Xenia Peeck, Founder and Creative Director of Mutants of Advertising, on her CI for the MONTBLANC Haus, the future of luxury brand advertising – and live as an expert at UPDATE BERLIN
Xenia Peeck is the founder and Creative Director of the agency Mutants of Advertising and co-founder of the beauty brand facetaime.com. She works at the intersection of brand strategy, creative concept, and digital culture – with a fine sense for social currents and bold communication. Her strength: rethinking brands without losing their roots. Whether it's a classic campaign, cultural format, or digital concept – Xenia develops solutions that not only stand out but leave a lasting impact. Her work combines attitude with craftsmanship, emotion with progress. We introduce the creative on GoSee – and you can meet her in person at the UPDATE Berlin.
You didn’t just create a CI for the MONTBLANC HAUS, but also content for the "Home of Writing." How do you succeed in retelling the story of a heritage brand? Xenia: A brand’s heritage – its story, its DNA – is the foundation. It’s not about retelling, but about telling it right. The substance is already there. You just need to uncover it precisely. In the video about how a Montblanc fountain pen is made, I wanted to show how absurdly fascinating it is to design that tiny, cylindrical space – both inside and out.
In your view, what distinguishes a classic brand identity from a true "brand world"? Xenia: The brand identity is the core, the why – and one of my favorite topics. If that’s clearly defined, everything else can build upon it: communication, design, experiential spaces – like a museum. That’s exactly where a luxury brand suddenly encounters a new audience – kids, families. It has to remain accessible without compromising itself. Relevance is no contradiction to excellence.
Which aesthetic decisions were non-negotiable for you at the MONTBLANC HAUS – and why? Xenia: Of course, as a creative, I’m open to negotiation. But: every design decision has to be based on the brand identity. Only then is it sustainable and comprehensible – both internally and externally.
“Mutants of Advertising” sounds like rebellion. What is your mutation directed against – and where do you want to take the industry? Xenia: The name stands less for resistance and more for evolution. Originally, we wanted to call ourselves ‘Dead Cat Content’ – sparked by the question: what comes after cat videos? For us, mutation means real evolution. We believe in brands that allow for change – and we design accordingly.
Luxury and sustainability – do they go together? And how do you make that tangible at MoA without greenwashing? Xenia: For us, luxury means longevity. Things that endure – that can even be passed on. That alone is sustainable. In our design, we rely on responsible materials, avoid unnecessary refinements, and offer honest advice.
What does the future of advertising for luxury brands look like in your opinion? Xenia: Luxury brands carry cultural weight – or at least, they should. They embody excellence in a specific field: with Montblanc, it's writing, the art of crafting a fountain pen. Or the precision of a watch that’s more than just a timepiece. The future lies in not just preserving this cultural dimension, but actively shaping it. Luxury must regain relevance – through depth, through context, through real content. Those who achieve that won’t just attract consumers but inspire an audience.
What has recently visually blown you away – and why? Xenia: At the Gallery Weekend in Berlin: Cold Hope by Anne Imhof. Distorted humans, like from a TV broadcast – moiré, cold tones, paintings that looked like screens. It moved me deeply. Because it shows that despite digital alienation, real emotion still comes through. Because the human behind it remains.
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