“How does an agency like AREA 23 keep up the momentum it’s created through years of consistent growth and top creative honors, especially during the pandemic and so-called “great resignation”? AREA 23 President Renée Mellas offers a refreshing perspective: “We’re still winning, but not at the expense of losing. Five, 10 years ago, it was win at all costs, all about results. But we’ve come to realize that if we focus on our people and creating a great workplace for them to thrive in, the results will follow.” Adds Tim Hawkey, AREA 23 chief creative officer, “And boy have they followed. The people at AREA 23 stepped up and turned 2021 into the agency’s best year for growth, culture, and creativity in the last decade.”

“The Bloc continued to drive growth and burnish our creative and industry leadership during Year 2 of the coronavirus pandemic,” agency leaders declare. Having passed the $50 million revenue mark for the first time in 2020, the agency drove $56.7 million in 2021 revenue while celebrating its 21st anniversary. The leadership team says, “While our success was sweet, our true inspiration continued to come from our community of Bloc’ers who weathered the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“Do our employees feel seen and cared for? Do our senior leaders lead with compassion? And have we, together, created space for a more heart-forward culture? These are the questions we’ve been reflecting on over the course of the past year,” says Kristen Gengaro, president of CDM. 2021 marked the first full year under the new leadership of CDM – starting with the orchestrated mid-2020 moves of Sharon Callahan, CEO of CDM, and Gengaro from sister Omnicom agency TBWA\WorldHealth. The early addition of creative powerhouses David Stemler as executive creative director and Bruno Brasileiro and Felipe Munhoz as executive VP, group creative directors, rounded out by the recent hire of Chris Barbee as chief strategy officer and the elevation of Katie Isaacs as managing partner have put CDM on a sharp trajectory of growth this year.

Omnichannel has been the word of the year for many brands, as this strategy has become recognized for its impact. Management says CMI Media Group and Compas have taken ownership of this trend, innovating the approach and guiding clients to integrate omnichannel for their brands. The group had predicted this trend several years ago and had begun directing clients toward this strategy, and 2021 marked the ubiquitous adoption industry-wide. Speaking to the trend onstage at Advertising Week in October, and with a panel on the topic accepted via the highly competitive 2022 SXSW panel picker, the agency’s experts this year brought this ideology to a wider audience.

After a year of what agency leaders describe as “remarkable” 15 percent growth in 2020, DDB Health successfully managed that growth in 2021 by adding a diverse group of 46 new individuals to the talent pool. DDB Health executives say the agency maintained its people-first mentality and commitment to its core values to ensure continued long-term success. “The agency lived by its mantra: ‘Dare to Do Boldly…because health can’t wait,’” management says. “The courageous call to action aligns the agency in their focus, driving consistent expectations for employees and work.”