Top 13 advertising agencies in the US
13 advertising agencies in the US that are actually operating, each checked against its own site and a second source. What they do, who it’s for, and the one reason it made the list. No pay-to-rank.
- 01
- Portland, OR
- Since 1982
Wieden+Kennedy is an independent, privately owned creative agency founded in Portland in 1982 by Dan Wieden and David Kennedy. It runs creative, media, social, design and strategy from offices including Portland, New York, Amsterdam, London, Tokyo and Shanghai, and has been Nike's agency since its founding. Other clients include Ford, McDonald's and Procter & Gamble.
Why it’s hereIndependent: one of the largest independently owned agencies in the world and Nike's agency of record for more than 40 years.
Known forcreative · media · social · design · global brands
Named clientsNike, Ford, McDonald's, Procter & Gamble, Samsung, IKEA, Corona, DoorDash, Visa, Old Spice
Checked against wk.com, en.wikipedia.org
- 02
- New York, NY
- Since 2020
Mischief is a New York creative agency founded in 2020 by chief creative officer Greg Hahn in partnership with the Canadian independent No Fixed Address. It focuses on attention-getting brand campaigns for consumer companies such as Tinder, Coors Light, eos and Kraft Heinz.
Why it’s hereIndependent (No Fixed Address): ranked number one on Ad Age's A-List in 2022 and 2024 and named Adweek's U.S. Agency of the Year in 2023 and 2025.
Known forcreative · brand campaigns · consumer brands · independent
Named clientsTinder, Coors Light, eos, Kraft Heinz, Reddit, Tubi, Shutterfly, Pfizer, Huggies
Checked against mischiefusa.com, adage.com
- 03
- New York, NY
- Since 1948
- 500+ people
Ogilvy is the global advertising network founded by David Ogilvy in New York in 1948 and owned by WPP. It operates more than 120 offices in nearly 90 countries across advertising, PR, health, experience and consulting units, led by global CEO Laurent Ezekiel, and its clients include Coca-Cola, Unilever, American Express, GSK and Nestlé.
Why it’s hereOwned by WPP; one of the largest and most awarded global creative networks, headquartered in New York for nearly 80 years.
Known foradvertising · public relations · health · experience and consulting · holding company: WPP
Named clientsThe Coca-Cola Company, Unilever, American Express, GSK, Nestlé, Cisco, Molson Coors, Walgreens Boots Alliance
Checked against ogilvy.com, en.wikipedia.org
- 04
- New York, NY
- Since 1891
- 500+ people
BBDO is a global creative network headquartered in New York and owned by Omnicom, with roots going back to the George Batten Company of 1891 and the 1928 merger that created Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn. Led by global CEO Nancy Reyes and global CCO Chris Beresford-Hill under the line 'Do Big Things', it produced six spots in Super Bowl 60 for brands including Pepsi Zero Sugar, Instacart, Pringles, Budweiser and Wells Fargo, and was named to Fast Company's 2026 Most Innovative Companies list.
Why it’s hereOwned by Omnicom; the agency with the most ads in Super Bowl 60 and a Fast Company Most Innovative Company for 2026.
Known forcreative · broadcast and Super Bowl campaigns · global brand advertising · holding company: Omnicom
Named clientsPepsi, Budweiser, McDonald's, Instacart, Pringles, Wells Fargo
Checked against bbdo.com, en.wikipedia.org
- 05
- Los Angeles, CA
- Since 1968
- 500+ people
TBWA\Chiat\Day is the U.S. flagship of the TBWA network, owned by Omnicom, with offices in Los Angeles and New York. Chiat/Day was founded in Los Angeles in 1968 by Jay Chiat and Guy Day and merged into TBWA in 1995; the agency works through its Disruption process and Media Arts approach and is historically known for Apple's '1984' and 'Think Different' campaigns.
Why it’s hereOwned by Omnicom; the Los Angeles agency behind some of the most cited campaigns in U.S. advertising history.
