“Our work is so effective, sometimes we’re legally bound never to show it,” Graf added with a laugh—referring to a campaign Slap made for Fox Sports that went after a TV provider for dropping the network. Eventually, the provider struck a deal to keep the network, Graf said, but on the condition that Slap’s work never be shown to the public.
“We had to sign all these legal documents. That’s the most I can say,” Graf said. “But our work is so effective, we have lawyers telling us we can’t even show it to our wives.”
The future of Slap
As its profile continues to rise, the agency, whose client list also includes SeatGeek, Samsung, Unilever, Eastern Mountain Sports and Bayer Argentina, is taking on new clients only sparingly—and only if they’re open to having their ideas challenged.
“At these chemistry meetings, the client says, ‘We’re going to see if we want to work with you.’ And we say the same,” said Itzkoff. “We are very clear in the first conversations. If we don’t feel there’s a good vibe in the first meeting, we don’t work with that client. And fortunately, it works.”
“It’s almost all project work, which is a lot different from when I started Barton, when it was mostly AOR,” added Graf, referring to his previous agency venture, Barton F. Graf, which closed in 2019. “It’s more of a hustle for me this time because you’re always making sure the next project’s coming in.”