[This translation has been automatically generated]
Former VP of TBWA Worldwide, Nicolas Bordas (E82) has launched Idealist Paris, a creative agency whose clients are… ideas. Convinced that ideas have the power to change the world, he has simultaneously published Les Idées qui sauvent with Novice Editions, a collection of 52 ideas for living better, together and more sustainably.
He devoted his entire career to communications, eventually becoming President of TBWA Corporate.
Now having stepped away from the TBWA group, Nicolas Bordas has published Les Idées qui sauvent with Novice Editions. The book is directly inspired by his newsletter, from which he selected and rewrote the finest pieces. Across 500 pages, he explores 52 ideas through one recurring question: “What if?”. “What if we learned to depolarise society? What if AI paved the way for deliberative democracy? What if we stopped setting generations against one another?”…
Pragmatic idealism
Alongside this collection of reflections, he now aims to place his expertise at the service of meaningful causes through his “small creative agency”, Idealist Paris. Founded at the very beginning of 2026, the agency has already attracted a growing following. The LinkedIn group “We are Idealists” brings together 500 professionals “committed to accelerating impact-driven initiatives”. Among them is a key ally: Anne Vincent, former Executive Vice-President and Managing Director of TBWA France.
The movement is structured around two main pillars. The first is promoting a form of “pragmatic idealism”, through a podcast released every fortnight and regular events. The second is to concretely place expertise, time and networks at the disposal of associations that need them. The agency is already working pro bono for Le Laboratoire de la République, a think tank initiated by Jean-Michel Blanquer, as well as for Le Libre Journal, a social-democratic publication founded by Laurent Joffrin. His political commitment can be summed up as defending the values of the Republic, without affiliation to any political party. As he explains: “I am not standing for anything. But I am committed to the values of the Republic and to defending the republican bloc.”
Encouraging people to take action
Among the thinkers who inspire him most, he cites Edgar Morin. “Like him, I am a pessimist who heals himself through action.” He adds: “The violence of today’s world can become paralysing.” Describing himself as more of a “meliorist” than an optimist, he hopes to inspire people to act. “I do not claim that I alone will change the world, but I want to create the conditions that might spark change.”
Because he firmly believes that ideas change the world — provided they emerge at the right moment and are expressed in the right way. He illustrates this through the parable of the blind man on Brooklyn Bridge: a beggar whose sign reading “Blind from birth” attracts no donations sees it replaced with “Today is spring, and I cannot see it”. Same message, different wording: suddenly, money pours in. As he puts it: “emotion creates movement”.
Embracing doubt
In Les Idées qui sauvent, the 52 ideas brought together are not his own, but those of authors he has selected. He readily quotes David Hume: “Truth emerges from the exchange of ideas between friends”, and laments the gradual disappearance of nuance. “I want to contribute to small shifts in perspective, in the hope that one of them may trigger the desire to act.” He concludes with a smile: “In truth, it’s love. But I avoid using the word so as not to sound too out there.”
Comments0
Please log in to see or add a comment
Suggested Articles
