2. Deutsch
Deutsch's 2013 was busy. It named creative chiefs Kerry Keenan and
Pete Favat for its two offices and adding accounts like Taco
Bell,Johnson
& Johnson, 7Up, Netflix and Outback Steakhouse, all of
which helped the shop's revenue grow 5%. Deutsch will also have a
total of five spots in the Super Bowl for clients Volkswagen,
GoDaddy, the Milk Processor's Education Program and Taco Bell. It
lost PlayStation, but added Nintendo's digital account.
3. Vitro
This San Diego-based MDC shop continues to build on momentum that
made it a standout on Ad Age's A-List last year, notching a 36%
revenue increase in 2013. The agency counts among its wins last
year Red Robin, Petco, Wild Turkey Bourbon and Souplantation &
Sweet Tomatoes restaurants -- all without a single account
loss.
4. KBS+
As creative agencies scramble to stay relevant in a digital world,
KBS+ is doing something right. In 2013, the shop saw a 14% increase
in revenue. It added global scope to its BMW business, setting
itself up for growth and geographical expansion this year, and
added accounts including Jay Z Gold fragrance, Boar's Head and
Harman. The shop's Nike skateboarding campaign
went viral, leading to the most successful sneaker launch in Nike
SB history.
5. Rokkan
Last January, Rokkan was Ad Age's No. 1 agency to watch, and the
Publicis Groupe digital shop didn't disappoint. By the end of 2013,
it had lost no business and achieved double-digit growth for its
second consecutive year. It doubled its new-business-win rate, with
22 new relationships, and pushed its way onto the roster of top
marketers like Procter &
Gamble (Herbal Essences); General Mills (Lucky
Charms, Old El Paso and Progresso); and Darden Restaurants
(LongHorn Steakhouse). Rokkan also expanded geographically, adding
offices in Chicago and Los Angeles and expanding its remit in
Europe through new client Aer Lingus.
6. Huge
Despite losing founding partner and Chief Strategy Officer Gene
Liebel among other senior-level staffers, Huge prevailed with a
staggering 38% growth and $130 million in revenue last year. The
digital shop added work from clients like Coca- Cola, eBay, the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Nike and Nestlé among
others. It was also responsible for high-profile web launches, such
as NYC.gov and the Pizza Hut Xbox app. The shop isn't putting all
its eggs in one basket, however: roughly 40% of its global revenue
now comes from offices outside its New York headquarters.
7. CAA
CAA, an agency to watch last year, in 2013 kept proving Hollywood
has a lot to offer adland. Coca-Cola tapped CAA and Ridley Scott to
reimagine its polar bears, resulting in a six-minute film that saw
the 80-year old icons speak for the first time. For Chipotle, it
created "The Scarecrow," another widely watched branded film, and
it created marketing assets for the most-talked-about consumer
product of the year, Google Glass.
8. BFG9000
With 44 staffers, New York-based Barton F. Graf 9000 proved in 2013 that it's
a small agency with big, often really funny, ideas. The shop's
comedic approach reinvigorated the Little Caesar's brand with ads
featuring astronauts exploring the far reaches of Deep Dish pizza,
while for Dish network it generated awareness of the Hopper product
with a "Talk Boston" online game. Revenue grew 17%, thanks to wins
from Unilever and PepsiCo.
9. WongDoody
Though its name sounds silly, clients are increasingly taking this
20-year-old West Coast shop seriously. In 2013, it won seven out of
nine pitches including digital for Scion, the launch of Amazon
Kindle's Paperwhite and Papa Murphy's. Revenue was up 31% and the
shop recruited six senior executives -- four of them digital --
underscoring its dedication to the discipline.
10. Wieden & Kennedy
Dan Wieden's move to chairman last year signaled the culture and
creativity at Wieden & Kennedy can transcend him. W&K
delivered hilarious work for Old Spice and Dodge and won Herbal
Essences, Trident, Turbo Tax and Maxwell House. But it lost Diet
Coke and Levi's -- a sign that the agency must concerntrate on
client retention.
