EDITORIALS
Vote for the 2010 Boston Agency of the Year
After another odd year in this industry, which saw inclines, declines and flat lines, we proudly present our first annual 2010 Boston Agency of the Year poll.
Our criteria for the most deserving agency is as follows. Feel free to add your own when you cast your vote.
1 – Authenticity, creativity and consistency of output.
2 – Success in retaining clients and winning new business.
3 – Strength of billings.
Who gets your vote? Let's hear it in the comments below.
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Small Army
Arnold. Yes, they're big, but everyone took a hit and they bounce back the biggest. They've tons of new business and kept their work good.
SMALL ARMY!
Not only because they're huge fans of your blog (awww) but they have a growing team of rock stars and an ever-growing client list to boot!
This year's highlights included projects for Solid Works (http://www.solidworks.com/pages/programs/letsgodesign) and Emerson Hospital (http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/photoserve/See-What-You-Dont-K-1277.shtml)
And if you could possibly need any other reason, they have big projects coming up in 2011 and their employees are a happy, proud, hard-working small army.
Arnold, baby. So many wins. Retained major national clients. Racked up awards.
There are lots of great agencies in Boston. But, Small Army definitely deserves the prize.
Arnold.
Impressive and consistent new business record over the past year and pumping out solid work and growing results for existing clients.
Also revamping of top-tier management, attracting hot new talent and solid investment and faith from the parent company.
2011 is going to be an even bigger year for both new and existing clients.
Odds that Eugene Kim said Mullen up until 2 months ago?
10000000000%
Mullen.
New wins. Lots of them. Including the most talked about pitch of the year in Zappos. A huge win in jetBlue with an amazing campaign launch. A tough shootout for an outstanding brand, Fage Yogurt, resulting in a win. And as of last night, a win of Best Use Of New Media (in the country) for Olympus.
Mullen - they rock!
MULLEN
Stuart you're so right. Eugene Kim keeps showing-up at Mullen parties and drinking our booze. I sense he is deeply conflicted.
MULLEN!!
Be that as it may, Stewart, I second Eugene's vote for Arnold based off the sole case of Hot new talent. Sex sells.
MULLEN. Their client's speak for themselves. Just ask JetBlue.
MULLEN
New Biz -- Zappos, Jet Blue, Qwest, FAGE
Media Maven Award for John Moore
Numerous media and creative awards for Jet Blue, Olympus, Zappos, Timberland
Breaking new ground in mobile, augmented reality, iPad, iPhone
Doing more than pumping out solid work, Mullen is pumping out work that gets noticed and actually works.
Mullen. Lot's of new Biz wins. Great work for many clients. Great digital/social.
Mullen!
I go where the party is!
And I work where they don't make fun of me... wah waaahhh.
And who's NOT gonna vote for their agency? Haha!
Mullen! Jet Blue, Olympus, Zappos, Timberland.
MULLEN!
Mullen...innovative work, great clients, and unbeatable talent.
MULLEN.
Biggest wins in New England—including winning Fage, JetBlue, Zappos. HUGE talent acquisitions.
I feel like Arnold has the hype, Mullen has the work.
zappos, jet blue, timberland, fage, olympus.... MULLEN!
Mullen
Really made a splash this year.
Mullen.
Big new clients, big talent, exciting new hires, vodka in every file cabinet and we've managed to keep most of our sex tapes private.
Mullen. Lots of national new business wins and solid, creative work.
Mullen. Took some great steps forward this year and will keep on going.
Mullen is the obvious favourite.
Rock the industry!
Mullen. New clients: JetBlue, Zappos, Fage. Existing clients are awesome - Bruins, that penguin stuff for the Aquarium. And then there's the new creative department. We really need a contest for this? Come on.
New JetBlue campaign was awesome along with the Augmented Reality for Olympus.
oh yeah MULLEN!!
mullen. without a doubt.
mullen. without a doubt.
let's see...Arnold hires a bunch of junior folk from Mullen. Mullen replaces them with talent from Crispin, Goodby, Modernista.
who has the sexy new hires?
Are you kidding? Mullen. Kicking ass. Getting digital. Cleaned up at MITX. Showed they can do the old and the new. Not many others can say that.
