This story is part of Ad Age’s Future of Advertising 2030 series exploring how marketing, media and creativity will evolve over the next five years.

When Evereden was ready to expand into fragrances earlier this year, the hair and skin care brand for kids and tweens went straight to the experts—its own Gen Alpha customers. Working with its community of hundreds of Gen Alpha co-creators on branding, scent and packaging, Evereden debuted fragrance mists in March. The products, which are branded with a different persona for each scent, are still best-sellers for the brand, even six months later, according to Carolyn Curry, marketing director.

“That was a great opportunity to be able to develop fragrances kids like that are in touch with their personalities and aesthetics,” she said. “They resonate with Gen Alpha.”

As brands consider their roadmaps ahead of 2030, they will need to focus on co-creation of products, gamified marketing, loyalty programs that build communities and building brand trust now in order to be top-of-mind later for AI-powered shopping. Today’s young brand enthusiasts will be tomorrow’s buyers, and the brands that start resonating with them now will be the ones that prevail in 2030.

“Start prototyping how to do personalization with AI,” said Raul Rios, head of strategy at creative agency Saylor, noting that this younger audience is already used to designing sneakers or playlists with AI and custom-driven tools. Experiment now, or “you’ll be behind,” he said.

Read the full article via the link below.

“Empowerment” is not leadership. It is permission with better PR.

And in 2025, permission will not help you retain your best team members.

Only 31% of U.S. employees were engaged in 2024, the lowest in a decade. Nearly 70% of engagement is driven by the manager, making trust and clarity non-negotiable.

At Saylor, we’re replacing empowerment with ownership. When you own something, you do not wait for permission. You act. And here we want everyone to lead, no matter their title.

We’re also trading command and control for Stewardship, a principle I first learned from Ari Weinzweig’s Guide to Good Leading series he wrote as the co-founder of Zingerman’s. The goal is for managers at Saylor to serve and support rather than dictate. That means:

• Clear performance compacts so expectations are agreed upon

• Standards created together so everyone has buy-in

• Peer-to-peer accountability so leadership is a behavior, not a title

This shift is not easy. Many of us learned traditional management early in our careers and old habits die hard. But we feel confident that we’re building a culture that moves faster, collaborates better, and keeps our team committed.

As Saylor continues our rise as an industry leader, our edge will come not just from the work we deliver, but from the way our team carries the culture forward.

Because in 2025, leadership is not about empowering people. It is about creating a culture where they already have the power and the clarity to make big, entertaining things happen.

Neal Kelley is Saylor’s Director of People Operations.

Saylor's head of strategy says 'demo jail' is costing agencies growth

Raul Rios, head of strategy at Saylor, has a problem with how agencies pitch demographics. After a decade watching marketers trap themselves in what he calls “demo jail,” the Stanford MBA thinks it’s time for a reality check.

Saylor just nabbed 2025 Ad Age Small Agency of the Year, and Rios‘s path there spans early Facebook internships and multicultural campaigns at Walton Isaacson for Lexus, McDonald’s and American Airlines. Now at the LA entertainment agency, he sees the same targeting mistakes repeating across briefs. Gen Z is pushing 30, but agencies still treat them like college freshmen discovering brands for the first time.

Building a career in social media marketing while raising kids has been a unique, dichotomous experience. 

From 9 am to 5 pm, I’m heads-down, focused on maximizing audience growth and engagement while crafting content designed to captivate viewers and keep their eyes (and thumbs) locked in. At home, however, I find myself actively monitoring the screen time of my teenagers, encouraging them to put their phones away and quite literally “touch grass.” Ironically, I often feel someone should be taking my phone away. 

In today’s hyper-engaged media landscape, every creator, brand and general user competes to become the viral hit of the day – or, if extraordinarily fortunate, the hit of the week. There’s an endless stream of content at our fingertips. Straddling the line between content creator and content-conscious mother has taught me a lot about the importance of media literacy, boundaries and my role in all of this. 

Read the full article via the link below.

Raul Rios, recently appointed head of strategy at creative agency Saylor, has led some of the first LGBTQ+ campaigns for global brands like McDonald’s and Lexus. With a passion for helping brands understand and utilize voices in the pride community, Rios explains what it takes to show up in a meaningful way.

How are social-first, creator-led campaigns reshaping Pride marketing?

Pride used to be a brand statement. Now it is a living, breathing conversation shaped by the creators who are closest to the culture.

Social-first, creator-led campaigns are flipping the script. Queer creators are not just featured, instead they are building the story from the start. That shift means the work feels personal, relevant, and real. Campaigns like NYX Pridemix are leading with voice, not just visuals. By letting artists like Zolita and Destin Conrad take creative control, NYX created something that felt organic to the platforms and the people watching. These kinds of campaigns are no longer add-ons. They are the main event. And they are redefining how brands show up and stay connected.

