Top 15 advertising agencies in the Midwest
15 advertising agencies in the Midwest 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
- Chicago, IL
- Since 1935
- 500+ people
Leo Burnett was founded in Chicago in 1935 and in 2025 became the anchor of Leo, the creative network of Publicis Groupe, which reports 15,000 people across 90 markets. Leo Chicago remains the network's flagship U.S. office and handles global and U.S. campaigns for McDonald's, Gatorade, Oreo and Bank of America. It is owned by Publicis Groupe.
Why it’s hereChicago's defining creative agency for 90 years; Leo Chicago won a Global Grand Effie in 2025 and the network was named Effie's most effective creative network in 2024.
Known forcreative · global brand campaigns · CPG and QSR · holding company: Publicis Groupe
Named clientsMcDonald's, Gatorade, Oreo, Bank of America, Heineken, Renault, AXA
Checked against leoburnett.com, en.wikipedia.org
- 02
- Chicago, IL
- Since 2016
Highdive is an independent creative agency founded in Chicago in 2016 by Mark Gross and Chad Broude, with a second office in New York. It is best known for broadcast and Super Bowl work, including Jeep's Emmy-nominated 'Groundhog Day' spot, and its client list includes Jeep, Ram, Rocket Mortgage, State Farm and KFC.
Why it’s hereAd Age's Small Agency of the Year (Gold) in 2020 and a repeat top finisher on the USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter.
Known forbroadcast creative · Super Bowl campaigns · integrated campaigns · automotive
Named clientsJeep, Ram, Rocket Mortgage, State Farm, Lay's, KFC, Jersey Mike's, Boost Mobile, Build-A-Bear
Checked against highdiveus.com, prnewswire.com
- 03
- Minneapolis, MN
- Since 1981
Fallon is a creative advertising agency founded in Minneapolis in 1981 by Pat Fallon, Tom McElligott and partners and owned by Publicis Groupe since 2000. It works under the positioning 'Human Magic', combining creative, strategy and media from its Minneapolis headquarters, and is historically known for campaigns for BMW Films, Citi, Cadillac and Arby's.
Why it’s hereOne of the agencies that put Minneapolis on the national advertising map, still operating as Publicis Groupe's Twin Cities creative shop.
Known forcreative · brand campaigns · media · holding company: Publicis Groupe
Checked against fallon.com, en.wikipedia.org
- 04
- Minneapolis, MN
- Since 1935
Colle McVoy is a full-service branding and advertising agency at 250 North 3rd Avenue in Minneapolis, founded in 1935 and owned by Stagwell. It pairs creative with an in-house media practice and lists La-Z-Boy, Frank's RedHot, Revlon, McCormick, Dairy Queen and Target among its clients. It was shortlisted for Adweek's 2025 Midsize Agency of the Year and named a 2024 Ad Age A-List Standout.
Why it’s hereA 90-year-old Minneapolis agency recognised on Ad Age's 2024 A-List and by Adweek's Media Plan of the Year.
Known forbrand campaigns · media planning and buying · CPG and retail · holding company: Stagwell
Named clientsLa-Z-Boy, Frank's RedHot, Revlon, McCormick, Dairy Queen, Target, 3M
Checked against collemcvoy.com, en.wikipedia.org
- 05
- Minneapolis, MN
- Since 1962
Carmichael Lynch is a creative advertising agency founded in Minneapolis in 1962, with a second office in Philadelphia, and long owned by Interpublic Group, which Omnicom acquired in 2025. It runs creative and a separate media unit, Carmichael Lynch Media, and has been Subaru of America's agency for decades; other clients include Bush's Beans, Maker's Mark and the Houston Texans. Ad Age has named it a Best Place to Work eight times.
Why it’s hereSixty-plus years in Minneapolis and the long-time agency behind Subaru's U.S. advertising.
