Preacher may not be one of the “pioneer” agencies of Austin, Texas, says Chief Strategy Officer Seth Gaffney, but in 2018 it was inarguably one of the more standout shops in the Southwestern city. The 60-person agency, founded in 2014 by Gaffney, CEO Krystle Loyland and Chief Creative Officer Rob Baird, reportedly nearly doubled revenue last year over 2017. It established a distinct and refreshingly lighthearted voice with campaigns like “In With the New” with Reese Witherspoon for Crate & Barrel and “Where Space Comes From” for The Container Store (while becoming that brand’s first agency of record). The shop also scored several new pieces of business, including Coca-Cola’s Fanta; MillerCoors’ Saint Archer; ESPN’s ACC Network; Beam Suntory’s Old Overholt; and Topgolf.

Riding on that 2018 success, Preacher recently collected its first Effie for the comical “BullSh*t Free Eggs” campaign for Vital Farms and landed its first Super Bowl spot in 2019 for Simplisafe, which played on people’s innate fears while being conscious not to surface any new ones. 

Gaffney says Preacher’s momentum is fueled by an increased focus on using data in creative and a new will to say “no.” “You learn to value your own time, making sure you’re getting what you’re worth,” he explains. “That’s certainly a nice place to be in that we don’t take for granted.”