What role do LGBTQ+ influencers play in driving cross-platform storytelling?

Queer influencers are not simply amplifiers. They are co-creators of culture who move ideas across platforms with authenticity and power.

LGBTQ+ influencers bring depth to every message they touch. They do not just repost. They remix. Whether it is Josh Helfgott turning queer history into viral education or Pattie Gonia transforming outdoor advocacy into joyful drag performance, these creators add meaning that brands alone cannot manufacture. They meet the moment with clarity and care. And in a world full of content, that emotional credibility is everything. Influencers are the cultural glue that connects platforms, people, and purpose.

Read the full interview via the link below.

LOS ANGELES (May 30, 2025)—Multi-faceted creative agency Saylor—the team behind culture-driving campaigns for Netflix, Disney, Paramount+ and Prime Video—today announced the launch of its new independent creative studio Elevado.

Founded in 2021, Saylor has become the go-to partner for entertainment brands seeking bold storytelling, cultural fluency, and premium execution in a rapidly evolving media landscape. Now, the agency is expanding its next-gen creative leadership and commitment to tech-forward storytelling with Elevado, a new studio devoted to AI-powered production. Spearheaded by Saylor CEO Will Trowbridge in partnership with acclaimed creative director Rupert Cresswell, Elevado will operate under the Saylor umbrella, but function both as an extension of the agency and as a stand-alone entity, serving other agencies and brands directly.

“AI has ushered in an incredibly exciting time for the creative and production industry,” said Trowbridge. “Our intention with Elevado is to build a creative studio to meet this moment head-on, and utilize ai-technology to elevate creativity.”

Cresswell, who joins as Chief Creative Officer of Elevado and Head of Innovation at Saylor, brings over two decades of creative leadership experience across London, New York, and Los Angeles. He cut his teeth at MPC (The Mill), then went on to serve as Executive Creative Director at Alkemy X, driving award-winning creative work. He’s spearheaded global campaigns for Adidas, Google, Meta, Disney, Samsung and Playstation. Most recently, Cresswell combined his artistic vision and technological curiosity to create Prospex Park, an AI‑driven art project, and exhibited in Tokyo, London, and Los Angeles.

“We’re in a time of rapid creative evolution,” said Cresswell. “Our hybrid, artist-driven approach to integrating AI helps brands tap into new visual languages, formats, and experiences that are only possible through this intersection of tech and craft.”

Elevado offers full-scale creative and production services for brands and agencies navigating the rapidly evolving world of AI. Whether clients are early in their exploration or already building AI into their workflows, Elevado meets them where they are, designing tailored solutions that are grounded in creativity, strategic thinking and ethical best practices. 

For more information, visit elevadostudio.com.

About Elevado 

Elevado is a newly launched creative studio built at the intersection of artificial intelligence, production, and post. Part production company, part innovation lab, Elevado delivers AI-driven, hybrid, and traditional production services for agencies, production companies, and brands alike. With a mission to push the edge of what creative work can be, Elevado connects bold clients with visionary artists, producers, and intelligent tools to break convention and craft what’s next.

About Saylor Agency

Founded in 2021, Saylor is a Los Angeles-based creative agency with a roster spanning the biggest names in the entertainment industry—from Netflix and Disney to Paramount+ and Prime Video. Since its inception, the agency has experienced record year-to-year growth, earning numerous awards for its client campaigns, and was named Adweek’s 2024 Fastest Growing Agency on the West Coast. Formerly in-house at Netflix and The Walt Disney Company, agency founder Will Trowbridge set out to create the “agency he always wanted to work with” building a trusted team of 80 to craft advertising that is fun, human and entertaining. Saylor offers creative, strategy, social, and production capabilities. Learn more at SaylorAgency.com, LinkedIn and Instagram.

In today's world, every good marketer needs an "escape hatch" plan in case social platforms go awry. But Saylor co-founder and CEO Will Trowbridge knew this years ago.

In this episode of Campaign Chemistry, Trowbridge joins Campaign editor Luz Corona to discuss how the Netflix alum built one of the fastest-growing agencies by redefining social-first creative. Trowbridge shares how his time at Disney and Netflix shaped Saylor’s DNA, why “everything is social” and how agencies must adapt in real time to keep up with cultural and platform shifts.

Listen to the full podcast episode via the link below.

Reality TV isn’t just back—it’s bigger than ever.

