Today, our Agency of the Day is a passionate group of doers and thinkers hailing from the great state of Maryland. Always thirsty for a challenge and eternally down to just have a quick chat, this agency has built a reputation on their ability to weather the changes of the market through the decades. Without further ado, this is GKV.
The Basics: GKV isn’t just proud of their home base of Baltimore. They also see it as one of the best test markets for advertising in America—and seeing as they’ve spent over 40 years in the ad business, we’re inclined to believe them.
GKV specializes in what they call “Challenger Brands,” based off their belief in the idea that when you challenge the marketplace status quo, success will quickly follow. They’re fascinated by the concept of making a tough budget work, and they love it when they can “over-serve” the clients they love. With over 200 employees under the roof of this full-service, independent agency, you can be sure that no matter how big your ask, GKV has the means to get it done.
Clients: Clients of GKV include Bridgestone Golf, Kauai Coffee, Pasta Lensi, Clover Health, and the Maryland Lottery. Over the past four decades, they have spearheaded advertising, branding, direct marketing, digital, and public relations campaigns alike.
Campaign Standout: The words GKV chose to describe their plan for the Columbia Association campaign are “visually arresting”—and it’s safe to say their results more than lived up to the challenge.
In order to draw attention to all the amazing things about living in Columbia, Maryland, GKV knew that they weren’t going to just highlight some fun things to do and call it a day. They were going to put in the work to express what made Columbia actually really special. Each of the faces on their line of ‘Live Life Larger’ posters belong to actual members of the Columbia community. And each of these faces are surrounded by visuals of things that these people actually like to do in their area: from swimming to pickleball, from biking to horseback riding. By choosing to make these ads so personal, GKV not only crafted a love letter to the Columbia area. They also were able to make several art pieces that went much deeper than just simply listing some of Columbia’s popular attractions—and, indeed, ended up pretty “visually arresting.”
The Bottom Line: After over 40 years in the business, GKV not only has a wealth of experience. They’re also a team that has worked together for a really long time. They know the game, they know their clients, and they know each other. Strong cooperation and nimble problem-solving come second nature to them.
GKV’s extensive list of repeat clients tells you more than enough about the agency. They’re big fans of skipping needless ‘bureaucracy,’ they’re not afraid of a challenge, and they work hard to guarantee their clients happiness. What more could you need?
If you want to learn more about GKV, click here to visit their website.