Mischief finds new range and clients while guarding its culture at all costs

Mischief @ No Fixed Address has enjoyed a magical, meteoric rise since its founding in 2020. And as its successes keep piling up, the agency’s leaders wonder if it isn’t perhaps time to retire a label they’ve been saddled with from the beginning—that of “hot shop.” See all of Ad Age’s 2024 Agency A-List winners here “I would love to graduate out of being referred to as a hot shop and into being an elite shop over a long period of time,” said Kevin Mulroy, executive creative director. “‘Hot’ denotes flash in the pan. We have more rigor and faith in ourselves that we’re going to grow at the right pace to keep being successful.” Mischief’s performance on Ad Age’s A-List certainly puts it in elite company, historically speaking. The agency is No. 1 on the A-List for 2024, just as it was in 2022—with last year’s No. 3 finish in between. Over the past decade, only Wieden+Kennedy has topped the list more than once in the space of three years. Mischief is also Ad Age’s Creative Agency of the Year for 2024—the first time since Droga5 in 2016 that the same shop has won that prize and topped the A-List in the same year. (Mischief was named Newcomer of the Year in 2021, meaning it’s been recognized on the A-List in every year of eligibility.) Perhaps most impressive, it often feels like the agency is still just getting warmed up. “I think when you’re the hot shop, people are waiting for you to cool off, so they can say, ‘OK, that’s over,’” said Greg Hahn, chief creative officer. “But we don’t want to be another cautionary tale. We want to be proof that you can be good and grow.” Winning on its own terms Managing that growth has been critical. Mischief said it boosted revenue by 31% in 2023 while doing work for 19 new brands and seeing a 67% increase in organic growth from current clients. Headcount was also up—to 113 by the end of the year. The agency said it saw 100% client retention and 98% staff retention over the course of the year. Still, it could have grown more. While it welcomed those 19 brands, Mischief claims to have turned down more than 250 other new business opportunities. None of the 19 brands came in through a traditional pitch process, the agency said. Whether you call it a hot shop or not, Mischief continues to maintain a mystique that translates to momentum. The phone keeps ringing, allowing the agency largely to sidestep the pitch process and still get more than enough work from like-minded clients. Ad Age A-List and Creativity Gala Buy your ticket to the in-person event Click here “We’re not anti-pitch,” said Kerry McKibbin, the agency’s president. “It’s just happened fortuitously that the clients we have in-house talk to their friends and say, ‘Those guys are great,’ or someone sees our work and says, ‘That looks tasty, I’d like some of that.’ Sometimes we start with a project, and once we both find we like working together, it grows into more.” The agency’s growth happened in all those ways in 2023. Mischief was named agency of record for Topo Chico Hard Seltzer, expanding its years-long work with Molson Coors, and for Outback Steakhouse, following a Mischief-led Netflix project in 2022 on which Outback was a partner. It also started working with Chili’s, whose chief marketing officer, George Felix, used to work at Tinder—another Mischief client. The agency was also named AOR for Peet’s Coffee and social AOR for Pizza Hut and added projects from other new clients including Cash App, Red Wing Shoes, OpenDoor, Banana Boat, Nutrafol, EA’s The Sims and Monica Lewinsky’s anti-bullying campaign. Meanwhile, it grew its existing relationships, rolling out new work—in some cases, entirely new brand platforms—for the likes of Tubi, Tinder, Heinz, Jell-O, Capri Sun and Lunchables. Expanding its range and scope Long known for its playful and comedically driven work, Mischief did plenty of that in 2023 but expanded its tonal range as well. Campaigns that ventured beyond comedy included a stark anti-bullying effort for Lewinsky (below); a heartwarming real-people film for eos; the defiant “Unresignation Letter” that nurses could sign on behalf of connectRN; and a grassroots rebrand of Canada’s Viral Medicines Initiative as “Conscience.” As its tone expanded, so too did its scope of work. Once known primarily for buzzy projects, the agency is moving more into AOR assignments and the big brand-platform work that comes with them. Examples include Tubi’s “Find Your Rabbit Hole,” Tinder’s “It Starts With a Swipe” and FanDuel Casino’s “Winning Is Undefeated.” The agency is quick to point out, though, that its process for making work hasn’t really changed, regardless of what the assignment is. Broadly speaking, that process is to weave strategy and creativity so closely together that the work delights consumers while still nailing the business objectives. The result tends to be smart, unexpected ideas that move the needle—whether it’s a short-term earned media idea or a long-term brand play. “There’s a hint of creativity to the way we develop strategy because the creative teams are involved in it. It’s not some dry, business-armed document. That’s our real unlock,” said Jeff McCrory, chief strategy officer. “We’ve armed our creative teams with the problem, but wrapped up in a bow that gets them excited. That allows us to think big and creatively, but grounded in real, purposeful human truths or business realities we’re solving for.” See all of Ad Age’s 2024 Agency A-List winners here The creative output last year for Tubi, the Fox-owned streamer, perhaps captures the agency’s evolution best. In addition to the “Rabbit Holes” brand platform introduced on the Super Bowl—which emphasized the streamer’s depth of niche content—Mischief also famously created the 15-second “Interface