Jacques Spitzer, Founder of Raindrop, started the San Diego-based agency at 25 with just himself and an instinct for what moves people. Fifteen years later, Raindrop has grown into an 85-person creative powerhouse that transforms challenger brands into household names. The agency helped Dr. Squatch grow from $3 million to hundreds of millions in sales, created a Super Bowl spot for the men’s soap brand, and recently launched Spruce for Procter & Gamble.
“We focus on understanding the consumer’s why, not just the brand’s why,” Spitzer explains. “When people see themselves in the brand, they pay attention, consider buying, and actually buy.”
It’s a philosophy that’s carried Raindrop from helping real estate agents to working with P&G—proving that sometimes the best strategy is trusting your gut while staying relentlessly focused on what actually drives purchase.
How Raindrop got from real estate to Super Bowl spots
Raindrop spent its first six or seven years as a brand-forward agency focused on development work, mainly serving Southern California. The turning point came when they linked up with Dr. Squatch, a men’s soap company doing $3 million annually. Raindrop’s ads didn’t just change the brand voice—they transformed the entire business, growing sales by hundreds of millions. That 2020 Super Bowl commercial for Dr. Squatch put them on the map nationally. The pattern repeated with Native, another brand they helped scale dramatically, and led to opportunities incubating brands like Grooms (now in Target and Walmart) and Laundry Sauce.
What Raindrop is known for: challenger brand whispering
Raindrop specializes in developing brand voice and strategy for challenger and insurgent brands—the ones ready to punch harder and break through. Ten of their brands appeared on a recent insurgent company list, which makes perfect sense given their client roster. They’re not being asked to make boring, cookie-cutter ads. Instead, they work with brands willing to take risks and stand out. Their approach centers on understanding the consumer’s emotional why, not just the brand’s messaging, creating campaigns that people actually want to watch rather than skip.
Three things Raindrop does differently
First, they understand that every purchase is a reflection of who we believe we are or who we’re trying to become. This insight drives everything from strategy to execution. Second, they handle integrated campaigns from concept to completion with five studio spaces (20,000 square feet total), five in-house directors, and the ability to produce everything from UGC to Super Bowl ads. Third, they attract creative directors and associate creative directors from non-traditional backgrounds—full-time comedians, show writers, podcast hosts—people who understand attention and human psychology in ways most agencies miss.
The power of being indie (and not a math company)
Independence means Raindrop can invest 20 to 25% more brain power and talent in campaigns without managing arbitrary profit margins dictated by holding company math. “We only have one goal, which is to see success for our clients and to grow their businesses,” Spitzer notes. They choose their clients and focus purely on making work that drives business results. Unlike agencies that might describe themselves as “math companies,” Raindrop operates with creative ambition as their north star, not spreadsheet optimization.
Why brands should work with Raindrop
Raindrop finds insights that drive purchase, not just attention. Their secret—if you can call something this hard to execute a secret—is focusing on the consumer’s why rather than the brand’s why. In a fractured media landscape where consumers control their own universe, Raindrop creates advertising that connects with people’s deeper motivations. When executed properly, their campaigns generate hundreds of millions of views because people genuinely want to watch them. It’s advertising that reflects back who consumers believe they are.
Why talent chooses San Diego (and Raindrop)
The work attracts people who want to punch above their weight class. Raindrop partners with clients who want to break through and take creative risks, rather than play it safe with focus-grouped mediocrity. Being in San Diego doesn’t hurt either. The agency’s creative director has been there eight or nine years, starting as an associate brand manager and growing with the company. It’s the kind of place where former comedians and podcast hosts can apply their understanding of human attention to brand challenges.
Misfits with a business plan
“Misfits and underdogs,” Spitzer says without hesitation. “Our creative directors come from other backgrounds—they were full-time comedians, show writers, podcast hosts. Things that don’t necessarily make sense until you realize they all understand attention and people in a way most people have never lived.” The underdog part comes from constantly butting up against how larger brands have always done things, bringing fresh perspectives to established ways of thinking.
Dear Squirt: Call us, seriously
Spitzer doesn’t hesitate: “Canada Dry, Squirt, and El Pollo Loco. We have ideas. If someone can get me in touch with Squirt, I will give them the freshest ideas they’ve seen in centuries.” The passion is genuine—his team already jokes internally about dream briefs for these brands, especially Squirt. “We have some serious Squirt fans here,” he laughs.
Learn more
Raindrop website:
Jacques Spitzer LinkedIn:
Agency LinkedIn:
Contact: sp*****@******op.agency
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