The independent agency world — news, work, people and thinking.
Featured Doug Zanger
AD&Co Has Been Quiet for 10 Years. Time to Bark.
Amy Demas' Culver City studio has spent a decade guiding fashion, beauty and retail brands through reinvention — without the smoke, mirrors or a single pitch-season brag
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Ad Jargon Has Always Been Jacked Up. A Founders Creative Director Did Something About it
Katie Reid taught herself to code and built an 800+ term dictionary that makes the industry's confusing language accessible to…
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When Everyone Has the Same Tools, Different Wins (and Another Thing Is That)
Another Thing is built on a simple bet: that brands need to stop trying to stand out with the same…
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They Waited 15 Years to Make an Ad. Here’s Why That Worked
How Another Thing listened to what Mike's Hot Honey fans were already doing instead of manufacturing a brand story from…
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Why ‘Smart’ Wins Arguments and Reading the Room Wins Business
Three indie agency leaders shared what they learned about why clients choose partners—and what it costs to miss it
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They Wrapped Client Logos on a Demolition Derby Car and Destroyed Them on Purpose
Standard Practice bought a '92 Cutlass, named it Traffic Driver, and took "creating impact" to a new level
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The Prodigal Account Director Returns to Young & Laramore
Adrienne Strange returns as first SVP, Chief Client Officer after a decade building national brands at GSD&M
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Store Count Is a Vanity Metric and Other Truths Indies Are Actually Saying Out Loud
Indie Spin: The one with the %ACV hot take, 83% of travelers using AI to plan trips, and the agency…
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Scale Meets Soul: How BarkleyOKRP Built a 700-Person Indie That Refuses to Act Like One
A year and a half after merging Barkley and OKRP, the Big Indie model is proving that integration isn't about…
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4 Hired Guns Start Their Own Band (Not Really, but You Get the Point)
KDSP launches with four W+K alums who spent years as hired guns—now they're writing their own hits
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When TikTok Comments Become National Campaigns, and Other Signs Indies are Moving Faster Than Ever
Speed wins. That’s the pattern emerging from Indie Agency News members this week—not just moving fast, but moving decisively when…
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TUX Creative House Can’t Stop Making Great W Hotels Work
Chloë Sevigny, Miranda Makaroff, Orville Peck—three episodes of brilliant storytelling
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The Creative Who Built a Grand Prix Winner Just Became INNOCEAN’s Global CEO
Jung A Kim took the helm after 19 years shaping its identity
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Super Nice Proves Kindness Is a Competitive Advantage
This Atlanta agency led by former VML CCO Jared Kozel is winning Delta, Kickstarter and more by leading with empathy…
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The Land of Misfit Experts: How X & O Turned Agency Frustration Into Speed
Two ex-agency leaders built a network of 140+ senior pros who solve problems in days, not months—without pitches, decks, or…
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Hatch Happily Takes the Problems Nobody Else Wants. And Keeps Growing in the Process
Weird projects, legacy brands, talent puzzles—this Boston agency solves what others won't touch
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They’re Not on the Westside. And That’s the Point
With deep East LA roots, Hyphenated taps the city's creative brilliance
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Why Product Value Beats Cultural Moments When Budgets Tighten
Michael Miller and Chris Noble have seen panic before. As co-founders of Consiglieri, they’ve spent careers on both sides of…
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Shortlists, Survival Strategies and the Comedy Business Case
Indie Spin: The one with agency recognition, CMO pressure points, and why laughter is a differentiator