Interruption” spot. In that ad, the Big Game broadcast appeared to switch over to the Tubi interface, confusing some viewers and grabbing outsized attention on social media during the telecast. Later in the year, the agency expanded its scope with Tubi further by doing B2B work—its efforts, very creative for the space, included short films aimed at media buyers for upfront season—and then extended the “Rabbit Holes” idea with a series of absurdist ads themed “Just Keeps Going.” These efforts showed Mischief firing on all cylinders, building brand and buzz through different (though related) tones for different audiences. Nicole Parlapiano, chief marketing officer at Tubi—who also previously worked at Tinder—said Mischief simply excels at finding the sweet spot between client, audience and culture in ways that stand out. “Mischief doesn’t approach client relationships on ‘What will get sold in?’ They truly focus on how to move both the brand and the practice forward in exciting and new ways,” she said. “Their strategy department is masterful at listening to the business, the consumer, and culture—finding that intersection—and crafting a stellar brief that produces breakthrough work.” Not coincidentally, it’s also work that works. Tubi’s viewer consumption increased by 79% during fiscal year 2023, and it became America’s No. 1 free TV service. Mischief can point to strong efficacy metrics across many clients. It was named the top independent agency at the Effie Awards last June—where client eos was also named the No. 2 most effective brand of the year. (For a more in-depth look at Mischief’s creative output last year—including work for Tinder, Heinz, Peet’s and Chili’s—read our 2024 Creative Agency of the Year profile of the shop.) Choosing clients and talent Along with not growing too fast, the agency is also focused on growing with the right partners—externally with clients and internally with talent. In vetting clients, the agency tends to ask four questions—are they smart, are they nice, do they want to do good work and will they pay fairly? The agency often makes its decision based on the individuals running the brand rather than the brand itself. There also needs to be mutual respect, not just from client to agency but vice versa. Mischief sees itself as somewhat unique in this regard. “[At many agencies] it’s like a battle, and the clients are the enemy,” said Bianca Guimaraes, executive creative director. “The agency is either afraid of saying the wrong thing and losing the client, in which case you’re not set up for success, or you feel like you’re going to war with an idea you have to shove down their throats—like, we know better than them. Instead, we go in with a mindset of truly being partners. We believe both of us can add to this thing to make it amazing.” Ad Age A-List and Creativity Gala Buy your ticket to the in-person event Click here “I think sometimes there’s still a weird tension around good creative—that it has to be difficult to get to, and the agency has to be a pain in the ass,” McCrory added. “We push our clients, but I think they find us remarkably easy to work with. We’re very good at very quickly understanding businesses, and we’re not trying to trick you into anything for some goofy trophy. I think that’s slightly surprising to them. They may have this expectation of ego and angst, then we show up and it’s like, ‘Hey, they’re not like that at all.’” “The secret to growing brands may be, ‘Just don’t be an asshole,’” Hahn added with a laugh. “Maybe it’s that simple.” The agency is similarly careful about talent. It invests heavily in its people, with 70% of its revenue going back into talent, compared to network norms of 50-55%. In terms of staff diversity, 55% of all team members and 58% of leadership identified as female in 2023, while 30% of employees identified with an underrepresented group, up from 28% in 2022. Mischief rigorously vets potential hires, looking for people with range, who have a track record of great work (ideally for big brands in tough categories), are hardworking and, once again, nice. “It sounds trite to say, but we want cool, nice people—not cool as in cool hat and a cigarette holder, but genuinely nice people,” Mulroy said. “Also, just speaking for me, Bianca and Greg, we all prided ourselves on having range. It’s a necessity to make sure we can answer any brief smartly and unexpectedly.” “Doing good work for tough brands, for big brands, shows resilience,” Guimaraes added. “In our industry, a lot of times the best creatives are the most resilient creatives. The ones who really succeed aren’t geniuses who have amazing ideas pop into their heads all the time. It’s the ones who can go brief after brief after brief.” Beyond the creative department, McKibbin said the agency looks for “optimism, humility and confidence” in its hires. They also have to geek out on great work, and not just Mischief’s own. “I want a great answer and a smart answer (about work they love) because ultimately we are all in service to creativity at the end of the day,” she said. “They have to be a fanboy or a fangirl of great work.” Building the agency’s own brand Another thing Mischief has found useful as it grows is building its own brand—the Mischief brand. Unlike most agencies, Mischief has worked hard to develop a point of view and share it regularly with the industry. This, almost as much as the work itself, signals who Mischief is—and acts as a filter for clients and talent who would be a good fit. The agency is active on social media, producing content such as the “Behind the Ad” and “10-Second Ad” series on TikTok, both focused on client work, along with regular—sometimes quite experimental—posts on LinkedIn. (One simply read, “Hey.” It got 246 replies.) @mischiefusa If you’re seeing this, it’s your sign to order a Goodbye Pie