What once felt like a guilty pleasure has become one of the most powerful engines of culture and commerce. With spinoffs launching almost weekly, audiences aren’t just watching, they’re building communities, creating conversations, and fueling billion-dollar ecosystems.

From the record-breaking season of Love Island USA (which paved the way for Love Island Games) to the breakout success of The Traitors (expanding into a non-celebrity format), reality shows are no longer background noise. They’re tentpoles of entertainment that fans rally around— and brands can’t afford to ignore.

Fandom by the Numbers

1. Streaming has changed the game. According to WifiTalents, viewership on streaming platforms has surged to 40%, up from just 15% five years ago.

2. Ad dollars follow fans. The top 10 reality series now generate over $2 billion annually in advertising revenue, according to a Gitnux report.

3. Reality stars drive trust. 53% of Gen Z and Millennials in the UK consider reality stars more relatable and trustworthy than traditional celebrities (Thinkbox Report, 2024 via Brand Weekly).

4. Fandoms become businesses. Loverboy, launched by Summer House stars Amanda Batula and Kyle Cooke, has grossed over $50 million—without a single dollar spent on marketing.

What We’ve Learned at Saylor

At Saylor, we’ve seen how powerful these fandoms can be when brands tap into them authentically. Fans don’t just consume reality content—they relive it, remix it, and share it endlessly. By listening in real time and resurfacing fan-favorite moments, we’ve helped our partners at Paramount+ spark massive engagement:

1. Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders: Making the Team — It was the spray tan seen round the world with over 6 million views on Instagram, 3.5 million on Facebook, and 4.6 million on TikTok.

2. The Hills — 15 years later, fans still can’t get enough of Kristin Cavallari’s drama, helping this clip to drive 2 million views on Instagram and 5.2 million on Facebook.

3. Jersey Shore- Weird Strawberries — Fans are still laughing over this hilarious moment when Sammi Giancola (AKA “Sammi Sweetheart”) doesn’t know the difference between raspberries and strawberries which garnered 3.9 million views on Facebook.

These aren’t just numbers. They’re proof that nostalgia and fandom are accelerants for culture.

How Brands Can Win with Fandoms

1. Engage early. Partner with emerging reality talent before they blow up. Early bets pay off.

2. Listen in real time. Viral reality moments can’t be manufactured — but they can be amplified when brands are paying attention.

3. Resurface the iconic. Use SEO and social algorithms to reintroduce fan-favorite clips that still make audiences light up.

The Takeaway

When Love Island USA shattered ratings and drove 623 million TikTok views, it wasn’t just a TV success, it was a fandom phenomenon. And it’s a reminder: brands that understand how to engage fandoms don’t just ride the wave of culture. They help create it.

At Saylor, this is what we do best. We connect brands to the audiences they love, through the moments they can’t stop talking about.

Reality TV isn’t just reality. It’s marketing’s next big frontier and fandom is the fuel.

Silvia Magaña is the Group Account Director at Saylor.

Agency recognized for creative excellence and growth by one of advertising’s top honors

LOS ANGELES (July 24, 2025)—Multi-faceted creative agency Saylor—the team behind culture-driving campaigns for Netflix, Disney, Anthropologie, Paramount+ and Hilton—has been named a Silver award winner in the 2025 Ad Age Small Agency of the Year Awards. The annual program honors standout independent agencies that deliver exceptional creative work while building a strong, sustainable business.

What started as a two-person team in 2021 has grown into a powerhouse of  85+ serving some of the most influential brands in entertainment. From social-first storytelling to full-scale creative campaigns, Saylor recognizes brands can’t just ride waves—they need to make them, constantly. The agency’s success is rooted in delivering true entertainment value, not just content, and in crafting culturally resonant, highly tailored campaigns that spark conversation, drive impact, and build loyal fandoms.

“We built Saylor to be the kind of agency we always wanted to work with, and I couldn’t be prouder of how far we’ve come,” said founder and CEO Will Trowbridge. “Winning this award from Ad Age is especially meaningful because it celebrates both the great work we’re doing and the incredible team behind it. We’re excited to keep building on our ethos, creating advertising that’s strategic and most importantly, entertaining and fun.”

Building on this momentum, Saylor has recently expanded both its leadership team and capabilities. The agency made several strategic hires, including Sean Reed as Head of Accounts, Raul Rios as Head of Strategy, Nicole Stretter as Head of Creative, and Anaïs Bimpel to lead its trailers division and grow a dedicated AV department.

The agency also launched Elevado, an AI-powered creative studio led by co-founder and CCO Rupert Cresswell that blends cutting-edge technology with artistry and traditional production to push the boundaries of what creative work can be. This hybrid model is designed to unlock creative possibilities while keeping artistry, human connection and craftsmanship at the core.

