Sometimes the best stories come from embracing the absurd. Today’s collection from Indie Agency News members proves that point beautifully: TiNY shot nine “identical” ads in one day where the only constant is change, Antidote discovered that mechanical sharks and luxury puzzles share the same creative DNA, while Alto New York somehow got their client’s logo onto Brad Pitt’s racing suit in the year’s biggest blockbuster. Meanwhile, Klick just patented technology that lets doctors walk through your body in virtual reality, because apparently regular medical reports are so 2024.
🎺 Heritage Brands & Modern Moves
When 100-year-old brands act like startups
FerebeeLane celebrates their longtime collaborator Le Creuset being named to TIME’s Most Influential Companies—not bad for a 100-year-old cookware brand. As they note, “Not every 100-year-old brand gets named to TIME’s Most Influential Companies — but not every brand is Le Creuset.”
Cornett created “Every Moment Matters” for Keeneland Association, combing through archives and bringing together past, present, and future. It’s not just a tagline—it’s an ethos that guided every aspect of their brand campaign for the legendary horse racing venue.
Left Off Madison helped position Technics’ SL-100C turntable as the gateway to high-end vinyl culture—without the intimidation or sticker shock. They’re proving that hi-fi might be analog, but performance marketing still needs to be digital.
🎬 The Art of Organized Chaos
When constraints become creative superpowers
TiNY created what might be the most meta campaign in financial services history: nine unique spots for Avantis Investors, shot in one day, each running just once and never again. The kicker? They all look identical until you realize the endings are different every time. It’s a brilliant metaphor for their client’s proposition that paying attention matters. Campaign US called it “comically meta,” and viewers are trying to “collect them all” like trading cards.
Antidote took a more philosophical approach to creative chaos, drawing parallels between hand-cut luxury puzzles and the making of Jaws. When Spielberg’s mechanical shark kept breaking, he didn’t fix it—he invented a new visual language for fear. The lesson? Sometimes the most beautiful puzzles are the ones that surprise even their creators.
🏎️ Product Placement Hall of Fame
Getting your brand where it has no business being
Alto New York pulled off what sounds like a marketing fever dream: getting Expensify’s logo on Brad Pitt’s racing suit in the F1 movie. Fast Company’s “Brand New World” podcast breaks down how this 1,000-horsepower product placement came to life. It’s the kind of swing that makes other marketers wonder why they’re still buying pre-roll ads.
Zambezi went from Hollywood to the Olympics, creating the NFL’s “Chase Something” campaign for flag football’s journey to the 2028 LA Games. Featuring Olympian Jordan Chiles and NFL star Jayden Daniels, it’s positioning flag football as more than a game—it’s about access, inclusion, and the next generation finding their path.
🧠 When Your Brand Needs a Therapist
The psychology of modern marketing
Drake Cooper is preparing for a world where Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) replaces SEO. As AI-powered search tools reshape how people find information, they argue it’s not about ranking highest anymore—it’s about being the best answer. Welcome to the Answer Economy.
🤖 AI Gets Ambitious (And Maybe Too Human)
Teaching machines to think, feel, and apparently produce
Mischief @ No Fixed Address just opened “The Candy Factory,” their integrated AI production studio. It’s built for lightning-speed reactive moments, AI-generated content, and helping brands move at the speed of culture. As EVP Will Dempster explains, it’s for marketers who want to be at the forefront of production’s rapidly-evolving landscape.
Response Media reports that CPG giants like PepsiCo, Unilever, and Coca-Cola are moving beyond ChatGPT experiments into “agentic AI”—systems that can imagine, decide, and do. Unilever’s seeing 55% creative cost reductions and doubled click-throughs. The takeaway? If you haven’t started, you’re already behind.
Klick took AI into the medical realm, receiving a full US patent for their Extended Reality Medical Report system. It lets doctors build immersive, patient-specific virtual anatomy and guides them through XR walkthroughs of medical findings. Because reading a regular medical report is apparently too 2D.
📺 The Power of Saying No (And Yes to Weird)
When brands embrace their inner contrarian
Reverve Agency featured Hearts & Science CMO Nadalie Dias on their Permission to Seek podcast, where she shared her philosophy: “If I don’t honor it, I won’t do it”. It’s a masterclass in maintaining values while navigating the double standards assertive women face at work.
Campfire brought NewsCenter Maine anchor Brian Yocono onto their Fireside podcast for a raw conversation about the state of journalism. They covered trust, truth, newsroom pressures, and what it means to show up for your community—timely topics as local news fights for survival.
🏆 Recognition & Momentum
Indies collecting hardware and breaking boundaries
KSV earned Silver at B2B Marketing’s 2025 Elevation Awards for their “Elephant in the Room” work with PECO. As they put it: “The most powerful campaigns don’t just inform: they break through.”
Model B featured CROSSMEDIA USA’s Chief Strategy Officer Anne Bologna discussing “the inevitable answer”—her approach to making media campaigns resonate. It’s about finding that perfect intersection where strategy meets culture.
Artemis Ward demonstrated the power of real-time content creation, producing 40+ pieces in three days for Meta and Oakley’s smart glasses launch at Fanatics Fest. Working with elite “makers” fluent in vertical video, they organically reached 127M+ people without even having the product until day one.
🌍 From Portland to Germany
Indies going places (literally)
PJX Media spearheaded Everand’s first-ever out-of-home campaign, successfully reaching literary fans across Portland. It’s proof that knowing your audience and where they spend their time can make OOH as targeted as digital.
Serviceplan Group is supporting Swedish interior brand Hemtex’s expansion into Germany—their first move beyond the Nordics and Baltics. The interdisciplinary team is handling everything from brand strategy to performance marketing for the autumn 2025 launch.
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