How Highdive wins over ‘mass America’—and not just with Super Bowl ads

Highdive has come to be known for its large-scale Super Bowl ads, but the Chicago-based shop is proving it can make a big splash on much smaller stages. That’s not to say Highdive doesn’t continue to dominate the Big Game. See all of Ad Age’s 2025 Agency A-List winners here The independent agency—which got backing from Chicago-based private equity firm Svoboda Capital last year—was behind this year’s Super Bowl spots for Lay’s and MSC Cruises. It was also behind a planned in-game commercial for State Farm—a follow-up from last year’s ad in which Highdive enlisted Arnold Schwarzenegger, who struggled to pronounce the word “neighbor”—that was canceled due to the Los Angeles wildfires. That State Farm 2024 Big Game ad marked the insurance group’s first time topping the USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter—and the fourth time Highdive achieved the No. 1 placement. Mark Gross, Highdive’s co-founder and co-chief creative officer, said MSC Cruises came to the agency to launch its first Super Bowl ad, which featured Drew Barrymore and Orlando Bloom and promoted a new cruise ship. The partnership will continue with more projects slated for 2025. Brands considering Super Bowl spots, often for the first time, come to Highdive because of its success in this arena. Along with State Farm, Highdive created a BetMGM Super Bowl ad last year, as well as in-game spots for Rocket Mortgage in 2022 and 2021 and Jeep in 2020. Gross, Highdive CEO and Owner Megan Lally and Chad Broude, the agency’s other co-founder and co-CCO, agreed they wear their Super Bowl expertise like a badge of honor. “We can be known for worse things,” Gross said. Double-digit growth But Highdive didn’t just rest on its Super Bowl laurels to deliver its eighth consecutive year of double-digit revenue growth. Thanks to continued work with existing clients and several new client wins, revenue soared 33% in 2024. On the opposite end of an $8 million Super Bowl buy, the agency said it utilized “a media budget of precisely zero dollars” to produce a campaign that helped the NHL pursue Gen Z fans. The spot leveraged the NHL’s Gen Z stars to challenge negative workplace stereotypes about the generation. The ad was placed on NHL social channels and ran during NHL commercial breaks. It’s been reposted by hockey and non-hockey media outlets and generated more than 15 million views. Highdive said it saw especially strong engagement on TikTok, where it generated 10 million views on the NHL’s page. Broude said connecting with “mass America” can come in the form of a Super Bowl commercial or a social campaign. Everything comes from “just a really good idea,” he said. In the case of the NHL, it was the insight that all of the NHL’s superstars right now are “actually Gen Z.” Lally said Highdive took seven or eight calls from brands considering Super Bowl ads for this year’s game and said the agency first asks “what success looks like” for that brand before offering a recommendation. “We talk about engagement, how important is the Ad Meter and the popularity of the creative,” Lally said. “Clients have a few different reasons why they might want to do [a Big Game spot], or maybe the Super Bowl isn’t what we need to do, even though it’s really fun and exciting. It starts with what they’re trying to achieve.” Speed and results Highdive scored a big win when it got added to KFC’s roster last year. Its first work for the fast-food chain declared a Chicken Tender War, a departure for KFC, which largely sat on the sidelines of the chicken sandwich battles between rivals Popeyes and Chick-fil-A that began in 2019. It was work that delivered—an agency spokesperson said the ad war achieved “significant gains across all core metrics, including satisfaction, value perception, consideration.” The ability to deliver creative ideas quickly and drive business results were two main reasons why KFC chose Highdive as a creative partner, said Anna Faktorovich, KFC’s U.S. VP of brand management. “We’re in the QSR business and it moves fast. Speed is a critical component of success for us,” Faktorovich said. “It’s absolutely critical to make sure that our creative, campaigns, media and content, no matter where they’re seen, actually drive results.” Speed and agility are two reasons bigger brands are being drawn to work with smaller independent agencies such as Highdive. Highdive last year also became a global creative partner for water filtration company Culligan and expanded its relationship with Boost Mobile, winning AOR duties for its sibling brand Dish Network. Plus, 37% of the agency’s growth was organic; Highdive increased revenue with existing clients including State Farm and Perfetti Van Melle brands Airheads and Mentos. Internal growth With its investment from Svoboda, Highdive moved into a larger office at Chicago’s Merchandise Mart. The agency brought in 37 new employees in 2024 and continued to bolster its in-house production shop, 1986 Studios, under new President Jen Passaniti, who was promoted last November but continues to also serve as head of production. Highdive said 1986 Studios delivered more than 75% growth in 2024. Highdive strives to be an agency where people can grow, shift and evolve their careers without moving to a new company. It boasted a 90% employee retention rate in 2024. Gross said Highdive has helped employees switch departments, including one account person who transitioned to the creative department. “We’re all for that,” he said. Despite some agencies cutting back on DEI due to mounting conservative pressure, Highdive continued to invest in improving diversity within its walls. The agency said people of color representation more than doubled in the last two years, 59% of new hires in the past year identify as female, LGBTQ+ representation increased by 50% in 2024 and its leadership team is now 67% female and 22% people of color. In 2024, Highdive also received pay equity certification from the State of Illinois, saying that confirmed its “longstanding commitment to fair and equitable compensation across gender and ethnicity.” “Despite what’s happening outside of Highdive, we’re continuing to focus on our diversity efforts,” Lally said. “Our overall goal is to have a team that reflects the audiences that we’re speaking to. It’s important to us, we haven’t changed our outlook on that.” See all of Ad Age’s 2025 Agency A-List winners here

How Highdive wins over ‘mass America’—and not just with Super Bowl ads

Featured Stories