Sometimes a coffee shop opening is just a coffee shop opening. Unless you’re Allen & Gerritsen, in which case you convince an entire Massachusetts town to legally change its name to Dunkin’ for a day. After three years without a location, Stow’s “Dunkin Desert” ended with the mayor handing over the keys to a mascot and national media coverage from TikTok to USA Today.
Meanwhile, McKinney dropped data showing Raleigh/Durham tops the list for new grads, backing it up with real testimonials about lower costs and better quality of life. And Chameleon Collective made the case in Fast Company that fractional leadership isn’t a compromise — it’s often the smartest move a company can make. Indie Agency News members are proving that with the right mix of audacity, data, and timing, even the smallest moments can become movements.
🎪 The Art of the Impossible Campaign
When indies turn limitations into launch pads
Quality Meats Creative created what they’re calling an NSFW campaign for Jeppson’s Malört, inviting LinkedIn to describe the taste of Chicago’s most polarizing spirit (best safe-for-work description: “Like driving through Gary Indiana with your mouth open”).
Giant Spoon transformed Comic-Con into a playground with Google Play’s Fantastic Four activation, complete with a conveyor belt experience that let fans test superhero powers while collecting rewards.
Omelet made Ad Age’s best celebrity brand ads roundup for Monopoly Go’s ’80s sitcom spoof that tests actors Jake Johnson and Sunita Mani’s sitcom chops, with Will Ferrell returning to voice Mr. Monopoly.
Terri & Sandy kept Pride momentum going into August with their Unbannable Book project, collecting LGBTQIA+ creative work to preserve against censorship.
💼 Leadership Gets Human (Finally)
Indies model what executive presence actually looks like
Trade School and 22squared CEO Genna Franconi opened up on the Own It podcast about her journey to agency leadership, discussing mentorship, motherhood, and building client partnerships that matter.
VaynerMedia introduced us to their Chief Heart Officer Claude Silver, proving that caring about people isn’t just good karma — it’s good business.
Iris CEO Jill Smith shared her unfiltered journey on You’ll Get There, complete with career pivots and honest doubts.
22squared‘s Jenny Yeend earned recognition as one of Atlanta’s Top 50 Women Leaders, while Alto New York‘s Ed Brojerdi made Campaign’s 40 Over 40 list, “letting the work do the talking”.
🤖 AI Shifts From Buzzword to Business Tool
How indies are actually using the tech everyone’s talking about
Yes& Agency published a reality check on how generative AI is quietly reshaping B2B marketing operations — not through hype but through instant performance insights and smarter content versioning.
Red Door Interactive warned that if your content isn’t structured for AI platforms, “it’s not just unseen, it’s irrelevant”, offering tools to help brands earn their place in AI-generated answers.
McKinney explored how agentic AI is solving the eternal “what should we eat?” dilemma, helping both consumers and food brands make faster, smarter decisions.
Portland State University showcased a student who built an algorithmic trading platform using real-time market data, proving academic programs can produce market-ready innovation.
🎙️ Content That Actually Connects
Indies find formats that cut through the noise
Odd Notion dropped their latest Sunny Brands podcast featuring R.S. Wallace Construction, exploring how a family construction company became B Corp certified while maintaining profitability.
LBRB Collective published Chapter 9 of their pitch anatomy book on Substack, tackling “What Are You Pretending to Care About?” — the moment when chemistry matters more than credentials.
Agency SOS released their “Build a Better Brief” guide as a free download, turning years of wasted creative briefs into actionable templates.
Reverve Agency rebranded their Permission to Seek podcast to Humans & Brands, focusing on the messy intersection of leadership, identity, and work.
📊 Data With a Point of View
When research becomes revelation
Response Media marked 45 years of data-driven marketing by reminding everyone they were doing “performance marketing” before it had a name.
Mower Agency hosted a webinar revealing the 60+ demographic as “your next growth engine”, challenging assumptions about who’s really driving loyalty and revenue.
Portland State University published finance research showing how relationship institutions enhance IPO firm value through long-term investments and better governance.
Saylor dropped truth bombs about Gen Alpha, noting that Gen Z is almost 30 and brands need to stop planning like it’s 2019.
🚀 Growth Stories Worth Studying
New wins, new approaches, new possibilities
Corner Table Creative welcomed VEG ER for Pets as their newest (and cutest) client, immediately launching paid social campaigns.
Argonaut paired Love Island’s Ariana Madix with Maru-Hi’s sparkling cocktails, turning summer heat into brand momentum.
TravelBoom Hotel Marketing completed a full website revamp for Rush Creek Lodge, focused on boosting direct bookings and reducing OTA dependence.
Brandon broke down in LBB how they helped FTC leap from legacy systems to mobile-first, reverse-engineering infrastructure and designing for data that didn’t exist yet.
🎭 Culture Clubs and Creative Communities
Building spaces where talent actually wants to work
Attention Arc brought their distributed team to NYC for strategy, softball, and karaoke, proving that investing in each other makes the work better.
Moontide Agency let their interns write, shoot, and edit their own National Intern Day video, because “the best way to learn the business is to be in the business.”
Highdive celebrated their Springboard interns’ final presentations after nine weeks of real client work.
David&Goliath opened registration for Brave Camp 2025, continuing their mission to help kids discover courage and build friendships.
Indie Agency News brings together 280+ independent agencies from around the world. If you’re solving real problems with creative intelligence (and occasional town renamings), come join us.
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