known as ‘Neptune VIII’, it is the second-largest moon of Neptune, and the largest inner satellite discovered by Voyager 2 in 1989.
Of course our interpretation of the name Proteus, relates to the shape-changing sea god of Greek mythology. A ‘protean’ is someone who is “versatile”, “mutable”, or “capable of assuming many forms” which supports our ability as an agency to flex according to our clients needs.
So now you know the true meaning behind the name – flexibility.
Based in Bristol, Proteus are a creative design agency with a difference crafted from 32 years of experience within the creative marketing industry. We value our creative thinking above all else. Whether it’s creating a new brand identity or developing a full multi-channel brand story, we believe that everything we make happen should be different.
We are a smart and nimble creative agency who have created projects for companies in virtually all sectors. We gain a deep understanding of our clients’ needs and business challenges, then carefully match our services to meet the unique parameters of their objectives, brief and audience for the most appropriate solution.
We’re fully integrated
We’ll deliver a consistent, persuasive, unified message, through a multi-channel approach, where all forms of communication are carefully linked together.
We take time to understand your business
The project team you work with, from your Account Manager to the design, copy and digital team will know and understand your business from the outset.
We’re agile and manage workflows daily
With a quick turnaround and response time on projects. There’s no need to wait longer than necessary for work or amends.
We’re process driven
You’ll know exactly what to expect and by when. Your dedicated Account Manager will keep you informed every step of the way.
We’re independent and experienced
You’ll always get to speak to the senior team of decision makers but also have access to the knowledge, experience and expertise of every member of our team.
We’re human
We’re serious about what we do, without taking ourselves too seriously. We do everything with a smile, making it a thoroughly pleasant experience to work with us.
Don’t just take our word for it
read what our clients say
big enough to cope, small enough to care
We’re a medium-sized, independent agency, with a simple structure that allows us to be flexible and adapt to your needs.
We’ll put together a team designed to meet your exact requirements and who will become an extension of your
own team helping deliver quick, solution-orientated responses.
We have short communication lines which allow us to be agile, as well as giving you direct access to the senior people. We also have an open, collaborative way of working which is transparent and straight-forward.
peace of mind
If finance is your thing, you’ll be happy to learn we’re Hellios FSQS approved.
As a Cyber Essentials accredited company you can bank on us to keep everything safe and secure.
what our clients say
Don’t take our word for it, read some kind reviews from our clients.
