Top 14 advertising agencies in Iowa

• 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

• Des Moines, IA
• Since 1907
• 11–50 people

Lessing-Flynn is an advertising, creative and digital agency in Des Moines' East Village that has operated continuously since 1907. It develops brand positioning and campaigns for established and emerging brands, with recent case studies for Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas, Champion Seed and DCI Group. It has been named an Iowa Top Workplace for seven consecutive years.

Why it’s hereFounded in 1907, it is one of the oldest continuously operating advertising agencies in the United States.

Known forbrand campaigns · creative · digital strategy · video · event marketing

Named clientsHitachi Construction Machinery Americas, Champion Seed, Insane Impact, DCI Group

Checked against lessingflynn.com, clutch.co

• Cedar Falls, IA
• Since 1981
• 201–500 people

Mudd Advertising is a family-owned automotive advertising agency founded in Cedar Falls in 1981 by Jim Mudd. It produces direct mail, video, CTV/OTT, paid search, social and display campaigns for car dealers nationwide, backed by its MuddVision attribution platform and certified OEM co-op programmes for GM, Stellantis and Honda. The firm reports more than 300 team members and 10,000-plus dealers served.

Why it’s hereA 300-person, 45-year-old Iowa agency that is one of the largest automotive dealer advertising shops in the country.

Known forautomotive dealer advertising · direct mail · CTV/OTT and broadcast · paid search and social · attribution analytics

Named clientsWebb Chevrolet, Beaty Chevrolet, Clift Buick GMC, Boucher Group, Henderson Chevrolet

Checked against mudd.com, mudd.com, prnewswire.com

• Cedar Falls, IA
• 11–50 people

AMPERAGE is an advertising, marketing and fundraising agency headquartered in Cedar Falls with a second office in Cedar Rapids. Its 30-plus staff provide brand campaigns, media planning, PR, content and fundraising counsel, mainly for healthcare systems, colleges, nonprofits and community organisations. The agency is privately held and led by Bryan and Erin Earnest.

Why it’s hereA Cedar Valley agency that pairs media planning and campaign creative with capital-campaign fundraising for hospitals, colleges and nonprofits across the Midwest.

Known forhealthcare · higher education · nonprofit fundraising · media planning · brand campaigns

Named clientsWisconsin Hospital Association, Kirkwood Community College, Mount Mercy University, Federal Signal, Tanager Place, Davis County Hospital & Clinics

Checked against amperagemarketing.com, clutch.co

• Cedar Rapids, IA
• Since 1984

JWMorton is an advertising and branding agency in Cedar Rapids co-founded in 1984 by Jeff Westrom and David Morton, who still lead the firm. It provides branding, campaign creative, media buying, social media, video production and web development for clients in financial services, food and beverage, agriculture, education and healthcare.

Why it’s hereForty years under the same two founders serving Eastern Iowa advertisers, with media buying and video production in-house.

Known forbranding · media buying · video production · web development · content strategy

Checked against jwmorton.com, clutch.co

• Marion, IA
• Since 2009
• 11–50 people

ICAN Advertising is a television and streaming advertising agency headquartered at 5 Research Center in Marion, outside Cedar Rapids, with a regional office in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Founded in 2009 by owner and president Andy Pepper, its 20 staff sell and produce local cable TV and streaming campaigns on networks such as ESPN, HGTV and Discovery for small and mid-sized businesses across Iowa and South Dakota, with commercial production and creative done in-house.

Why it’s hereA rare Iowa specialist in local cable and streaming TV advertising, founded 2009 and grown to 20 employees serving Iowa and South Dakota markets.

Known forcable TV advertising · streaming and CTV · commercial production · local business advertising

Named clientsFosters Mattress, Frontier Bank, Wings America Travel Center, Quegg Roofing & Siding

Checked against icanadvertising.com, icanadvertising.com, designrush.com

• Hiawatha, IA

North Forty is a creative agency at 1625 Boyson Road in Hiawatha, in the Cedar Rapids metro. It handles brand campaigns, design, content, audio and video production including original music, social and digital, retail environments and point-of-sale, experiential events and product development, using a method it calls the DIRT Process. Its client roster is heavy in appliances and building products, including Maytag, Amana, JennAir, Trane, Heatilator and PPG.

Why it’s hereA Cedar Rapids-area creative shop with a national client list of appliance and home brands including Maytag, Trane and GoDaddy.

Known forbrand campaigns · design · audio and video production · retail and point-of-sale · experiential events

Named clientsHeatilator, Maytag, Trane, JennAir, GoDaddy, Amana, PPG, Hoover, LG, St. Croix

Checked against northforty.com, northforty.com, expertise.com

• Davenport, IA
• Since 1997

Victory Enterprises is a political and corporate advertising and public affairs firm headquartered at 5200 SW 30th Street in Davenport, founded in 1997 by Steve Grubbs. It produces video and audio, buys broadcast, programmatic, CTV/OTT and social placements, and runs direct mail, polling and field operations for candidates, associations and companies in Iowa, Missouri, Texas, South Carolina, Wisconsin and beyond. Named clients include the Iowa Farm Bureau, Bayer and Anheuser-Busch.

