The Mill City Ad Agency Renaissance
Among all the cities in the United States, a notable number of creative professionals pick the City of Lakes and the surrounding suburbs to live. Between the booming arts and music scene, state parks and lakes, eclectic coffee shops, innovative restaurants, and friendly faces, it should be no surprise that Minneapolis is a hotbed for creativity and marketing with campaigns leading the nation. According to the American Association of Advertising Agencies, there are at least 25 AAAA agencies in the Twin Cities area alone, employed by individuals who live and breathe Minneapolis’ bustling arts and culture scene, while moving it forward.
In fact, this area is unique; while there are plenty of vibrant agencies across the country, you’d have to go to NYC, LA or Chicago to find a comparable ad community. From General Mills to 3M, many Iconic brands were born in the Twin Cities, spawning myriad venerable ad agencies and design firms. It’s a legacy that thrives today, and given the standard of living, entices people from all across the country to put down roots. According to Glassdoor, a copywriter in Minneapolis can expect to earn a salary comparable to what they would make in Chicago. Furthermore, life expectancy in Minnesota is one of the highest in the nation, which can only be ascribed to our peerless health care system.
Key factors like these encourage people from all walks of life to come to Minneapolis, but what specifically attracts creatives is the vibrant art scene. Within just a few blocks of each other, we have the Walker Art Center, the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden (home of the famous Spoon Bridge and Cherry). For live performance venues, we have the Orpheum Theater, the Minnesota Orchestra Hall, and First Avenue – again, within a few hundred feet of each other. Our artist alumni include F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Replacements, and Prince. Creative types are drawn to others who are creative, and Minneapolis is a central destination for this.
The internet has also created its own subcultures within the Twin Cities. Far from being homogenized across the country, local events such as MPR raccoon and Mount Eden Prairie have established a distinct identity for the geographic area – an identity that appeals to millions. Although you won’t see ads featuring that forlorn shopping cart anytime soon, the folksy yet irreverent aesthetic displayed in memes of those events definitely does reappear in ads. Take for example the goofy (and wholesome) campaign put forward by our colleagues at Parker Smith on behalf of the Minnesota Department of Health’s anti-vaping campaign. This ad featuring a character called Norm Davidson could be right out of an episode of “Fargo” yet here the approach is to get teens in on the joke. Russell Herder’s own Know the Dangers campaign is all about authenticity, and designed for a broader audience, offering vital information about opioids, with plenty of content developed with and within the communities most impacted by the epidemic.
If the atmosphere in Minneapolis could be described, it would be that same aesthetic – hip, and possibly on the verge of hipster, yet earnestly caring about our fellow Minnesotans. It is a vibe that’s a naturally occurring phenomenon here at the offices of Russell Herder. We’re experts at having fun, but our portfolio here revolves around making Minnesota a better place to live for all. Come experience what it’s like to work with a company that is both cool, and caring.
