Authenticity and innovation are IW’s superpowers

In its 35th year, IW Group continues to evolve as a tech-savvy agency. IW's revenue grew from $22 million in 2023 to a projected $24 million last year, but the shop is just as concerned with growing its capabilities while remaining authentic to the communities it serves. Over the years the agency has been building its technology expertise and has helped several clients with their first forays into AI, Web3, VR, blockchain and NFTs. This expertise led to IW creating McDonald’s first AI-led campaigns last year. See all of Ad Age’s 2025 Agency A-List winners here To promote the chain's Grandma McFlurry, IW created an AI translation platform in which users record a message for their grandparents that can be translated into one of 30 languages with a single click. The tool was able to clone the person’s voice and translate the speech fluently. Within the first week of its launch, the AI website received more than 145,000 visitors from across the country and generated thousands of AI translations, the agency said. The Grandma McFlurry sold out within the first 2 1/2 weeks of an intended four-week window, according to IW, and was such a success that McDonald’s implemented it in the general market. For McDonald’s APIA Scholarship Program, IW utilized AI tools to add visuals to videos of students talking about their personal lives and experiences. Typically, this type of work would include a straight-forward interview with a student and some B-roll. Instead, the agency used childhood photos of the students to create a vision board for the ads, said Telly Wong, IW Group’s chief content officer and senior VP. Bill Imada, IW’s chairman and chief connectivity officer, said IW remains consistent in its work because its executives are part of 30 community boards and multiple advisory groups. “Being involved as a grassroots community-based company has given us a lot of stamina in terms of moving along and keeping in touch with what the community is doing and what the industry is doing,” Imada said. This also differentiates the shop from “mass market” agencies that are building multicultural or culture-focused practices, Imada added. Those personal connections helped IW with its campaign for AARP that featured videos of 50+-year-old AAPI dancers performing dances inspired by a combination of tai chi and modern dance. Nita Song, IW’s president and chief momentum officer, said the agency was connected to the dancers by contacts the agency has built through relationships with various community organizations. The campaign drew 10,000 new AARP registrations, more than 10,000 newsletter subscriptions and 1.5 million social impressions to date, according to IW. The agency also helped Lexus launch its TX SUV to the AAPI community by showing modern AAPI families during different family celebrations with content aimed at East Asian and South Asian audiences. The campaign helped Lexus grow its market share 21% among AAPI audiences under 45 years old, according to the agency’s entry. Other notable pieces of IW’s work include a private VIP dinner experience for Suntory and a pop-up that combined karaoke and caroling during the holidays to promote McDonald’s McRib. From a new business perspective, the agency grew its health care practice by securing account wins for Agios Pharmaceuticals and Covered California, which totaled more than $1 million in combined fees. IW also grew its entertainment practice by winning work for shows and movies for Amazon Prime, Hulu, Paramount, Universal Studios and Well Go USA Entertainment. The agency is now investing in its first-ever entertainment IP by working on a feature film called “Hou Yi” with award-winning producer and writer Keith Dorrington, and the agency launched the first-ever Napa Valley Asian Film Festival to showcase emerging AAPI filmmakers and digital creators. Reflecting on the agency’s growth, Imada credited its relationship with Interpublic Group of Cos., which owns a minority stake in the agency. “A lot of people think these acquisitions don’t work, but we actually work really well with Interpublic … they let us do our thing, and they’re very supportive of what we do,” Imada said. While IW’s roots are in AAPI marketing, it has also taken the time to invest in other communities by giving a grant to the Black Executive CMO Alliance and supporting the Imagen Foundation, which supports the inclusion of the Latino community in the entertainment industry. “What’s really important for the agency is not only making money but to give something back, investing in research and investing in other communities, to make sure that they grow as well,” Imada said. See all of Ad Age’s 2025 Agency A-List winners here

Authenticity and innovation are IW’s superpowers

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