from #pizzahut #goodbyepie #valentinesday #valentines #breakup #breakupstory #hothoney #spicy #fyp #viral #xybca ♬ original sound - Mischief @ No Fixed Address “From day one, we’ve been very intentional about acting like a brand with its own distinct voice and personality, one that reflects the kind of work we make—strategically sharp and unignorable,” said Oliver McAteer, head of development. “Mischief is not all things to all people. It does one thing really well: create work that makes a stir, because the riskiest thing a brand can do is be ignorable. So Mischief itself needs to show up in the world in a way that mirrors that.” Every piece of content has a reason for being, McAteer added. “Even the seemingly random things you see from Mischief are a test-and-learn experiment in community engagement and a chance to interact with us like a person, not a faceless entity,” he said. Many of the TikTok posts, in which McAteer personally explains an idea or campaign, function as additional organic media for clients. One video from last April, in which McAteer grins ever more widely while watching video of a woman praising Mischief’s Tinder work, got 2.1 million views. @mischiefusa #duet with @masonnrosee pls sign this release form to be used in ad agency marketing materials #fyp #tinder #dating #datingapp #creativity #marketing #marketingtok #datingstorytime ♬ original sound - Masonrose “I read this quote, and it’s as true for us as it is for our clients: A strong brand allows you to play capitalism on easy mode,” said Hahn. “Once we have our brand out there, we don’t have to compete in the same way other people do, because we’ve already weeded out the people who aren’t right for us and drawn in the people who are. So that’s been a big source of success in new business.” Hahn added that the social posts work because they feel authentic and aren’t overly workshopped. “It’s what we don’t restrict that allows us to be ourselves,” he said. “At a lot of agencies, there’s too many layers and approval process that gets in the way of the brand personality coming through. We put effort into it, but it should feel almost effortless. That’s what you do as a human, and it’s how a corporation should behave, too.” See all of Ad Age’s 2024 Agency A-List winners here Industry engagement like this might seem merely like a nice-to-have. But Soyoung Kang, chief marketing officer at eos, said it’s another example of the extra value Mischief brings to everything it touches. “The work itself is disruptive, unignorable and effective,” she said. “But the cherry on top is how far the Mischief team goes beyond the work, to keep eos in the advertising industry spotlight. Through tireless efforts to secure incremental trade press coverage, industry awards and thought leadership opportunities, Mischief is helping to shape the legacies of brands and marketers alike. I honestly believe they’ve meaningfully contributed to my own success and recognition as a CMO.” A culture worth protecting As Mischief looks to the future, there’s little to suggest it will be derailed as a hot shop—or elite agency—anytime soon. To a person, the partners said what they worry about most is growing too quickly. But even on that topic, they are aligned, which can be rare at agencies. Their independence helps, of course. There are no quarterly targets to hit, no need to grow revenue at all costs—the model at holding companies. But other agencies in a similar position to Mischief in the past have hit the skids, usually after growing past a certain level. “It is what keeps me up at night,” said Hahn. “We’ve seen it happen. You grow, you have to hire really quickly, you bring in the wrong people or take on a client that suddenly you can’t say no to. I’m very conscious of learning from some of the wrong turns other agencies made so we can remain ourselves, no matter what size we get.” “It goes back to all being in service of the same goal,” said McKibbin. “If I were merely driven by revenue, or if Greg wanted certain kinds of clients and Bianca and Kevin wanted different clients, whatever it is—but we don’t. We have a goal for growth. If we exceed that goal, do we realistically think we can stay true to who we are? If the answer is no, we just won’t do it.” Beyond that, things are humming along nicely. The agency operates on a hybrid model, with an office in Dumbo, Brooklyn, and a suggested (not mandatory) two days a week in the office for the 70% of staff who live in the New York area. The partners have been surprised by how many people come in every day, and how many of them hang out after hours. This winter, for the second year in a row, a bunch of them rented a ski chalet together for a week, while still hitting their deadlines on projects. “When I see a photo of them playing pickleball, or out at karaoke, I feel like a proud mom,” McKibbin said. “Someone said, you know you’re running a successful company when you’re not invited to the parties,” added Hahn. Ad Age A-List and Creativity Gala Buy your ticket to the in-person event Click here And if there is any jealousy in the industry toward Mischief—any backlash from their success—the partners say they haven’t felt it. “One thing I can say, we’re not the underdog anymore,” said Mulroy. “But people still seem to be celebrating good work, and that’s good for the industry.” “We’ll see after this article comes out,” Hahn added with a smile. “But honestly, I’ve been amazed and heartened by how supportive this industry has been from the beginning. I’m sure there is inevitably a backlash to anything. We try not to pay too much attention either way. But it’s nice to know you have friends and colleagues out there who are rooting for you.”

Mischief finds new range and clients while guarding its culture at all costs

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