MULLEN!!
MULLEN, all the way!!
MULLEN, baby!!
Mullen. Yup.
Mullen!
Mullen, duh.
Who has the most people in Boston on their distro list?
That one will win :P
Studiocom all the way!
Mullen!
Mullen hands down, and unlike others here, full disclosure, I work there. And the criteria for Best Agency is exactly why I do:
1 – Authenticity, creativity and consistency of output.
Not only have we been on an incredible streak, but Mullen's vision, creativity and approach is bringing business to Boston that would have never even stepped foot in the market before Mullen transformed the way we think about communications and technology in the future. The work, across all channels speaks for itself.
2 – Success in retaining clients and winning new business.
Zappos, JetBlue, Fage, Olympus (1st time ad campaign) are the biggest and shiniest, but we have consistently picked up new business from big and small. And no one talks about how righteous MediaHub has been under the leadership of John Moore. We are cleaning up strategically and creatively on all fronts, minus the silos and politics that other agencies in this market are forced to deal with being on different P&L's.
Integration, technology and unbound creativity rule the day, and Mullen is light years ahead right now. (And its not lost on me that this will cause other agencies to want to beat the sh#t out of us. It's all good, particularly for Boston, so catch up kids.)
3 – Strength of billings.
Question a bit above my paygrade, but if strength is measured by talent acquired and maintained, the fervor in which we pursue ancillary opportunities for growth in emerging and, at times, untested areas, consistent thought leadership in the industry, but more importantly with clients, as well as the strength and incremental growth of existing accounts, I'd say Mullen is doing pretty well for itself.
Some may be bigger, none are better. Line's drawn my friends.
Mullen. I evangelize all day long about working for Mullen. Why? It's simple: We are doing great things here.
Mullen!!!
Mullen all the way baby!
1) Some of the biggest wins in the industry landed right here. Cuz Clients know whats up.
2) Crushed digital awards like MITX
3) Best coffee bar in town!
Just sayin'
Mullen!!!!
Mullen, which laid off 100 workers during the recession but now has hired twice that number and landed such progressive brand accounts as Zappos and JetBlue.
During this communication revolution accelerated by the recession, people like Mullen's Edward Boches have been blazing a new trail for agencies and clients.
As author Clay Shirky has said, “It is the people who figure out how to work simply in the present, rather than the people who mastered the complexities of the past, who get to say what happens in the future.”
Mullen is helping to define the future of advertising.
boathouse! :)
Mullen is the best!
Mullen rules on all criteria, especially hot new biz streak and strongest integrated work in town by far.
MULLEN hands down!
Mullen. They've been amazing with their new business wins and integrated work!
Mullen, hands down!
allen&gerritsen gets my vote hands down!
Longevity and depth of relationships with clients, significant growth in a challenging economy, incredibly talented people, great culture, innovation, knowledge and leadership that "gets it" and is devoted/dedicated to the industry!!!
TC
Mullen.
Connelly Partners. Who knew that an agency of this size could sweep so many wins, so many awards and so many honorable mentions in one year?
Connelly Partners! Tufts Health Plan & Samsonite TV, the Regift Auction, come on now.
Connelly Partners.
Can't get much better than this!
Mullen all the way
Studiocom baby!
DIGITAS! DIGITAS! DIGITAS! Best company I've ever worked for.
The BBJ even named us one of the best places to work!
I definitely second the Digitas love. Awesome place to work for, and if you're judging on creativity, it doesn't get much better than this: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/digitas-cache/id403846333?mt=8
Hands down Mullen!
Arnold.
Arnold has won 20+ new accounts this year without losing any existing clients. In addition, they have added deep senior talent from agencies like Crispin and AKQA.
Arnold.
Arnold has won 20+ new accounts this year without losing any existing clients. In addition, they have added deep senior talent from agencies like Crispin and AKQA.
Allen and Gerritsen
their work is always new and creative
they do work that i have never seen before
Studiocom!
Allen & Gerritsen!
allen & gerritsen
The wins, the growth and check out who they have hired in 2010. Watch out.
