How do you start something new? What should it be? Where do you begin? According to STABILO’s latest campaign, these questions don’t matter nearly as much as simply starting. That’s why STABILO’s message is clear: Start Beginning.
In an era dominated by digital tools—keyboards, voice control, AI, and filters—perfection is often the goal. But what is lost when we stop using our hands? Neuroscience suggests quite a lot.
Research from professors Audrey van der Meer and Ruud van der Weel at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, published in Frontiers of Psychology, highlights the importance of handwriting and drawing in boosting brain connectivity and promoting learning.
“When you use AI, you’re teaching AI. When you use pen and paper, you’re teaching your brain,” said Professor Audrey van der Meer.
This insight was a key inspiration for KesselsKramer, the creative agency behind STABILO’s latest global campaign. The idea is simple but profound: the hardest part of creativity isn’t how you start—it’s that you start. Whether it’s writing, drawing, or brainstorming ideas, the campaign encourages people to embrace the beginning rather than worry about the end result.
At the heart of the Start Beginning campaign is the belief that starting something new is both difficult and exciting—but also beautiful and essential. It’s the moment when ideas form freely, mistakes lead to learning, and individual style takes shape. A pen and a piece of paper can be the starting point of a book, a film, or even a scientific breakthrough.
“We often focus on the final outcome, but the true magic lies in the beginning. At STABILO, we want to inspire people to take that first step, to explore, to learn, and to embrace the journey,” says Edgar Schulten, director brand communication at STABILO.
To illustrate this idea, STABILO’s new campaign film brings together a diverse range of beginners—from children experimenting with colors to established artists rediscovering the joy of creating from scratch. It features artists from around the world, including Aki and Koichi, Willem de Haan, Martcellia Luinic, Marc Bohle, Suli Breaks, and even a robot.
Dutch director Suzanne Koopstra, who created the campaign film, exemplifies the campaign’s message herself. Fresh out of film school, this was her first commercial project, reinforcing the idea that everyone is a beginner in some way.
“No matter how professional or acclaimed you are, you are always an amateur at something. If you don’t start something new over and over again, you won’t grow. That’s why we believe that everyone is a beginner, or at least should bring out the beginner in themselves,” said Maartje Slijpen, creative director at KesselsKramer.
The Start Beginning campaign is designed to be as flexible as creativity itself. With hundreds of assets across video, print, out-of-home (OOH), and digital formats, different regions can tailor the campaign to their specific audiences.
At its core, this campaign is about letting go of control and embracing the process of creation. KesselsKramer asked each featured artist to contribute a piece of work inspired by the Start Beginning manifesto. The result? A visually and emotionally rich campaign that reflects the raw, imperfect, and exhilarating nature of beginning something new.
So stop scrolling, stop hesitating, and start beginning. Because the best way to create is simply to start.
