THE FORGE Launches to Help Brands Earn their Authentic Place in Fandom Communities

Mar. 31, 2026

The Forge, a new culture and fandom-driven creative agency, officially launches today with a clear ambition: to help brands and agency partners build relevance by understanding fandom as infrastructure, not subculture.

The agency is co-founded by Calvin Innes, Andre Price, and Andrea Foth, bringing together expertise across strategy, creativity, and execution, united by a shared belief that fandom is where modern culture is actively shaped.

Calvin Innes, co-founder and CCO of The Forge, and formerly GM & Executive Creative Director, JvM NERD London, is a UK-based creative strategist, designer, and consultant, as well as an author and keynote speaker who has written extensively on fandom and contemporary culture. He has served as a juror at Cannes Lions and other international award shows, and is known for combining cultural theory with hands-on creative practice. Innes also has deep roots in online fandom communities, where his work, thinking, and insights have cultivated a large, highly engaged following.

Innes said:

“Fandom isn’t a channel or a tactic. It’s a cultural system. Brands often underestimate how sophisticated these communities are. The Forge exists to help brands and agency partners participate with credibility and long-term intent, rather than parachuting in with borrowed language.”

 

Andre Price joins as co-founder and ECD after serving as Managing Director of Jung von Matt NERD, the specialist gaming and fandom unit within the Jung von Matt network. At NERD, Price led creative and cultural work for brands including Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Pringles, Nintendo, Pokémon, Paramount, Sony, and Warner Bros., developing campaigns and experiences designed to live naturally within fan ecosystems.

Price brings award-winning creative credentials and a transatlantic perspective, shaped by working across German and American creative cultures and fandom communities. Among the projects under his leadership was the MINI × Pokémon Gamescom activation, a gaming-led experiential platform that generated more than 800 million impressions globally, demonstrating the scale possible when brands engage communities authentically.

Price said:

“You can’t fake your way into fandom. Communities immediately know whether you’re there to extract attention or actually contribute something meaningful. The Forge is built to help brands earn their place in culture, not rent it.”

 

Andrea Foth joins as co-founder and MD, bringing over two decades of experience in brand building, growth strategy, and client leadership across international markets. She has held senior roles at Jung von Matt and VCCP, leading global accounts such as Mercedes-Benz across more than 80 markets, alongside brands including Nike, Ferrero, Heineken, O2, and Payback.

At VCCP, Foth built and led the Berlin new business function from the ground up, driving growth and shaping pitches across international teams. She also served as lead agency partner for O2, coordinating complex, integrated workstreams across multiple agency units. On the brand side, she most recently led marketing at JobRad Loop, where she developed the brand, defining its positioning, name, and visual identity, and establishing the marketing organisation.

Foth said:

“Fandom shows how people build meaning, identity, and connection. For brands, the opportunity is not just to be seen, but to become part of something people genuinely care about.”

 

Together, the founders offer end-to-end leadership across strategy, creative concepting, production, and execution. The Forge launches with a strong foundation across gaming, entertainment, technology, automotive, and lifestyle categories, and is already working with HBO Max EMEA and Dove (Unilever), alongside a pipeline of global brands and agency partners looking to build culturally resonant platforms rather than short-term campaigns.

Rather than positioning itself as a niche specialist, The Forge sees fandom as a lens that cuts across categories.

Innes added:

“Fandom is no longer the edge of culture, it’s the engine. If brands want relevance today, they need to understand how culture is built, defended, and shared by communities.”

 

The Forge is now operational across the UK and Europe, partnering with global brands and agencies focused on long-term cultural value rather than fleeting attention.