Allen and Gerritsen - significant growth in a tough economy, tenured clients, talented people and smart creative that delivers results for clients
allen and gerritsen, hands down. growth, creativity, strategy, amperslam fridays, never settling, always questioning what's next, and always fun. no one else in boston even comes close!
Allen& Gerritsen. Amazing growth. Great work with Zildjian.
Amazing Creative and super duper employees!
Allen & Gerritsen
Amazing Creative and super duper employees.
Allen & Gerritsen!!!!!
A&G!!!
A&G! Size doesn't matter when it comes to the Agency of the Year! Talented people, double digit growth over consecutive years and being fiercely independent does! Our work, our people and our culture speaks as the true testament of innovation! There is something special happening at Allen & Gerritsen. Try and keep up...
Allen & Gerritsen! consistent growth, fiercely independent, extremely talented people and a really great place to work - Allen & Gerritsen IS the agency of the year!
Allen & Gerritsen!
Hi.
You are all assholes.
Digitas all the way!!
not even close, its digitas. best clients, best culture and most importantly the best people
Digitas!!!
Digitas!!!
Digitas!
Digitas is clearly the agency of the year in Boston.
Big wins coming out of Boston on Goodyear, Aflac and other key clients.
Groundbreaking work on Buick.
Impressive recruitment of top new talent
Digitas!
Been here 10 years. Cutting edge creative and fantastic work environment!
Digitas! Best people, best work and getting better.
I vote for Digitas. Really hot work coming out of that agency.
Top brands as clients and huge wins in 2010
Top brands as clients and huge wins in 2010, Digitas!
Digitas, baby!
DIGITAS!!
Definitely Digitas !!
Super-smart people, great working environment
DIGITAS, of course.
Digitas is the best company I have ever worked at!
We rock!
Digitas! Great work, great people.
Digitas clearly deserves to win! :)
Digitas
DIGITAS!
Digitas!!!
We have the nicest office, best culture, produce great work for clients, opportunities for growth and best of all - we're a fun bunch!
Also, I'd like to add that though I vote for Digitas, I think Arnold made huge strides by snagging Eugene Kim.
Um... DIGITAS
Ever-expanding even in a down year. Great creative, great tech, great clients, great people...
Digitas!!
I vote for digitas. Its amazing work culture and great process of work which make it really cool place to work for.
Digitas!
Digitas is the clear winner here. TOP talent, best creative, cool office and culture, amazing clients and most importantly great people.
It's a new age in advertising and the winner be measured not just on creativity, but on willingness to engage whole-heartedly with new media and ability to take big clients along the ride.
My vote is for Digitas: for bring new life to the Boston ad scene with huge wins like Aflac, ConocoPhillips, & Goodyear; for bring more and more award winning digital creative pieces to the table, like Buick’s Moment of Truth and Crest Yuckmouth; and for daring to embrace strategy and measurement, and still kicking butt.
DIGITAS! DIGITAS!
It's gotta be Digitas with some great new business wins and groundbreaking work.
Awesome work and culture:
-> Top brands as clients and huge wins in 2010 including Aflac, ConocoPhillips, & Goodyear
-> Industry-leading client work—Buick’s Moment of Truth and Google Goggles campaigns, Tide’s “Design for Venus,” & Crest’s YuckMouth to name a few
-> Volunteer Day, holiday fundraisers and other community initiatives
-> Shared learning sessions with industry titans including Yahoo!, Google, etc.
-> 9 Flex Days and 16 holidays
-> The Tap Room, pool tables, & ping pong tables
-> The Women’s Forum, Parents' Group and the other groups that help us pursue our interests
This is why we’ve been recognized by the Boston Business Journal as a Best Place to Work.
Clearly Digitas is the best agency!
Digitas for sure
Digitas, no doubt.
Digitas.
Brand leader, digital leader, worlds ahead of dinosaur traditional agencies. Massive new wins (Aflac, Goodyear, etc.), more days off than any other agency.
Heck, the mayor came here to announce his successful relection campaign.
The most relevant and forward thinking agency we have in Boston, hands down.
Digitas!
DIGITAS! Pool tables,flexible time off, great employees, and great leadership.
Digitas!
Studiocom!
