New Horizons Spark a Rebrand: From Hatchet Agency to Maker Street Studios

We were Hatchet Agency. Now we are Maker Street Studios. That is not a cosmetic change. It is a strategic one.

Why we rebranded

Hatchet was built in a different era, for a different kind of work. As our focus sharpened, brand development for founders at moments that matter, the name and identity no longer reflected who we had become.

We were not an advertising agency. We were a branding agency. The rebrand made that official.

What changed

Name: Maker Street Studios (MKRST), rooted in our Brisbane studio at 22 Ross Street, Newstead.
Focus: Brand strategy, naming, identity, design, and launch, not media buying or campaign management.
Audience: Founders at pre-seed through Series B, scale-ups, and investment firms.
Process: Lean, senior-led engagements: four to twelve weeks, no handoffs.

What we learned

Rebranding yourself is the hardest brief. You cannot hide behind client objectivity. Every decision is personal and strategic.

It reinforced what we tell every client: a rebrand must trace back to a genuine strategic shift. Change the design without changing the strategy, and you have wasted everyone’s time.

Our studio today

Maker Street Studios is a Brisbane-based branding agency. We build brands for startups, scale-ups, and investors. Strategythrough to launch, with a senior team from day one.

To discuss strategy, identity, or a full brand development engagement, start a conversation with our studio.

Questions founders ask

Why did Hatchet Agency become Maker Street Studios?

The focus changed, so the name had to. Hatchet was built for a different kind of work. As the studio sharpened around brand development for founders, the old name and identity no longer described what the business actually did. It was not an advertising agency. It was a branding agency, and the rebrand made that official.

Where does the name Maker Street Studios come from?

It is rooted in the studio itself, at 22 Ross Street, Newstead in Brisbane. The name reflects a working studio rather than an agency layer, which matches how the team operates: senior strategists and designers building the work in-house rather than managing it through a chain of handoffs.

What changed beyond the name?

Focus, audience and process. The work narrowed to brand strategy, naming, identity, design and launch, rather than media buying or campaign management. The audience narrowed to founders from pre-seed through Series B, scale-ups and investment firms. The process became lean and senior-led, four to twelve weeks with no handoffs.

What is the hardest part of rebranding your own business?

Losing objectivity. You cannot hide behind client distance, so every decision is personal and strategic at the same time. It is a useful experience to have had, because it makes the advice we give clients more honest about how uncomfortable the process actually is while you are inside it.

When is a rebrand actually justified?

When the business has genuinely changed. A rebrand should trace back to a real strategic shift: a new market, a new audience, a pivot, a merger, or growth the old identity cannot carry. Change the design without changing the strategy and you have spent money moving furniture. Rebrands run six to twelve weeks.