Love Is The Message has announced the return of Freya van Lessen to the agency collective, following a brief hiatus from the music and cultural industries.
With nearly 20 years of experience in communications and public relations, van Lessen has worked with influential brands and institutions across the global music and nightlife landscape.
Her portfolio includes work with Printworks London, Drumsheds, Fabric London, Field Day Festival, Sónar, The Hydra, Junction 2 Festival, Body Movements, The Roundhouse, The Jazz Cafe, Tobacco Dock, E1, Rinse FM, Kala Festival, Brunch In The Park and Elrow Global, among many others.
Love Is The Message was founded by Freya van Lessen in 2020. It was later developed by Dresden Leitner, working alongside wider team Zine Abdi, Nicole Ndlovu and Genevieve Taylor and a freelancer network. Growing from being music-led, the agency now offers communications and strategy services to the wider culture industries, with clients in fashion, sport, art and social impact on top of music.
In recent years, Love Is The Message has worked with brands including Johnnie Walker, Stone Island, Broadwick Live, Berghaus, Guinness and Diageo, plus youth-focused organisations.
In the music world they have secured clients including AVA Festival across Belfast and London, Broadwick Live (Drumsheds, Printworks, Exhibition +) Body Movements, Eastern Margins, Lovebox Presented By Dreamland and Colors +.
Returning to Love Is The Message feels like coming home
Freya van Lessen
Through LITM Service, Love Is The Message’s collaborative work with larger agencies includes communications campaigns, strategic consultancy, strategy and more for events, festivals, spaces, culture projects and brands.
The team has cultivated a network of photographers, creatives, agencies, designers, influencers, journalists, filmmakers, artists, partnership managers, brands and cultural spaces.
Dresden Leitner also started Human, a sister project to LITM, in collaboration with Robson Carter-Brown. Human is a not-for-profit that has worked with groups like the Roundhouse, Young Urban Arts Foundation and more.
Freya van Lessen said: “Returning to Love Is The Message feels like coming home. The collective was founded on a belief in community, culture, and storytelling – principles that continue to guide everything we do. I’m incredibly excited to join forces with Dresden and the team again as we enter this exciting next chapter, supporting the artists, spaces, and organisations that inspire us and make our industry what it is.”
Dresden Leitner said: “We are so happy to welcome Freya back into the fold at Love Is The Message. Freya was the mind behind LITM at the very start, coming up with our iconic name and the ethos of the collective. This signals the start of a new chapter of growth for us, as we expand capabilities, clients and services with Freya’s expertise.”
