Antidote didn’t come out of burnout. It came out of clarity. After years leading the health and wellness group at TBWA—and earning top honors like LEA Agency of the Year—Jonathan Isaacs and Carlene Esposito looked around and realized something wasn’t working. “We were killing it on paper,” Isaacs says. “But the higher we climbed, the farther we got from the work.”
They missed the brand conversations, the messiness of real strategic problems, the part where ideas still feel electric and necessary. So they stepped away. No dramatic exit. No bitter breakup. Just two people who wanted to do things differently. They launched Antidote in early 2024 as a brand consultancy built specifically for health and wellness—and for the clients who aren’t looking for the usual answers.
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Starting over, with intent
Antidote wasn’t a leap. It was a build. Isaacs and Esposito knew exactly what they wanted to create: a model that could operate with focus and clarity in one of the most complex and emotionally charged categories out there. They’d seen what worked—and what didn’t. They knew how much time and trust got lost in meetings that weren’t necessary, decks that weren’t read, and layers that didn’t add value. “We didn’t leave to reinvent the industry,” Isaacs says. “We just wanted to strip away everything that was getting in the way.”
What they landed on wasn’t a stripped-down agency, but something closer to a brand-side partner. A senior-led team built around the challenge. Strategy, identity, experience, expression—the work that shapes how people understand and engage with a brand. Not AOR maintenance. Not five rounds of internal reviews. Not pitch-and-switch. Just two people with a point of view and the freedom to act on it.
They don’t call it a consultancy. But they do mean it.
Isaacs is quick to point out that he doesn’t love the word “consultancy.” It carries a certain corporate detachment that doesn’t quite reflect how Antidote works. But structurally, that’s closer to what they are. They aren’t building a creative department or investing in office space. They’re investing in proximity—to the work, to the decision-makers, and to the challenge at hand. “We’re not trying to grow an agency,” Isaacs says. “We’re building a solution engine. Something you plug into when the stakes are high and the problem’s worth solving.”
It’s not always linear. The work ranges from early brand planning for VC-backed biotech startups to reimagining global positioning for legacy health players. But the throughline is consistency. Senior-level attention. Strategic clarity. Empathetic but sharp creative thinking. “We’re not trying to own every part of the funnel,” Isaacs says. “We’re here for the moment the brand needs to decide what it’s going to be.”
Not a rejection of the old model—just a better fit for this moment
Antidote’s approach isn’t a rebellion against big agency structures—it’s an alternative. “There’s nothing wrong with scaled delivery models,” Isaacs says. “But they’re built for a different kind of client.” Antidote is for the one with a brand problem, not a content calendar. The one who needs someone in the room who’s seen it before—and knows how to move.
That client might be a global pharmaceutical company navigating a repositioning. Or a medtech startup trying to go from clinical to commercial without losing its soul. Either way, they’re not looking for volume. They’re looking for clarity. “We’re not selling efficiency,” Isaacs says. “We’re selling thinking. The stuff that doesn’t show up on a timeline but shows up in the outcome.”
Health brands deserve better stories
If there’s one belief that runs through all of Antidote’s work, it’s this: health brands need better stories. Not louder ones. Not more data-backed ones. Just better, more human ones. “The products in this space are extraordinary,” Isaacs says. “But the storytelling still feels five years behind.” Part of that is structural—legal reviews, regulatory guardrails, long sales cycles. But part of it is just inertia. A sense that because people need the product, the work doesn’t need to earn their attention.
That’s changing. COVID reset the expectations. Consumers are more aware, more skeptical, and less willing to give time to brands that feel impersonal or inessential. “The bar is higher now,” Isaacs says. “You don’t get to borrow someone’s attention just because you’re important. You have to show up with something that matters.”
A smaller model—with room to flex
Antidote is intentionally lean. The founders still lead the work. Additional collaborators are brought in when the brief requires it, but only when it makes sense. That leanness isn’t a marketing claim—it’s a discipline. “It’s not about being small for small’s sake,” Isaacs says. “It’s about staying right-sized for the problems we want to solve.”
And while they’re not building a full-time bench, they’re not going it alone either. They’ve built a deep network of senior strategists, designers, writers, and specialists they can tap quickly—people who know the space and don’t need onboarding. “Our clients don’t have time to explain what a regulatory review is,” Isaacs adds. “Neither do we.”
Misfits by nature, underdogs by choice
Ask Isaacs how he sees Antidote and he doesn’t hesitate. “I’m a misfit,” he says. “The agency is definitely an underdog.” It’s not about size or ambition—it’s about placement. Health is a traditional space, often risk-averse and comfortable with long-standing relationships. Antidote is stepping into that space with a different kind of offer. “We’re not saying we’re right for everyone,” Isaacs says. “But there are brands out there right now that need something sharper. Something closer. Something faster. That’s us.”
A hello to Satya
When asked who he’d most want to sit down with, Isaacs picks Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. Not a CMO. Not someone in pharma. Just a leader who embodies what he believes in. “He’s proof that success doesn’t have to make you louder or harder,” Isaacs says. “It can make you better. That’s rare. And really inspiring.”
Open line to other indies
Antidote isn’t just a client-side play. Isaacs and Esposito want to be a resource for other indie agencies who may be fielding their first health brief—or debating whether to go after a wellness opportunity that feels just outside their lane. “Call us,” Isaacs says. “If you’re staring at a health RFP and wondering how to approach it, we’re happy to partner or point you in the right direction. We know this space. And we want more indies in it.”
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