Digitas. Great (huge) wins all year including AOR for Goodyear. No agency in town does more to lead brands through today's marketing landscape than Digitas.
Digitas! Great leadership, inspiring people, and fantastic work. Wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
DIGITAS!!!!
digitas rocks!
Digitas / Digitas Health
the truth is in the numbers... and we have a tap.
Digitas!
Digitas/Digitas Health
Ok, yes Mullen did some great work this year (NEAQ, Zappos) and has some great people but this vote is for DIGITAS.
Digitas all the way!
Digitas!!
Digitas Boston kicks major agency $%#.
Digitas!
D I G I T A S
Hardest working, smartest crew in Boston for sure. If you're tired of producing work not focused on getting results for your brand this is the shop to be working with.
Gotta be Digitas
Digitas 100%...the best talent, the best work and the best energy!
Digitas! Big clients, great work, and awesome perks!
Digitas
One word: AWESOME!!!
Digitas hands down. No one can deliver the creative solutions they create on the sustainable technology platforms they use to build them. Their solutions are built to last.
DIGITAS!!!! Amazing work from super talented people.
Digitas!!!
Digitas!
Digitas Boston has great momentum and fabulous talent!!!!!
D I G I T A S boston ain't nothing to mess with!
Digitas. This was a year of major wins and we are poised to bring our clients to the forefront of the mobile marketing landscape.
Digitas is amazing, all of you should bow down to their throne as the best agency in Boston and moreover THE WORLD
MULLEN
They are the only agency in the city who is truly embracing the change happening in the industry. And it's showing in their new business wins.
DIGITAS all the way!
Digitas - Great client wins in Aflac and Goodyear, great energy, and innovation
Allen & Gerritsen!
A&G.
One vote for Brand Content. Suckahs.
Is A&G Allen & Gerritsen?
Yes Susie...a&g is allen & gerritsen.
Allen & Gerritsen
IT'S ALL ABOUT 18.
JetBlue, Zappos, FAGE and more... the best brands know that MULLEN Boston is the place to be. Plus, MULLEN Boston is taking everyone's candy and winning numerous digital and emerging media awards (several from MITX and MediaPost).
Not to mention growing accolades in "traditional" media, mobile, social, app development and creative.
All this good karma has attracted some of the best creative talent and 2011 looks to be even bigger.
Sure there are other good agencies in Boston, but since MULLEN moved out of the woods all of the other agencies are running scared.
ALLEN & GERRITSEN
Huge pool of talented, motivated workers.
Ability to experience growth in the declining economy.
Winning a ton of new work.
Creatives are booming.
Its all about the "&".
a&g a&g a&g a&g a&g a&g a&g a&g a&g
Allen & Gerritsen!
Obviously Digitas!!!
Digitas is consistently the best agency, and this year is no exception.
Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas! Digitas!
DIGITAS!
allen & gerritsen no doubt
Digitas - great company, community-oriented and willing to give to others in need. A company that cares for employees and helps in their career development.
Digitas!!!!
Great talent, great clients, great work - it's Digitas, baby!
Digitas!!!
Digitas... obivously.
Digitas!!!
a&g. not afraid to forge into new spaces. 2 years of double-digit growth, among existing and new clients, in tough economy. Great people and collaborative, fun environment.
Digitas!
Digitas. Great year. The work is getting better every day.
DIGITAS!
Smart people, entrepreneurial spirit, growing and the best coffee selection I've ever seen!
Digitas!
A&G: All day everday!!!! The best indeed.
Mullen.
Come back agency of the year. A year after moving from the suburbs, they are winning awards for Digital and Mobile. Just this week Brenna Hanley was recognized as Mobile Woman to Watch, and follows in the footsteps of CMO John Moore as AdAges' Media Mavin, Swept MITX and the National Media Awards. New and contemporary clients with great new ideas. Sure, a few people left and went to Arnold (and funny how they are already on the bandwagon to diss their old agency in public - totally uncool). New talent coming in with different perspectives and killer motivation to do great work. Junior people are afforded responsibilities that peers at other agencies wouldn't get to to until 5+ years into their role. It's all around becoming such a force to be reckoned with.
