Seizing the Moment(um) in 2025

2024 was a big year for us—with some big milestones and lots of momentum. Momentum is an interesting thing. We’ve all seen it – in sports, in business, in life – and we’ve all seen it shift as well. One of my favorite quotes, by Roman philosopher Seneca, is “luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” In some ways, I think that’s part of the perceived magic of momentum. With that, we’re excited to continue to evolve, prepare, and work hard to maximize our potential and capitalize on this incredible momentum we’ve built.

Reflecting on 2024: A Year of Milestones

It was a fun year filled with some meaningful recognition and results-driven campaigns. Here’s a snapshot of what we accomplished:

• Ad Age Small Agency of the Year, Northwest, Silver: This was our first time being recognized by the prestigious Ad Age, and it shined a spotlight on how our employee-owned structure powers creative, strategic, and business success.
• Strategic Creative: From spearheading a large-scale rebrand for Community Colleges of Spokane to their new identity as Spokane Colleges to delivering a 360-degree approach for Idaho Central Credit Union that brought the “Looking After Your Daily Balance” theme to life, we demonstrated our ability to work collaboratively with our clients to create cohesive, impactful campaigns. Additionally, we reimagined brand narratives for legacy brands, including Chevron, Texaco, Challenge Butter, and Danish Creamery, showcasing their legacy while positioning them for modern markets.
• Social Impact: Cause-based work has been core to Drake Cooper since our beginning. We value every opportunity we have to make a difference (and we feel we’ve found a few keys in ensuring the delivery of compelling messages on sensitive topics). In 2024, we were honored to continue the evolution of our Fentanyl Awareness campaign for Idaho’s Office of Drug Policy. The campaign: Fentanyl: All It Takes Is Everything” contributed to a 7.81% reduction in overdose deaths in Idaho during the campaign period*, showcasing the power of purpose-driven storytelling.
• Agency Growth: We expanded to over 80 employee-owners, opened a second office in Los Angeles. One of the exciting things about growth is the opportunities it opens up for our employee-owners. The growth allowed us to open new roles that we’ve never had at the agency before. We filled those roles both internally as well as with external talent, further diversifying our teams, and adding additional value to our fellow team members and clients. And, since we’re employee-owned, the increase to the bottom line goes directly to our employee-owners pockets, both now through profit-sharing and in the future through our increased share price.

Setting the Stage for 2025: Owning the Future

Looking ahead, 2025 is all about building on the momentum we’ve created. Here’s how we plan to “Own It” even more boldly:

• Investing in Creativity & People: Whether exploring AI’s creative potential, pushing boundaries in digital experiences, or investing in our employee-owners through continuing education and professional growth opportunities, we’re committed to staying ahead of the curve and unlocking greater creativity from our most valuable resource—our people.
• Strengthening Client Partnerships: Drake Cooper has always prioritized client relationships and is fortunate to have many strong, long-lasting ones. In 2025, we want to ensure that we continue to find ways to go all-in for our clients. This year, we’re focused on deeper collaboration to further drive business results together.
• Elevating Our Culture: We’re continuing to invest in our employee-owners, fostering a workplace where creativity thrives, we are learning from each other, and everyone feels empowered to lead. Agencies are notorious for having fun, and we want to ensure we don’t forget that along the way. We believe that’s an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to creativity.

Why Ownership Matters

Ownership is our differentiator. With less than 5% of ad agencies employee-owned, it’s a unique model and one that fuels us. Everyone here is personally invested in our success, and that passion is what pushes us to create standout campaigns and deliver real results. 

2025 isn’t just another year—it’s the next step in our evolution. With a foundation built on our values—be kind, bring diversity, bring passion—we’re ready to seize every opportunity and make this our boldest year yet.

To our clients, partners, and team: thank you for being part of this journey. Let’s make this the year we all Own It.

_{*CDC Count of Drug Overdose Deaths, by Jurisdiction: May 2023 to May 2024.}