Known forcreative · media planning (Carmichael Lynch Media) · automotive · food and beverage · holding company: Omnicom (formerly Interpublic)
Named clientsSubaru, Korbel, Bush's Beans, Frigo Cheese Heads, Maker's Mark, Houston Texans, Red Robin
Checked against carmichaellynch.com, en.wikipedia.org
- 06
- Milwaukee, WI
- Since 1976
Laughlin Constable is an independent full-service advertising agency headquartered at 111 East Kilbourn Avenue in Milwaukee with a second office on South Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Independent since 1976, it offers creative, media, PR through its LCPR unit and content through a subsidiary called Hive, and its clients include QuikTrip, True Value, Master Lock, the ASPCA and Northwestern Medicine.
Why it’s hereNearly 50 years as an independent Milwaukee agency with national retail and nonprofit accounts.
Known forfull-service creative · media planning · public relations (LCPR) · retail and healthcare · independent
Named clientsQuikTrip, True Value, Master Lock, ASPCA, Northwestern Medicine, Bronx Zoo
Checked against laughlin.com, laughlin.com, en.wikipedia.org
- 07
- Milwaukee, WI
- Since 1984
- 51–200 people
BVK is an independent advertising agency founded in Milwaukee in 1984 that states it has no holding company or private equity ownership. It reported 185 employees and $306 million in revenue for 2024 and works in six sectors: education, healthcare, travel and tourism, cause marketing, CPG and B2B. Featured clients include the Wyoming Office of Tourism, the University of Massachusetts and Moffitt Cancer Center, and it is a GSA-certified vendor.
Why it’s hereA top-20 U.S. independent by its own account, with 185 staff and destination-marketing clients such as the Wyoming Office of Tourism.
Known fortravel and tourism · healthcare · higher education · cause marketing · independent
Named clientsWyoming Office of Tourism, University of Massachusetts, Moffitt Cancer Center
- 08
- Kansas City, MO
- Since 1992
- 500+ people
VML is WPP's largest creative and customer-experience network, formed in 2023 by merging VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, and traces its roots to VML, founded in Kansas City in 1992. The network reports 26,000 people across more than 150 offices in 50-plus markets, with Kansas City remaining its global headquarters. It won a Titanium Lion at Cannes 2026 for Oreo and was named Campaign's Global Network of the Year in 2026.
Why it’s hereA WPP network with global headquarters in Kansas City, 26,000 staff and 2026 honours including a Cannes Titanium Lion.
Known forbrand experience · customer experience · commerce · global creative network · holding company: WPP
Named clientsOreo, KitKat, Coca-Cola, Vaseline, BIC
Checked against vml.com, en.wikipedia.org
- 09
- Kansas City, MO
- Since 1964
- 500+ people
BarkleyOKRP is an independent advertising agency formed in 2024 when Kansas City's Barkley (founded 1964) merged with Chicago's OKRP. It has more than 600 staff, an in-house production unit called The Bananary and a media arm, MissionOne Media, with $1.1 billion in billings. The agency is a certified B Corp and describes itself as holding-company free.
Why it’s hereThe largest independent agency in Kansas City, with 600-plus staff, $1.1 billion in media billings and national accounts such as Burger King and Macy's.
Known forintegrated campaigns · media · brand strategy · restaurant and retail · in-house production
Named clientsBurger King, Macy's, Frontier Airlines, Red Lobster, Smoothie King, Jiffy Lube, Planet Fitness, Dairy Queen
Checked against barkleyokrp.com, en.wikipedia.org, adage.com
- 10
- Omaha, NE
- Since 1970
Bailey Lauerman is an independent, employee-owned advertising agency in downtown Omaha offering research, strategy, branding, creative, media, social and PR. It positions itself around reaching the 92 percent of Americans who live outside the ten largest cities, and its roster includes Netflix, Bosch, Cargill and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Why it’s hereMore than 50 years in Omaha as an employee-owned independent with national accounts such as Netflix and Cargill.