Known forcreative · Disruption strategy · technology and consumer brands · holding company: Omnicom
Checked against tbwachiatday.com, en.wikipedia.org
- 06
- New York, NY
- Since 1912
- 500+ people
McCann is a global advertising network founded in New York in 1912 and operating under the line 'Truth Well Told'. It was the flagship of Interpublic Group until Omnicom completed its acquisition of Interpublic in 2025, and its current work includes L'Oréal Paris, Xbox, Chevrolet, Mastercard, McDonald's and Aldi. Fast Company named it one of the World's Most Innovative Companies in 2024 and 2025.
Why it’s hereOwned by Omnicom since the 2025 Interpublic acquisition; a 110-year-old network with global accounts such as Mastercard and Chevrolet.
Known forglobal brand campaigns · creative · automotive and financial services · holding company: Omnicom (formerly Interpublic)
Named clientsL'Oréal Paris, Xbox, Chevrolet, Mastercard, McDonald's, Aldi, Just Eat, Prada
Checked against mccann.com, en.wikipedia.org
- 07
- New York, NY
- Since 2006
- 500+ people
Droga5 is a creative agency founded in New York in 2006 by David Droga and acquired by Accenture in 2019, where it operates as the creative flagship of Accenture Song with offices in New York, London, Dublin, São Paulo and Tokyo. It was Ad Age's Agency of the Year multiple times as an independent and is known for campaigns for The New York Times, Under Armour and Hennessy.
Why it’s hereOwned by Accenture Song; a two-time Ad Age Agency of the Decade honouree that remains one of the most awarded creative shops in New York.
Known forcreative · brand campaigns · consumer and technology brands · owned by Accenture Song
Checked against droga5.com, en.wikipedia.org
- 08
- San Francisco, CA
- Since 1983
- 201–500 people
Goodby Silverstein & Partners is a full-service advertising agency at 45 Fremont Street in San Francisco with a second office in New York, founded in 1983 by Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein and owned by Omnicom. It describes its work as 'experiences that reach millions, but seem to speak only to you', and current clients include Xfinity, Comcast Business, Doritos, Cheetos, Mountain Dew and the Smithsonian; it is the agency behind 'Got Milk?'.
Why it’s hereOwned by Omnicom; four decades of nationally recognised broadcast and Super Bowl work from San Francisco.
Known forcreative · broadcast and Super Bowl campaigns · snack and beverage brands · holding company: Omnicom
Named clientsXfinity, Comcast Business, Doritos, Cheetos, Mountain Dew, Smithsonian, The Dalí Museum
Checked against goodbysilverstein.com, en.wikipedia.org
- 09
- Richmond, VA
- Since 1965
- 201–500 people
The Martin Agency is a full-service creative agency headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, founded in 1965, that lists Omnicom as its parent following Omnicom's 2025 acquisition of Interpublic. It keeps strategy, creative, production, motion, social and performance under one roof in Richmond, and its clients include GEICO, UPS, General Mills, Hershey's, Bud Light, STIHL and Kay Jewelers.
Why it’s hereOwned by Omnicom; Adweek's U.S. Agency of the Year in 2020 and 2021 and the long-time agency behind GEICO.
Known forcreative · cultural impact campaigns · in-house production · consumer brands · holding company: Omnicom (formerly Interpublic)
Named clientsGEICO, UPS, General Mills, Hershey's, Bud Light, Busch Light, STIHL, Kay Jewelers, Solo Stove, Google Chrome
Checked against martinagency.com, martinagency.com, en.wikipedia.org
- 10
- Austin, TX
- Since 1971
- 201–500 people
GSD&M is a full-service advertising agency in Austin founded in 1971 by University of Texas graduates Steve Gurasich, Tim McClure, Judy Trabulsi and Roy Spence, and owned by Omnicom. It builds what it calls 'First & Only' brands, with creative and media for Southwest Airlines, the U.S. Air Force and Space Force, Capital One, Ram and Pizza Hut, and cites a Cannes Lion for brand strategy and a Media Team of the Year award.
Why it’s hereOwned by Omnicom; more than 50 years in Austin and the agency of record for Southwest Airlines and the U.S. Air Force.
