The four partners of MOUTHWASH Studio in Los Angeles always knew they would make a mark in the creative industry. What surprised them was how quickly it happened in their careers.
Young millennials Alex Tan, Mackenzie Tan, Abraham Campillo, and Ben Mingo are marking the fifth anniversary of their studio, which recently opened its first office space in LA’s Chinatown. With a team of 18, MOUTHWASH has members around the world, from New York and Texas to London and Sao Paulo.
Inspired by Instagram, the community idea evolved into a value-driven business in 2012 when a small group of artists and designers on Instagram found each other.
Despite being scattered across the US and never meeting, the future business partners bonded over Instagram. In 2016, Tan and Campillo arrived in LA with a vision to create a tangible community, leading to the creation of a creative print magazine called MOUTHWASH. The name symbolized a fresh perspective.
Producing a magazine requires effort and money, so Tan and Campillo created a podcast to build awareness. Their work paid off with the first magazine issue selling out and a successful launch party in Chicago.
As they produced the second magazine and podcast, inquiries about identity work, website design, and photography poured in. This led to a significant client project that allowed Tan and Campillo to focus on MOUTHWASH full-time.
MOUTHWASH identified a gap in the market for custom website design amidst the rise of templated sites like Squarespace and the need for more efficient content production due to the popularity of social media. „I believe these two factors created an opportunity for a young studio like ours,“ Camillo says.
They made it a non-negotiable for all of their projects, even from the beginning, that they would only work holistically. Camillo explains that they are very committed to this approach because they genuinely believe it improves the work. „We left our jobs and accepted pay cuts because of that belief,“ he adds.
MOUTHWASH embodies this holistic approach by always starting with strategy, rather than just focusing on making things look pretty. This means that everything they do becomes a case study. The team typically does not develop sites that they did not design, and they only work with clients who value them as consultants.
Tan explains, „The main difference in how we approach our work is that we try not to see ourselves as a service; we are a product that people invest in, and I think that perspective sets us apart.
„We don’t just do what clients say because they are paying us.“
One of the first significant projects MOUTHWASH undertook was for Air Company, where they handled the rebranding, website, development, and campaigns. Camillo describes it as a true example of how the process should be moving forward. „It came at the perfect time and allowed us to take on some of the larger-scale projects we are working on now.“
Like the studio, the client was also going through a growth phase, which helped establish a good relationship from the beginning. They were transitioning from selling sustainable vodka to sustainable aviation fuel, which was a significant pivot.
Tan believes that the best and most memorable projects are those where the studio works on every aspect of the brand. He explains, „Designing a website and then going the extra mile to re-photograph everything is a great example of how we demonstrate that every part is equally important.
„It’s not about ego, but rather about telling a cohesive story when the perspective is consistent across different studios and agencies. It’s like having different authors write each chapter of a book.“
Embracing challenges
Camillo finds working on projects with little to no reference point to be the most exciting yet challenging. For Air Company, MOUTHWASH had to create products and campaigns for a product that did not even exist.
Similarly, working with a client like fashion house Thom Browne, whom they had never worked with before, presented additional pressure and time constraints due to New York Fashion Week. Camillo recalls the challenge of having to work at a fast pace, with numerous photoshoots featuring celebrities that had to be sent out to magazines the next morning.
Despite the challenges, Camillo believes that these experiences yield the most fulfilling results.
Tan reflects on the challenges of managing culture and maintaining values and vision as the business grows. He explains, „As you expand, maintaining quality becomes increasingly difficult.
„We started by having a vision, working on every project, and participating in every pitch. But as you grow, you can’t do it all yourself. You need to trust your team to handle these tasks and expect them to care as much as you do.“
Tan also acknowledges that running a business involves managing people’s lives and emotions, which has proven to be a significant challenge they did not anticipate. „It’s more than just creative work, but it’s part of the job,“ he adds.
Company Culture
From the start, the partners at MOUTHWASH Studio dedicated a lot of time to developing their culture, resulting in a culture manual accessible to everyone on the team. Tan states, „We are not afraid to say ‚this is how we operate and do things.'“