Known forbrand strategy · creative · media · public relations · regional consumer advertising
Named clientsNetflix, Bosch, Cargill, Flagstar, Iowa State University, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, OPPD, The Joint Chiropractic
Checked against baileylauerman.com, clutch.co
- 11
- Lincoln, NE
- Since 1962
Swanson Russell is an independent advertising agency with offices at 1202 P Street in Lincoln and on Center Street in Omaha. Over roughly 60 years it has specialised in brands that 'work and play outdoors', organising its practice around outdoor recreation, agribusiness, construction and the green industry, with clients including Bushnell, Rain Bird, Arctic Cat, Minn Kota, Briggs & Stratton and Textron Aviation.
Why it’s hereThe most established Nebraska agency for outdoor, agricultural and equipment brands, with a client list that spans Bushnell to Textron Aviation.
Known foroutdoor recreation · agribusiness · construction and green industry · brand campaigns · independent
Named clientsBushnell, Rain Bird, Arctic Cat, Minn Kota, Humminbird, Briggs & Stratton, Textron Aviation, Exmark, Beef Checkoff
Checked against swansonrussell.com, clutch.co
- 12
- Southfield, MI
- Since 1937
Doner is a full-service advertising agency founded in Detroit in 1937 and headquartered in suburban Southfield, Michigan, with a long history in automotive, retail and consumer accounts. It is owned by Stagwell and describes its focus as 'growing brands at the intersection of modern and main street' for everyday American consumers.
Why it’s hereDetroit's longest-running major ad agency, approaching 90 years and now part of Stagwell.
Known forfull-service advertising · automotive and consumer brands · media · holding company: Stagwell
Checked against doner.com, en.wikipedia.org
- 13
- Cleveland, OH
- 51–200 people
Marcus Thomas is an independent full-service advertising agency headquartered in Cleveland with offices in Cincinnati, Buenos Aires and Santiago. It reports nearly 200 professionals, an average client tenure of ten years and a management buyback from private-equity ownership, and delivers creative, media, digital and technology work for Dexcom, Vitamix, the Ohio Lottery, KeyBank and Jergens. It is a Google Premier Partner and has won at The One Show and the American Advertising Awards.
Why it’s hereOhio's largest independent agency by staff, with roughly 200 people and regional anchor accounts such as the Ohio Lottery and KeyBank.
Known forintegrated campaigns · media · digital · healthcare and consumer brands · independent
Named clientsDexcom, Vitamix, Ohio Lottery, Akron Children's, KeyBank, Jergens
- 14
- Indianapolis, IN
- Since 1983
- 51–200 people
Young & Laramore is a full-service creative advertising agency founded in Indianapolis in 1983. It runs brand strategy, proprietary research, campaign creative, digital, social and analytics, and owns a media division called EchoPoint Media. The agency is headquartered in a renovated building at 407 Fulton Street near downtown.
Why it’s hereIndianapolis' longest-standing independent creative agency, over 40 years old with media buying and research in-house.
Known forbrand strategy · creative · media planning and buying · research · digital
- 15
- Des Moines, IA
- Since 1984
- 51–200 people
Flynn Wright is a full-service advertising agency headquartered in downtown Des Moines with offices in Sioux Falls and Portland. Its 101 staff cover research, strategy, creative, in-house media planning and buying, direct marketing and PR, and the agency produces broadcast, digital and out-of-home campaigns for clients in telecom, equipment, energy, retail, agriculture and tourism.
Why it’s hereThe largest locally owned advertising agency in Des Moines, in business since 1984 with an in-house media department and accounts such as Mediacom, Bobcat and the Iowa Lottery.
Known forfull-service advertising · media planning and buying · broadcast creative · research · public relations
Named clientsMediacom, Bobcat, Culligan, Medica, MidAmerican Energy, Fareway, Kemin, Iowa Lottery, Sammons, Advanced Drainage Systems
Checked against flynnwright.com, clutch.co
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 Midwest, answered plainly
- How many advertising agencies in the Midwest are on this list, and where are they?
- 15. The 15 firms are spread across Chicago, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Omaha, Lincoln and 4 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 Midwest?
- 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 1935; 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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