Known forcreative · media · brand strategy · airline, restaurant and military accounts · holding company: Omnicom
Named clientsSouthwest Airlines, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force, Capital One, Ram, Pizza Hut, Stanley, White Castle, Realtor.com
Checked against gsdm.com, en.wikipedia.org
- 11
- Los Angeles, CA
- Since 2004
- 201–500 people
72andSunny is a global creative company founded in Los Angeles in 2004 by John Boiler, Glenn Cole and Robert Nakata, with offices in Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Amsterdam and Sydney. It is owned by Stagwell and describes its role as 'unleashing possibility' for consumer, technology and entertainment brands; it has been Ad Age's Agency of the Year and a repeat A-List agency.
Why it’s hereOwned by Stagwell; one of the most decorated creative agencies to emerge from Los Angeles in the past two decades.
Known forcreative · brand campaigns · entertainment and consumer brands · holding company: Stagwell
Checked against 72andsunny.com, en.wikipedia.org
- 12
- New York, NY
- Since 1989
- 500+ people
Horizon Media is the largest independent media agency in the United States, founded in New York in 1989 by Bill Koenigsberg, who remains its owner and CEO. It plans and buys television, streaming, audio, digital and out-of-home media for national advertisers under the philosophy 'Business is Personal', with offices in New York and Los Angeles and billions of dollars in annual billings.
Why it’s hereIndependent and founder-owned; the largest U.S. media agency outside the holding companies.
Known formedia planning and buying · broadcast and streaming · analytics · independent media agency
Checked against horizonmedia.com, en.wikipedia.org
- 13
- Brooklyn, NY
Mother New York is the U.S. arm of Mother, the independent creative agency founded in London in 1996. It operates from a converted building in Gowanus, Brooklyn, alongside sister units Mother Design and Media by Mother, and has recent campaigns for Uber, Amica Insurance and StreetEasy. The network has repeatedly declined acquisition and remains founder-owned.
Why it’s hereIndependent and founder-owned, with New York campaigns for Uber and StreetEasy.
Known forcreative · design · media · independent
Named clientsUber, Amica Insurance, StreetEasy
Checked against mothernewyork.com, en.wikipedia.org
Checked, not scraped.
Every firm on this page was found through directories, press and client mentions, then verified two ways: its own website had to be live and describe the work, and a second, independent source had to agree it exists and does that work. Founding years, headcounts and client names appear only where the firm or a directory states them; where we couldn’t confirm, the field is blank rather than guessed.
The order is editorial — longevity, named clients, scale and a clear specialism, in roughly that weight — not a score, and nobody on the list paid to be on it. The one exception is marked: the featured card is our own bench and says so.
Lists are re-checked each quarter. Missing a firm that belongs here, or listed and want a correction? Write to lists@primortul.com.
Hiring a advertising agency in the US, answered plainly
- How many advertising agencies in the US are on this list, and where are they?
- 13. The 13 firms are spread across Portland, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Richmond, Austin and 1 other cities. Each was verified against its own website and a second source before it was listed.
- How do I choose between advertising agencies in the US?
- Start from the job, not the agency: write down what done looks like in one paragraph, then read the "why it's here" line on each entry and shortlist the two or three whose reason matches your job. Ask each for one comparable piece of work and who on their team would actually do yours.
- Did any of these firms pay to be listed?
- No. The order is editorial — longevity, named clients, scale and a clear specialism — and no firm on the ranked list paid for its place. The one paid card is marked "Featured" and is our own bench, Fracs; it is not ranked.
- How long have these advertising agencies been around?
- The oldest firm on the list dates from 1891; founding years are shown on each entry where the firm states one, and left blank where it doesn't.
- What should I bring to a first call with an advertising agency?
- Your revenue band, what you sell and to whom, the one number you want moved, a budget range, and a start date. Firms price faster and more honestly when the brief is concrete; the match form on this page asks for exactly those five things.
- How is this list kept current?
- It was checked September 2026 and is re-checked each quarter: dead sites come off, mergers and renames are updated, and firms that belong here are added. Corrections go to lists@primortul.com.
Describe the job. Get one advertising agency back that fits it.
Two minutes. We read what you wrote, pick one provider from this list or our bench whose work matches it, and they contact you within a business day. Nobody else gets your details.
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