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Chicago is home to some of the most innovative and inventive agencies in the country. The city is known for a rich background in marketing and design, so if you’re looking for some of the best Chicago agencies look no further.
Our team has hand-selected this list of agencies based on size and client spend. These agencies are responsible for representing some of the world’s most well-known brands and creating the advertising campaigns we know and love.
Whether you are using this list to narrow down your agency search or utilizing it for prospecting efforts, we hope you will find this list of Chicago’s Top 20 Agencies valuable:
1. Abelson-Taylor
Abelson-Taylor is an advertising agency that tells the human story hidden within the data. They emphasize health and wellness and focus on the health decisions that dive into the emotional side of science.
Discipline: Advertising
Total Client Spend: $507.5 Million
Employees: 247
Main Phone: (312) 894-5500
Address: 33 West Monroe Street Suite 600 Chicago, IL 60603 USA
Top Clients: Sanofi U.S., Enbrel, Neulasta, Allergan, AbbVie, Astellas Pharma US
2. Arc WorldWide
Arc is an agency dedicated to creating meaningful, connected experiences. They have forever changed the game of shopping by creating irresistible commerce for some of the world’s leading brands.
Discipline: Integrated
Total Client Spend: $128.1 M
Employees: 425
Main Phone: (312) 220-3200
Address: 35 West Wacker Drive 15th Floor Chicago, IL 60601-4884 USA
Top Clients: Intel, MillerCoors, Miller High Life, Keystone, Milwaukee’s Best, Molson Canadian
3. Burrell Communications Group, Inc
Burrell Communications is an advertising agency that is transcultural and multidimensional. Their expertise is understanding the cultural catalysts and trendsetters, allowing them to connect with today’s transcultural consumers.
Discipline: Advertising
Total Client Media Spend: $3.18B
Employees: 126
Main Phone: (312) 297-9600
Address: 233 North Michigan Avenue 29th Floor Chicago, IL 60601 USA
Top Clients: Verizon Communications, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Toyota Camry, Olay, Tide Pods
4. Cramer-Krasslet
One of the largest independent advertising agencies in America, Cramer-Krasslet is multi-disciplinary and cross-functional. They have significant resources in areas such as branding, media, creative, programmatic, analytics, and digital to name a few.
Discipline: Advertising
Total Client Media Spend: $261.29 M
Employees: 462
Main Phone: (312) 616-9600
Address: 225 North Michigan Avenue 24th Floor Chicago, IL 60601-7601 USA
Top Clients: Corona Extra, Edward D. Jones & Co., Smart Ones, Heinz Ketchup, The Alzheimer’s Association, Panamera
5. DDB Chicago
DDB Chicago is a full-service advertising agency offering clients in-house capabilities ranging from strategic planning, research and analytics, account and project management, and creative services across all forms of media.
Discipline: Advertising
Total Client Media Spend: $1.38 B
Employees: 550
Main Phone: (312) 552-6000
Address: 225 North Michigan Avenue 10th Floor Chicago, IL 60601 USA
Top Clients: State Farm Insurance, Capital One, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Compass, Skittles, Starburst
6. Edelman
Edelman is a global communications marketing firm that partners with the world’s leading businesses and organizations to evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations.
Discipline: Integrated
Total Client Media Spend: $886.19 M
Employees: 360
Main Phone: (312) 240-3000
Address: 200 East Randolph Drive 63rd Floor Chicago, IL 60601 USA
Top Clients: Samsung Electronics, Johnson & Johnson, Olive Garden, H&R Block, Heineken Lager, Huggies, T.J. Maxx
7. Energy BBDO, Inc.
Energy BBDO is an integrated advertising agency producing work that attracts attention and defines the brand. They work through a multitude of communications channels to deliver brand-defining ideas to people in surprising, innovative ways.
Discipline: Integrated
Total Client Media Spend: $810.75 M
Employees: 185
Main Phone: (312) 337-7860
Address: 225 North Michigan Avenue 15th Floor Chicago, IL 60601 USA
Top Clients: Bayer Corporation, Macy’s, Bayer Consumer Care Division, Aleve, Claritin, Quaker Oats, Extra
8. FCB Chicago
FCB Chicago is the industry’s largest startup, founded in 1873 as Lord & Thomas and reintroduced as Foote, Cone and Belding. They create big transformative ideas that drive change.
Discipline: Advertising
Total Client Media Spend: $904.71 M
Employees: 644
Main Phone: (312) 425-5000
Address: 875 North Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL 60611 USA
Top Clients: Jeep Grand Cherokee, Cox Communications, Michelob Ultra, Sears Holding Company, General Electric Corporation, Discover, Clorox Liquid Bleach
9. Golin
Golin is a progressive public relations agency, designed to reach a profoundly diverse global market. They provide effective solutions for major brands through various specialties within the following key practice groups: consumer, corporate, digital, healthcare, multicultural and technology.
Discipline: Public Relations
Total Client Media Spend: $885.09 M
Employees: 120
Main Phone: (312) 729-4000
Address: 875 North Michigan Avenue 26th Floor Chicago, IL 60611 USA
Top Clients: Walmart, State Farm Insurance, McDonald’s, Lowe’s, Mountain Dew, Sargento Foods, Barbie
10. Havas Worldwide Chicago
Havas provides clients with a full range of integrated tools and services across multidimensional platforms. Their extensive in-house capabilities and partners allow them to create custom, purpose-built solutions that help drive client business.
