The pandemic has been hard on the ad industry, but for small independent ad agencies without the safety net of a deep-pockets parent company, it was downright perilous. But not only did the small agency community survive, it excelled, as is evident from the winners of this year’s Ad Age Small Agency Awards. 

See all the winners of Ad Age's 2021 Small Agency Awards here.

The agencies honored in this contest—now in its 13th year—were buoyed by their culture and work ethic. Many promised no layoffs or salary cuts—and kept their word. They aggressively went after new business and prevailed. They created work-from-home production studios. They instituted programs to safeguard and engage quarantined employees. They championed racial equity and social justice. And they successfully worked to diversify their ranks.

Some of the shops recognized this year actually saw revenue declines—but that did not slow them down. They kept pitching and they continued to turn out excellent creative that kept their own shops working while giving clients ideas and strategies to keep their businesses running during the pandemic. Some of the shops on this list lost business and were forced to lay off as clients cut back spending, but are now firmly on track to restore and grow their ranks and revenue.

“If last year showed us anything, it was the power of creating connections,” said Ad Age Executive Editor Judann Pollack. “The small agencies on this list did just that. They maintained a closeness with their employees and clients while helping brands create critical connections to consumers—all during a time when we were all socially distant.”

The Ad Age Small Agency Awards honors agencies of up to 150 employees in varied regions throughout the country for creativity, culture and business results.

See all the winners of Ad Age's 2021 Small Agency Awards here.