These additions reflect Saylor’s commitment to deepening its expertise across storytelling, platform strategy, and campaign development. With a focus on client value, inclusive growth, and a proven ability to scale without sacrificing creativity, Saylor continues to shape the future of entertainment advertising.

For the full list of 2025 Ad Age Small Agency Award winners, visit adage.com. To learn more about Saylor, visit www.sayloragency.com.

Independent Creative Agency Tops Western Region and Ranks #5 Overall

LOS ANGELES (September 9, 2025)—Independent creative agency Saylor has been recognized as one of Adweek’s 2025 Fastest Growing Agencies, marking its second consecutive year on the prestigious list.

The annual feature honors agencies of all sizes from all over the world that have achieved exceptional growth over the past three years. With an impressive 350% growth, Saylor ranked #5 on the overall list of 75 agencies, and #1 among agencies from the West/Southwest.

“We’re deeply honored to be listed by Adweek for a second year in a row,” said Will Trowbridge, Founder & CEO of Saylor. ”This one goes out to the Saylor Crew! Growing teams and operations is hard and takes daily grit and perseverance. We wouldn’t be where we are today without our dynamite crew behind the scenes.”

With entertainment in its DNA, Saylor rethinks how brands connect with today’s audiences, creating fun, strategic and social-first campaigns that spark conversation, drive impact and build lasting fandoms. From a two-person team in 2021, the agency is now a nearly 100-person powerhouse working with some of the world’s most influential brands including Netflix, Disney, Paramount+ and Tubi.

This recognition completes a trifecta of recent accolades: Saylor was named to the Inc. 5000 list of America’s Fastest Growing Companies—ranking in the top 3% of all honorees and top 2.6% for the advertising industry—and was also recognized as an Ad Age Small Agency of the Year.

For the full list of Adweek’s Fastest Growing Agencies of 2025, visit www.adweek.com. To learn more about Saylor, visit www.sayloragency.com.

Independent Creative Agency Debuts at No. 134, Ranking in the Top 3% Nationally

LOS ANGELES (August 12, 2025)—Inc., the leading media brand and playbook for entrepreneurs and business leaders, today announced that independent creative agency Saylor has been named to the 2025 Inc. 5000 list, debuting at No. 134.  This marks Saylor’s first time on the prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America, placing the agency in the top 3% of honorees and cementing its role as a creative force behind culture-shaping campaigns for Netflix, Disney, Paramount+ and Tubi.

“This recognition is a direct reflection of our crew’s hard work, ambition and contagious energy,” said Will Trowbridge , Founder and CEO of Saylor. “We’ve grown fast, but we’ve grown with intention; following our nose in search of great clients and collaborators. This is only the beginning!”

Founded in 2021, Saylor has quickly evolved into a nearly 100-person powerhouse working with some of the world’s most influential brands. With entertainment in its DNA, the agency rethinks how brands connect with today’s audiences, creating fun, strategic and social-first campaigns that spark conversation, drive impact and build lasting fandoms.

“Making the Inc. 5000 is always a remarkable achievement, but earning a spot this year speaks volumes about a company’s tenacity and clarity of vision,” says Mike Hofman, editor-in-chief of Inc.

This follows a series of major milestones for Saylor, from being named ADWEEK’s Fastest Growing Agency on the West Coast in 2024, to receiving Ad Age Small Agency of the Year honors for 2025. The agency also recently launched Elevado, a creative studio powered by AI—reinforcing its commitment to innovation.

To learn more about Saylor, visit www.sayloragency.com. For complete results of the Inc. 5000, visit www.inc.com/inc5000.

Methodology

Companies on the 2025 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2021 to 2024. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2021. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2024.

About Saylor Agency

Founded in 2021, Saylor is a Los Angeles-based independent creative agency with entertainment in its DNA and a roster spanning the biggest names in the industry—from Netflix and Disney to Paramount+ and Tubi. Since its inception, the agency has experienced record year-to-year growth, earning numerous awards for its client campaigns. Formerly in-house at Netflix and The Walt Disney Company, agency founder Will Trowbridge set out to create the “agency he always wanted to work with” building a trusted team of nearly 100 to craft social-first advertising that is fun, human and entertaining.  Saylor was named ADWEEK’s Fastest Growing Agency on the West Coast in 2024,  and in 2025 was recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s Fastest Growing Companies and honored as an Ad Age Small Agency of the Year.  Learn more at SaylorAgency.com, LinkedIn and Instagram.

About Inc.

Inc. is the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of its community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating the future of business. Inc. is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow leading business publication Fast Company. For more information, visit www.inc.com.