“That was the best Ad Club event, hands-down!” – overheard in the elevator at Isobar in Boston after an uber-successful night put-on by The Ad Club.
If you missed this pairing of startups and agencies, start following The Ad Club of Boston, because if we know their President, Kathy Kiely, she will be outdone only by herself in the next go-around.
Here’s the low-down: prior to the evening, 17 startups pitched to 9 agencies in a format not unlike TV’s “The Voice”, where each agency selected one budding company as their partner. Then, for the next 72 hours, the teams hunkered-down for an all-out-marketing-bacchanalia. Their challenge was to learn about the start-up’s vision, business model, customers, and industry, then develop a visual and strategic solution to a current marketing challenge. All to be wrapped-up nicely and presented live, on stage in-front of 300+ marketing peers and judged by 9 influential local executives.
Check out the line-up below. Take a peek at each agency’s portfolio on Agency Spotter and if you like what you see, reach-out! If you need an icebreaker, we’ve given you a hint of something interesting from their presentation you should “ask them about.”
The Agency + The Startup
Canary is a safer, local online marketplace that donates 30% of their profits to local charities.
Ask CTP about: Creepy Craig
Project 2020 delivers cost-neutral, on-site eye care and comprehensive eye exams to businesses and their employees via a state-of-art mobile eye clinic (“eye truck”).
Ask FORGE about: how eye care rolls.
onthebar connects consumers and spirit brands with the most effective and charming salespeople on earth, bartenders.
Ask Isobar about: battle on the bar
Supplet is a healthy pregnancy marketplace, community and monthly gift box service for pregnant women and new moms.
Ask a&g about: waistband extenders
A cutting-edge innovation in home baking, Spray Cake makes warm, fresh and delicious cake as easy as a whipped cream-style can of our batter, a pan, and an oven or microwave.
Ask NAIL about: Future Cake
Covvet is an online wish list startup that tracks prices on the web so you never miss a sale on the things you want.
Ask Hill Holliday about: Shopper Bots
Greenbean Recycle aims to increase recycling by incorporating real time analytics, social media, and gaming into its groundbreaking reverse vending machine and web app.
Ask amp about: The Lynnfield Advantage
TWC is a movement of LGBTQ folks that take over typically straight bars, sports games, special events, and major travel destinations for one-time-only experiences.
Ask MMB about: “937 gay guys walk into a bar…”
Cocomama uses ancient grains to create nutritious, innovative products that meet the safety needs of food-restricted consumers, while satisfying the high taste standards of food lovers.
Ask Hill Holliday about: Badly-behaved-celebrity-endorsers free
Winner’s Circle
Santander bank sponsored the original 2 cash prizes and Co-host David Chang from PayPal Media Network, in the excitement of the moment, added a 3rd prize!
1st Place – NAIL Communications + Spraycake
2nd Place – a&g + Supplet
3rd Place – FORGE Worldwide + Project 20/20
The Brand-a-thon is another example of the burning-hot marketing and start-up scene in Massachusetts attracting talent and $$ from across the world. Check out all our coverage on the Boston scene.