Strap in. We're going on a trip! Robert and Topher, cofounders of advertising agency Territorial, explore the weird, compelling, and sometimes forgotten corners of our culture through a surprising lens: the brands we all know and/or love. Every episode uses a familiar brand as a roadmap to stories you would never imagine to help you see the world in a new way.
To learn more about Robert Balog & Topher Burns, and their work at Territorial, visit www.weareterritorial.com or find them on LinkedIn.
In this episode of Strange(r) Coordinates, Aydan Sarikaya and Robert Balog talk with Ben Jenkins about the signals, impressions, and contexts that drive creative work and shape how people experience …
The history of Post-It Notes begins with a glue that didn’t work.
What started as a failed aerospace adhesive at 3M became one of the most unlikely and influential inventions in creative culture. From…
In this episode of Strange(r) Coordinates, we're diving into the explosive growth of women’s sports—and the powerful branding and storytelling opportunities that come with it.
Co-host Aydan Sarikaya i…
How did a nondescript running shoe like New Balance become a millennial fashion statement? Topher Burns and Robert Balog explore the surprising intersections of atheltics, fashion, inequality, and ba…
In our latest Strange(r) Coordinates interview, Eli Altman of A Hundred Monkeys gives us insight into the world of naming. Also, we explore how he thinks of sustainable growth and why the least-tenur…
AI comes up a lot on Strange Coordinates, and it comes up a lot in our ad agency’s work as well. You might have a brand people love, but if you…
Register for our upcoming webinar on the intersection of AI and brand design
Our Chiquita episode bounces between anthropomorphic fruit mascots and Columbian death squads, with a lot of thoughtful cri…
On our latest Strange(r) Coordinates, we talk to Sree Sreenivasan, digital mentor and expert in training people to adopt generative AI. Aydan and Topher chat with Sree about how this disruption might…
Eleven episodes in, and it feels like our podcast is aging gracefully. That’s why it feels like a perfect time to twist the cap on Oil of Olay, also known as Olay — depending on how old you are. Toph…
In our new episode on Cuisinart, we learn that Weird Al Yankovic described his brain as a “pop culture Cuisinart.” Interestingly, the episode itself is a sort of pop culture food processor, full of d…
If you’ve worked with territorial over the last three years, you’ve experienced our signature flavor. For 2025, we’re truly kicking things up: joining us to explain what’s changing is Aydan Sarikaya.…
Why do Ferrari, Porsche, and Ducati all have black stallions emblazoned on their logos? The answer is probably more interesting than you think — from both a historical and sociological perspective!
T…
’Tis the season for… brand activations? PR is all about creating a moment that grabs attention — and few moments hold our collective attention like the holidays. On our latest Strange(r) Coordinates…
No matter who you are, the past few weeks have probably felt stressful. Take a break from the doomscrolling and enjoy two brand guys gushing about Crayola.
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territorial is an advertising agency that h…
Strange(r) Coordinates is back. This time, we’re chatting with Rameez Tase, co-founder and president of our client Antenna, about the long love affair between brands, media, and entertainment.
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territ…
Is Boeing living up to their brand strategy of "leading on safety"? On the latest Strange Coordinates, Topher Burns and Robert Balog are taking to the skies with the first B2B brand we've covered on …
In this spinoff series, we bring along a guest on our Strange Coordinates journey. We call it: Strange(r) Coordinates.
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Inspired by our investigation into NordicTrack, we chatted with Adam Christense…
Can a movie studio really be a brand? We were as surprised as you'll be, but it took sinister Hollywood fixers and lions in airplanes to make us get this existential. Join us on an exploration of MGM…
We're spinning a new format into the Strange Coordinates mix, in which we bring along a guest on our brand excursions. Introducing: Strange(r) Coordinates!
The theme for this episode is brand spokespe…
The kettle's whistling, and just in time because Topher is ready to brew up two steaming mugs of tea on Celestial Seasonings. If you're thinking it's all going to be sleepy bears in night caps, you m…