Solve (advertising agency)

Independent advertising and branding agency

Solve

Industry| Advertising agency
Founded| 2011; 14 years ago (2011)
Headquarters|

Minneapolis, Minnesota

United States

Key people

* John Colasanti (co-founder and CEO)
* Corey Johnson (co-founder and President)

Website| www.solve-ideas.com

Solve is an independent advertising and branding agency based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The agency was founded in late 2011 by CEO John Colasanti, President Corey Johnson and Executive Creative Directors Eric Sorensen and Hans Hansen. Prior to founding Solve, Colasanti and Johnson held executive leadership positions at Carmichael Lynch, while Sorensen and Hansen served as creative directors at Fallon Worldwide.[1]

## History

[edit]

In 2016, Solve became the first U.S.-based advertising agency to field a competitive cycling team supporting both an employee passion and the agency's many cycling clients.[2]

Solve was named Midwest Small Agency of the Year at the 2016 Ad Age Small Agency Awards in Miami. The Small Agency Awards are the premier honors saluting outstanding work created by independent shops with 150 or fewer employees. It marked a second Ad Age award for Solve having been previously recognized as a top small agency in 2013.[3]

In January 2017, Solve expanded its leadership team by naming three senior employees to partners, a new position within the five-year old agency. New Partners are Kara Brower, Ryan Murray and Roman Paluta.[4] A fourth partner was added in May. CP+B, 180, Merkley vet Sean Smith, was hired as Executive Creative Director/Partner.[5]

In January 2019, Sunoco Fuels named Solve its new agency-of-record following a national search and competitive review.[6] In February 2019, Ryan Murray, an account director and partner at the agency, was promoted to Director of Account Management.[7] In April 2019, Pat Horn of Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Victors & Spoils and Creature (company) was hired as ECD.[8]

## Recognition

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* 2013 – Solve earned a Silver Award in Advertising Age's "Small Agency Of The Year" competition.[9]
* 2014 – Solve won a Gold Effie Award for its "Become Yourself" campaign for client Medifast.[10][11]
* June 2014 – Solve was named one of the 15 most effective independent ad agencies in North America for 2014 by PSFK and Effie Worldwide.[12]
* November 2014 – Solve was recognized as one of "The 15 Fastest-Growing Independent Agencies in the U.S."[13]
* January 2015 – Solve CEO John Colasanti named among Ten Business Leaders to Watch.[14]
* August 2015 – Solve's "The Blank Video Project" challenged the value of a YouTube view, a metric widely associated with success by agencies and marketers alike.[15]
* October 2015 – Solve was named a national digital "Small Agency of the Year" finalist by iMedia.[16]
* April 2016 – Solve was named One Show Finalist in Consumer: Online Films & Video category for its "The Blank Video Project"[17]
* August 2016 – Solve named 2016 Best Small Agency of the Year, Midwest by Advertising Age[3]
* August 2016 – Solve named to 2016 Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies In America [18]
* December 2016 – Solve featured in winners gallery of 2016 Communication Arts Advertising Annual; "2016 Award of Excellence" recognizes best in visual communication.[19]
* June 2018 – Solve's Indian Motorcycle "Set The Standard" brand campaign recognized by Communication Arts[20]

## Clients

[edit]

Solve clients include Real'Za Pizza,[21] American Standard,[22] Indian Motorcycles,[23] Slingshot,[24] Bentley Motors,[25][26] True Value Hardware,[9] Porsche,[27] Raymond James,[28] Galbani,[29] Organic Valley,[1] Medifast,[1] Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank,[30] Orbea,[1] Shopko Stores,[31] Founders Brewing Company,[32] The V Foundation for Cancer Research,[33] Radisson Hotels[34] and Sunoco.[35]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Nelson, Todd (20 January 2013). "Purpose drives Minneapolis ad agency Solve and its clients". Star Tribune.
2. ^ "MediaPost". May 10, 2016.
3. ^ a b Chin, Kara (1 August 2016). "Small Agency of the Year, Midwest, Gold: Solve, Advertising Age".
4. ^ "Little Black Book". January 24, 2017.
5. ^ "Little Black Book". May 16, 2017.
6. ^ "Solve named Sunoco's new AOR".
7. ^ "Solve promotes Ryan Murray to Director of Account Management". www.themplsegotist.com. February 8, 2019.
8. ^ "Solve Hires Pat Horn As ECD". www.solve-ideas.com. April 10, 2019.
9. ^ a b Morrison, Maureen (5 August 2013). "Small Agency of the Year, Midwest, Silver: Solve". Advertising Age.
10. ^ "2014 Effie Awards North America Winners & Finalists" (PDF). current.effie.org. 2014.
11. ^ "2014 Effie Awards North America Winners" (PDF). current.effie.org. 2014.
12. ^ "PSFK Top 15 Most Effective Independent Agencies North America 2014". www.facebook.com/psfk. 2014.
13. ^ "Get to Know the 15 Fastest-Growing Independent Agencies in the U.S." blog.hubspot.com. Retrieved 2015-10-29.
14. ^ "Innovators, change agents, entrepreneurs: Here are 10 Minnesota business leaders to watch in 2015". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2015-10-29.
15. ^ "How This Agency's Completely Blank 4-Minute YouTube Video Got 100,000 Views". AdWeek. 19 August 2015. Retrieved 2015-10-28.
16. ^ "Finalists announced for the 2015 iMedia Agency Awards". MarketWatch. Retrieved 2015-10-28.
17. ^ "2016 The One Show" (PDF).
18. ^ ""Introducing the Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America," Inc. Magazine (August 2016)".
19. ^ "Communication Arts Advertising Annual". November–December 2016.
20. ^ "Exhibit". Communication Arts. June 6, 2018.
21. ^ "This Frozen Pizza Is Natural, Its Ads Are Anything But". Adweek. September 11, 2018.
22. ^ "BIZ DEV: American Standard Named Solve As AOR, Without A Review". mediapost.com. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
23. ^ "Solve Named Creative Agency For Indian Motorcycles". MediaPost. December 19, 2017.
24. ^ "Solve Named Creative Agency For Slingshot". MediaPost. December 19, 2017.
25. ^ "Accounts and People of Note in the Advertising Industry". The New York Times. 15 September 2013.
26. ^ "Minneapolis ad agency wins Bentley Motors account". Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal. 10 September 2013.
27. ^ Monllos, Kristina (27 August 2014). "Porsche Adds Third Shop to Agency Roster". Adweek.
28. ^ "Solve Wins U.S. AOR Duties For Raymond James". MediaPost. January 10, 2018.
29. ^ Kennedy, Clare (10 March 2015). "Marketing firm Solve scores account with French cheese giant". Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal.
30. ^ "Solve Completes Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank Rebrand". LBBOnline. 18 November 2013.
31. ^ "Minneapolis ad firm named agency of record for Shopko - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal". Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal. Retrieved 2015-10-28.
32. ^ "BIZ DEV: Founders Brewing Company Names Solve As AOR". www.mediapost.com. Retrieved 2015-10-28.
33. ^ "BIZ DEV: Solve Wins The V Foundation for Cancer Research". mediapost.com. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
34. ^ "Radisson hotels hires local ad firm Solve as agency of record - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal". Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
35. ^ "Sunoco Fuels Sends Account to Minneapolis Indie Agency Solve". 17 January 2019.

## External links

[edit]

* Official Website
* Ecommerce SEO