Discipline: Advertising
Total Client Media Spend: $255.27 M
Employees: 200
Main Phone: (312) 640-6800
Address: 36 East Grand Avenue Third, Fourth, & Fifth Floor Chicago, IL 60611-4592 USA
Top Clients: PlayStation, Sonic Corporation, AutoZone, Barilla America, The Humane Society, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Moen, Orbitz
11. JWT
JWT has been reimagining the future of businesses for over 154 years and is one of the most well-known marketing communications brands. Their brand solutions are built from human insight and creativity and revolutionized by the power of technology.
Discipline: Integrated
Total Client Media Spend: $8.67 M
Employees: 170
Main Phone: (312) 951-4000
Address:
Top Clients: Dell, American Bar Association, Grey Poupon, The Illinois Department of Commerce
12. Leo Burnett Worldwide
Leo Burnett makes solutions, not just adds. Capabilities cross experiences, content, services, products, technology, and advertising.
Discipline: Advertising
Total Client Media Spend: $5.8 B
Employees: 900
Main Phone: (312) 220-5959
Address: 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza Suite 250 Chicago, IL 60654-1022 USA
Top Clients: Samsung Galaxy, Abbott Laboratories, The Allstate Corporation, Coca-Cola, TracFone Wireless, Allstate Automotive
13. Mindshare
Mindshare is a global media and marketing agency network with 116 offices in 86 countries.
Discipline: Media Buying & Planning
Total Client Media Spend: $1.12 B
Employees: 120
Main Phone: (312) 242-1100
Address: 350 North Orleans Suite 1270 Chicago, IL 60654 USA
Top Clients: Abbott Laboratories, Unilever, General Mills, Huggies, Dyson, Nature Valley, Cheerios
14. Ogilvy
Ogilvy is a creative network that exists to make brands matter in a complex, noisy, hyper-connected world. They design the brand, turn it into an experience, and communicate the brand’s story.
Discipline: Integrated
Total Client Media Spend: $1B
Employees: 190
Main Phone: (312) 856-8200
Address: 350 North Orleans Street 11th Floor Chicago, IL 60654 USA
Top Clients: Progressive Casualty Insurance Company, Kraft Heinz, Modelo Especial, Dove, Huggies, Jimmy Dean
15. OMD
OMD was named Adweek’s Top Global Media Agency of the year for 2019. They allow their clients to make better decisions quicker using analytic and data capabilities.
Discipline: Media Buying & Planning
Total Client Media Spend: $1.21 B
Employees: 260
Main Phone: (312) 324-7000
Address: 225 North Michigan Avenue Suite 1900 Chicago, IL 60601 USA
Top Clients: State Farm Insurance, McDonald’s Corporation, Pepsi, Gatorade, Tropicana, Cheetos
16. Rhea & Kaiser Marketing
An integrated marketing communications agency, Rhea & Kaiser immerses themselves in your business and proposes strategies and metrics accordingly in order to help companies realize their vision.
Discipline: Integrated
Total Client Media Spend: $30 M
Employees: 125
Main Phone: (630) 505-1100
Address: 400 East Diehl Road Suite 500 Naperville, IL 60563 USA
Top Clients: Nayer Crop Protection Seed Treatment, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Bayer Crop Protection, Peoples Gas, Growmark
17. SapientRazorfish
As a digital business transformation agency, SapientRazorfisg uses technology to digitally enable client business and allow them to unlock value for their customers.
Discipline: Digital
Total Media CLient Spend: $257.68 M
Employees: 391
Main Phone: (312) 696-5000
Address: 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza Suite 1200 Chicago, IL 60654 USA
Top Clients: Kroger, Esurance, Blackberry, Alpo
18. Schawk Retail Marketing
Schawk specializes in execution excellence. They ensure brand consistency and scale resources to meet the workflow needs of clients big and small.
Discipline: Branding
Total Client Media Spend: $41.36 M
Employees: 120
Main Phone: (847) 296-6000
Address: One North Dearborn Suite 700 Chicago, IL 60602 USA
Top Clients: Bloomingdale’s Jarden Consumer Solutions, Revere
19. Starcom WorldWide
Starcom harnesses the power of media to bridge the tension between what people want and brands need. They realize people are powered by technology and try to bring them experiences through it.
Discipline: Media Buying & Planning
Total Client Media Spend: $4.21 B
Employees: 450
Main Phone: (312) 220-3535
Address: 35 West Wacker Drive 22nd Floor Chicago, IL 60601 USA
Top Clients: Lowe’s, Allstate, Dodge Ram, Samsung Electronics, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Allstate, Best Buy
20. The Marketing Store Worldwide
Marketing Store is a global customer engagement agency known for their collaborative approach and industry-leading solutions.
Discipline: Integrated
Total Client Media Spend: $516.63 M
Employees 150
Main Phone: (312) 614-4600
Address: 55 West Monroe Suite 1400 Chicago, IL 60603 USA
Top Clients: McDonald’s
Hoping to connect with these Chicago agencies? Access decision-maker contact info by downloading a free trial of Winmo today!