Why it’s hereNearly three decades of campaign advertising from the Quad Cities for candidates, trade associations and corporate clients across several states.

Known forpolitical advertising · broadcast and CTV/OTT placement · programmatic · video production · direct mail

Named clientsIowa Farm Bureau, Missouri Pork Producers, Graham Construction, Elliott Aviation, Bayer, Anheuser-Busch

Checked against victoryenterprises.com, victoryenterprises.com

• Storm Lake, IA
• Since 1975
• 11–50 people

Mills Marketing is an advertising and marketing agency that works only with banks, credit unions and other financial institutions. Founded in 1975 by Becki Drahota, it has grown from a one-person operation to more than 20 staff across its Storm Lake headquarters at 612 Seneca Street and a Des Moines office, and runs research, planning, campaign creative, digital execution and staff training aimed at deposit growth and loan production.

Why it’s hereA 50-year-old northwest Iowa agency that serves financial institutions in every U.S. time zone from Storm Lake and Des Moines.

Known forfinancial services advertising · brand strategy · deposit and loan campaigns · digital execution · training

Checked against millsmarketing.com, millsmarketing.com, expertise.com

• Iowa City, IA
• Since 2016
• 1–10 people

Meld Marketing is a woman-owned boutique branding and advertising agency at 308 E. Burlington Street in Iowa City, founded in 2016 by Melinda Pradarelli, a former journalist with The New York Times group. It develops brand identity, campaigns, packaging, websites, video, photography and digital advertising for businesses and nonprofits in higher education, healthcare, real estate, law, finance and food, including Cookies Food Products and Oakridge Real Estate.

Why it’s hereAn Iowa City boutique recognised by the Corridor Business Journal's Fastest Growing Companies and Coolest Places to Work lists.

Known forbrand identity · campaign creative · packaging · digital advertising · video and photography

Named clientsOasis Street Food, Systems Unlimited, Field to Family, Collective Data, Oakridge Real Estate, Cookies Food Products

Checked against meldmarketing.com, meldmarketing.com

• Dubuque, IA
• 1–10 people

Gigantic Design Co. is a creative agency at 900 Jackson Street in Dubuque's Millwork District. It provides brand strategy, creative design, photography, video, websites and social media advertising, mostly for regional businesses and institutions in the tri-state area, including Travel Dubuque, the University of Dubuque, the Telegraph Herald and Wendling Quarries.

Why it’s hereThe most visible independent creative shop in Dubuque, with a portfolio of named regional advertisers.

Known forbrand strategy · creative design · video and photography · social media advertising · websites

Named clientsTravel Dubuque, University of Dubuque, Telegraph Herald, Wendling Quarries, BARD Materials, Dimensional Brewing Co.

Checked against giganticdesign.com, giganticdesign.com

• Council Bluffs, IA

Right Idea Media & Creative is a full-service advertising and marketing agency serving western Iowa and the Omaha metro from Council Bluffs, with Iowa (712) and Nebraska (402) phone lines. It has been in business for 25 years and plans traditional media including television, radio and direct mail alongside search, streaming and social campaigns, producing long-form video, TV spots and digital ads in-house.

Why it’s hereA 25-year-old agency covering the Council Bluffs and Omaha market with traditional broadcast buying as a core service, listed by DesignRush among Iowa ad agencies.

Known fortelevision and radio advertising · direct mail · streaming and social · video production · web design

Checked against rightideacreative.com, designrush.com

• Sioux City, IA
• 1–10 people

Antidote 71 is an advertising and marketing agency at 600 4th Street in Sioux City with a second office in Omaha. Its work covers branding, video, SEO, SEM, paid social, retargeting, geofencing, email and marketing automation, organised into attract, engage, convert and grow stages. It works mainly with medical, financial, construction and manufacturing companies.

Why it’s hereOne of the few full-service agencies based in Siouxland, listed by Expertise.com and combining branding, video and paid media for regional advertisers.

Known forbranding · video · paid social and search · geofencing and retargeting · healthcare and financial services

Checked against antidote71.com, expertise.com

• Des Moines, IA
• Since 1987
• 11–50 people

ZLR Ignition is a full-service advertising and branding agency in downtown Des Moines that began in 1987 as Zimmerman, Laurent & Richardson. It handles brand planning, creative development, media strategy, PR and digital, with much of its work for healthcare, financial services, education, public-sector and nonprofit clients. It is a Google Premier Partner and a member of the ICOM independent agency network.

Why it’s hereNearly 40 years in Des Moines with named public-sector and healthcare accounts such as the Iowa Clinic, UnityPoint Health and the Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau.

Known forbrand planning · creative · media strategy · public relations · healthcare

Named clientsCemen Tech, Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau, The Iowa Clinic, Iowa State University, UnityPoint Health

Checked against zlrignition.com, clutch.co, icomagencies.com