Digitas. Lots of new biz wins this year, great parties, great creative people. And it has the small feel.
Allen & Gerritsen, Allen & Gerritsen, Allen & Gerritsen...bueller, bueller, bueller.....Definitely! Proven track record and they keep pushing the envelope with creativity. They know how to work with and for a client. Stick with'em and you can't go wrong.
A&G is the Agency of the Year!
Huge growth, integration and idea generation accross all disciplines, fun and passionate people who love doing what they do, great work.
Allen & Gerritsen!
Digitas for sure - best culture, best talent, best clients... consistently
DIGITAS
allen & gerritsen!!!
Digitas is the best agency to work for and with!!
Digitas is the best agency to work for and with!!
allen & gerritsen has the best and brightest... that makes them the best!
DIGITAS
DIGIGITAS
DIGITAGITAS
DIGITADIGITAS
DIGITAS DIGITAS
DIGITAS DIGITAS
DIGITAS DIGITAS
DIGITAS DIGITAS
DIGITAS DIGITAS
DIGITAS DIGITAS
DIGITAS DIGITAS
DIGITAS DIGITAS
DIGITAS DIGITAS
Hey, why did all the spaces get deleted?!!
This was meant to be fashioned into a gorgeous Digitas logo!!
Great culture, fantastic clients. My vote is Digitas!
Digitas!!!!!
Digitas!!
Digitas. For a heapin' helpin' of reasons.
Digitas has fun AND hard working teams and amazing clients. Digitas for the win!
Digitas for Agency of the Year!
Digitas!!
Digitas for Agency of the Year!
Digitas for the win!
Arnold won 20+ new accounts, didn't lose a single one, and added solid senior talent from CPB, WK, and AKQA.
Digitas. For the following reasons:
1. They showed the strength of character to bid farewell to some senior leaders that failed to lead.
2. They are changing the way creative happens and is supported across capabilities.
3. They are trying to make the culture come alive (instead of pretending that announcing things as 'cool' and 'hip' will make it so.)
4. Charitable work goes further and deeper than even the finance dudes know. There are a lot of great people doing work that affects lives - and that means more than all the dusty trophies in the lobby combined.
DIGITAS: agency of record for 6 new clients; TV, digital, CRM; TONS of growth in 2010.
Obviously Digitas all the way!
Digitas has amazing talent & people.
mu//en
MULLEN!!!
Digitas has the best culture, best clients!
Digitas forever
Mullen, without a doubt. 2010 was just the beginning. Bigger and better things to come in 2011.
DIGITAS FO SHO
For three reasons:
Arnold is the only truly full service and creative driven shop in Boston.
They have the numbers of people and creative savvy needed to help win and retain top client relationships.
Plus as a new employee, I've experienced the fun loving culture that I've come to expect from an agency.
Digitas!
This company has the momentum in Boston right now for sure! Great talent, great clients, great work... and a great place to work.
DIGITAS!!!!!!
Digitas all the way; great agency to work for, great clients, great environment.
Hello?! It's hands down KSV | BOSTON!
Connelly Partners... Tufts Health Plan!
Say it with me folks... KSV! KSV!
KSV | Boston
KSV | Boston allllllllll the way!
KSV | Boston - Arbella Insurance and the Psychiatrist Campaign - amazingly entertaining creative on a rather bland topic.
Allen & Gerritsen! great culture, amazing growth, and no jerks.
allen & gerritsen.....fiercely independent.
I'd have to disagree with this criteria. Keeping clients, new biz, billings, blah... money isn't the heart of a great shop (I still have great respect for Modernista).
Sapient made the most unexpected thunder this year but I'm going to vote for Digitas (former employee) simply because they have the most robust philanthropic program of any agency I've experienced. They've likely done more pro-bono and local good than all agencies combined, like this effort which humbly doesn't even tout its' maker:
Connelly Partners!!!!!
Hey Mr. P,
We had no idea about Digitas' Flurrious site. That's great, we love it. Check it out...
http://www.thebostonegotist.com/news/local/2010/december/21/get-flurrious
Seriously? 20+ New Biz wins, digital momentum...
Arnold #gww
KSV | BOSTON all the way!
12 people strong and continuing to grow!
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