Record-Breaking Representation
Ad Age’s Small Agency Conference concluded another successful year in Toronto, with Indie Agency News members capturing an impressive 40% of total awards. Out of 62 categories, 25 awards went to IAN member agencies, underlining the creative and strategic strength of independent shops.
The conference, held July 22-23, brought together industry leaders for programming that addressed real challenges facing independent agencies today—from client crisis management to navigating political sensitivities around DEI initiatives.
Top Honors
WorkinProgress from Boulder claimed Small Agency of the Year Gold, along with Media Campaign Silver for their Emergency Pizza work with Domino’s. The campaign generated 1.7 billion earned media impressions and contributed to a 2.8% increase in same-store sales—the kind of measurable impact that defines award-worthy work.
Other notable IAN member victories included:
SuperHeroes took 1-10 Employees Gold for their Lenovo campaign that delivered a 32% global sales lift and 10% boost in brand awareness.
Preacher won 76-150 Employees Gold after reinvigorating GMC’s ‘Professional Grade’ campaign, helping drive 13% sales growth.
Special US claimed both Digital Campaign Gold and Integrated Campaign Gold for their Brian Cox ‘Goes to College’ Uber campaign and Matthew McConaughey ‘Football is for Food’ conspiracy work for Uber Eats.
Christy Hiler from Cornett earned Executive of the Year recognition for founding the OwnIt movement, which has grown from identifying just 1% women-owned agencies to building a community of 780 agencies.
Programming That Delivered
This year’s conference programming struck the right balance between aspirational and practical. Sarah Watson from Luminous Coaching opened with real crisis management scenarios, while panels on DEI addressed current political challenges with actionable solutions rather than just problem identification.
The highlight was JB Smoove discussing his new agency, The First Darren. The comedian-turned-agency-founder demonstrated the kind of authentic industry knowledge that makes celebrity agency launches credible. His approach—combining entertainment value with genuine respect for the craft—offers a template for how celebrity involvement can enhance rather than diminish agency work.
Beyond the Awards
The conference atmosphere stood out for what it wasn’t—no awkward forced networking or bitter post-loss sulking. Instead, genuine camaraderie prevailed, with agencies celebrating each other’s wins as much as their own.
Credit goes to the Ad Age team’s curation. Judann Pollack, who’s been with the publication since 1985, has overseen the Small Agency Conference’s evolution while maintaining editorial integrity. Nearly four decades of industry perspective shows in the programming choices and overall event flow.
Looking Forward
The 40% member win rate at Ad Age Small Agency signals more than just good work from independent agencies. It demonstrates that Indies are setting creative and strategic benchmarks across categories from AI implementation to community building to cultural conversation-starting.
This momentum continues building toward Cannes Lions, where IAN members have already captured 5.9% of all Lions with standout performances from Serviceplan, Special, and Alto. Quality Meats from Chicago even took home a Grand Prix in Creative B2B—proving that Small Agency Conference winners translate their success to the global stage.
As the industry continues fragmenting between holding company consolidation and independent innovation, events like Small Agency Conference provide essential forums for sharing what’s actually working. This year’s Toronto gathering proved that independent agencies aren’t just keeping pace—they’re leading it.
The full roster of upcoming Indie Agency News events continues through the year, with the “Show Off” series planned for Vancouver, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, and Paris.
Complete Member Winner Coverage
All 25 IAN member wins with full Ad Age coverage:
Overall & Size Categories:
- WorkInProgress – Small Agency of the Year Gold + Media Campaign Silver by E.J. Schultz
- SuperHeroes – 1-10 Employees Gold by Lindsay Rittenhouse
- Preacher – 76-150 Employees Gold by Jack Neff
- Saylor – 76-150 Employees Silver by Jack Neff
Regional Winners:
- Curiosity – Midwest Regional Silver by Jack Neff
- Öpinionated – Northwest Regional Gold + Integrated Campaign Silver by Brandon Doerrer
- Haymaker – West Regional Silver by Sabrina Sanchez
- Bakery – Southwest Regional Gold by Brian Bonilla
- The Mayor – Southeast Regional Gold by Judann Pollack
- Murder Hornet – Southeast Regional Silver by Sabrina Sanchez
Specialty Agency Categories:
- Response Media – Data & Insights Agency Gold by Garett Sloane
- Noble People – Media Agency Gold by Parker Herren
- DCX Growth Accelerator – Purpose-Led Agency Silver by James Flachsenhaar
Campaign Categories:
- Colossus – B2B Campaign Silver by Erika Wheless
- Special US – Digital Campaign Gold by Brandon Doerrer
- SRH – Experiential Campaign Silver by Jon Springer
- Special US – Integrated Campaign Gold by Asa Hiken
- Fuse Create – Best Use of AI Gold by Asa Hiken
- 270B – Best Use of AI Silver by Asa Hiken
Culture & People Awards:
- Doe-Anderson – Best Agency Culture Silver by Gillian Follett
- Christy Hiler, Cornett – Executive of the Year by Judann Pollack
- Kati Haberstock, Erich & Kallman – Producer of the Year by Sabrina Sanchez
- Alice Blastorah & Josh Hacohen, Special US – Creatives of the Year by Sabrina Sanchez
- Kevin Albrecht, Barrett Hofherr – Strategic Planner of the Year by Lindsay Rittenhouse
Complete interactive showcase: IAN member wins breakdown
- About the Author
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Doug Zanger is the founder and editor-in-chief of Indie Agency News. He is also the founder of the Creative Bohemian consultancy, lives in the Pacific Northwest and is insufferable about it.
