Ad Age Small Agency Awards 2021
These are the shops that shined through the pandemic
The pandemic has been hard on the ad industry, but for small independent ad agencies, it was downright perilous. 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.
The agencies honored in this contest, now in its 13th year, were buoyed by their culture and work ethic. Many were able to avoid layoffs and salary cuts. They aggressively went after new business. 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 last year, but they are rebounding. They kept pitching. And they restored—and even grew—their ranks and revenue by year’s end. And that’s no small feat.
