These tales are fictionalised and shared in good fun. No clients, projects, or turnips were harmed in the making of this blog.
On the Isle of Man, Hop Tu Naa is our time to carve turnips, sing eerie songs, and swap tales of witches, ghost dogs, and things that go bump in the glens. It’s a night steeped in folklore - from the haunting legend of Jinny the Witch to lantern-lit walks through shadowy streets.
But for those of us in the creative trenches - designing websites, shaping brands, and wrangling feedback - the real frights come from the everyday. In honour of Hop Tu Naa, we’ve gathered the agency horror stories that haunt our inboxes and project boards. No names, just shivers. Light-hearted, a little cathartic, and all too real.
The Jinny Brief
The Tale: You’re handed a brief that’s oddly cryptic. It references old assets, forgotten campaigns, and “something we did years ago.” You dig through folders, ask around, and slowly realise… no one knows where it came from. Or who wrote it.
Why It’s Scary: Like Jinny the Witch herself, the brief is shrouded in mystery. It’s powerful, confusing, and possibly cursed.
The Moddey Dhoo Brief
The Tale: You get a brief that seems harmless. But something feels… off. Vague goals. Conflicting messages. And every time you ask for clarity, the answers get murkier.
Why It’s Scary: It’s like working with a ghost dog in the shadows – you’re never quite sure what’s coming next.
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The Fog of Feedback
The Tale: You present a polished concept. The client says it’s “not quite right.” You ask for specifics. They say “you know… just make it pop.” You revise. They say “it’s too much.” You revise again. Still not right.
Why It’s Scary: Like a mist rolling in from the sea, the feedback obscures everything. You’re lost, directionless, and visibility is zero.
The Turnip of Terror
The Tale: You’re asked to design something “simple” - just a logo, a landing page, a few social posts. But every time you deliver, they carve out something new. The scope keeps growing… and growing…
Why It’s Scary: Like a turnip lantern with no end, the project keeps expanding until you’re lost in the dark.
The Ballaglass Rebrand
The Tale: You’re asked to refresh a brand that’s “a bit dated.” But every suggestion is met with “we’ve always done it this way.” You try modern fonts, cleaner layouts, fresh colours - all rejected.
Why It’s Scary: It’s like trying to renovate a haunted glen. The ghosts of past branding won’t let go.
The Fairy Fort Files
The Tale: You’re warned not to touch certain parts of the website. “That section’s been like that for years.” You ask why. No one knows. You try to update it - and everything breaks.
Why It’s Scary: Like disturbing a fairy fort, messing with legacy code can unleash chaos. Best leave it be.
The Buggane Build
The Tale: You launch a new site. It’s sleek, fast, and flawless. But then… things start breaking. A button vanishes. A font resets. Pages load like they’re cursed. You fix one bug, and three more appear. No one touched the code. Or so they say.
Why It’s Scary: Like the Buggane of old, something unseen is undoing your work. You rebuild, it breaks. You patch, it crumbles. And the source? Still unknown.
The Hop Tu Naa Deadline
The Tale: It’s the Friday before Hop Tu Naa. You’re told there’s “just one small thing” to do before Monday. It turns out to be a full campaign. With no assets. And no copy.
Why It’s Scary: The turnips are carved, the songs are sung - and you’re still working. Alone. In the dark.
Whether it’s ghost clients, cursed briefs, or feedback fog thicker than a Manx mist, we’ve all faced the frights of agency life. But like any good Hop Tu Naa tale, we meet the madness with humour, heart, and a healthy dose of creativity. From turnip lanterns to legacy code, we know how to navigate the shadows - and still deliver the magic.
These stories may haunt us, but they also remind us why we love what we do: solving problems, telling stories, and bringing ideas to life (even if they rise from the grave). So as the turnips glow and the songs echo through the glens, we raise a mug of tea to all the brave souls in the creative trenches.
Got your own tale from the crypt? We’d love to hear it. Share your favourite agency horror story with us - spooky, silly, or just plain surreal.
Happy Hop Tu Naa from all of us at Afundi.
