About us
Launch is much more than our name. It’s what we do for brands big and small, new and old. Through creative marketing and branding services, we give them the boost they need to connect to the right audience at the right time in all the right places. Ready to come aboard one of the top ad agencies in Dallas? Let’s Launch.
Experience
We are a fiercely independent, full-service ad agency with over 60 years of combined experience launching and relaunching brands.
Launch Sequence
Intelligence:
Customer Journey, Brand Audit, Competitive Review, War Room, Market Research, Customer Profile
Insights:
Key Document, Marketing Plan, Brand Affinity, Naming, Brand Story, Brand Architecture, Content Strategy, Brand Expression
Ideas:
Brand Identity, Graphic Standards, Customer Experience, Packaging, Advertising Campaign, Web Development, Mobile, SEO/SEM, Social Media, Email Marketing, Content Creation, 360-degree Media Planning
Impact:
Data Visualization/Analytics, CRM, Reputation Management/Local SEO
Culture
Here, culture is a priority. And we’re not talking Hawaiian shirt Fridays. Browse the gallery to see how hard we work at having fun at work.
LAUNCHERS ARE HARD WORKERS, BIG THINKERS, STORYTELLERS, SEASONED PROBLEM SOLVERS AND PRACTICAL JOKESTERS. LAUNCHERS DEFINE US AS AN AGENCY. AND WE BELIEVE WHEN YOU TREAT THEM WELL, THEY TURN AROUND AND DO THE SAME FOR EVERY CLIENT THAT WALKS IN OUR DOOR.
Meet the Main Three: Back in the day an art director named David Wilgus met a copywriter named Diane Seimetz at a place called TracyLocke, where they rose the ranks and became a creative directing duo. Up next was Temerlin McClain (now TM) where they crossed paths with a media planner turned account guy named Michael Boone. The chemistry was instant. The creation of Launch would soon follow. Over 19 years later, these three are still having a blast with many of the same clients and crew that have been on this crazy ride with them right from the start.
Diane Seimetz
Principal
Diane Seimetz
Principal
A founding Launcher and award-winning copywriter by trade, Diane Seimetz is constantly making something. Be it ads, soaps, lotions or the latest gluten-free Instant Pot recipe. Her never-ending desire to create makes her our go-to gal when it comes to developing smart, clever strategic platforms that deliver results-driven ideas for our clients.
Throughout her years at TracyLocke, Temerlin McClain and Launch, Diane has worked on many local and national brands, such as Frito-Lay, American Airlines, Match.com, Sam’s Club, Promised Land Dairy and many others. And that work hasn’t gone unnoticed, with nods from The One Show, New York and International Festivals, the national ADDYs, Effies, and she was even named a Woman of Excellence by the National Association of Executive Women. But perhaps Diane’s most surprising accolade is her late-in-life culinary arts degree from the El Centro College of Food & Hospitality.
In her spare time (ahem, when most of us are sleeping), Diane serves on the board of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County, is a sponsor of the North Texas chapter of the Network of Executive Women and spearheads Informed Instinct, a brand consultancy that serves growing companies.
She’s married, with one husband, four children, five dogs and cats, and a partridge in a pear tree.
David Wilgus
Principal
David Wilgus
Principal
Dave is part creative director, part dad and part grandpa. This might surprise you, as Dave still has a righteous and enviable full head of hair. But even more impressive than that are all of the accounts and accolades Dave has racked up during his fruitful career at places like Temerlin McClain, TracyLocke and now Launch.
Dave’s lent his talents to such brands as American Airlines, Subaru of America, Pace Picante sauce, JCPenney, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, KinderCare, Bank of America, Paris Las Vegas Hotel and many more. For his efforts, he’s received many creative industry awards from the Clios, the New York Art Directors Show, International Festivals, and the national ADDY and Effie competitions. He is also past recipient of the Dallas Ad League’s Eagle Award for “Best Creative Director.”
A rare species known as a Dallas native married to a Dallas native, Dave and his wife are proud parents of four and grandparents of two. Dave currently serves on the board of the College of Visual Arts & Design at the University of North Texas, where Launch sponsors a merit-based scholarship for rising seniors: Launch-UNT Scholarship.
Michael Boone
Principal
Michael Boone
Principal
Michael Boone is married to Debbie Boone (not Debby Boone). Although she does light up his life and has done so for over 25 years. But that’s just a fun fact to start Michael’s bio.
Michael heads the account service arm at the agency. He actually started life as an assistant media planner at TracyLocke on the Taco Bell account. While flowcharts and long nights making endless last-minute revisions had their charms, an early career move to The Bloom Agency—now Publicis Hawkeye — would change his trajectory into account service. There and in subsequent roles at Dallas ad agencies Puskar Gibbon Chapin and The Maxfield Group as vice president and management supervisor, Michael collected a depth of experience in consumer packaged goods, retail, restaurant, telecommunications and hospitality industries.
Michael is the current chair of the 4A‘s Dallas Council Board of Governors. A ring-bearing Aggie and Jesuit High School grad, he and wife Debbie (an agency print producer and yoga instructor) have three children, none of whom are threatening to go into the ad biz. The couple is undecided on whether this is a fail or victory on their part.
Megan Lucy Neal
Account Supervisor
Megan Lucy Neal
Account Supervisor
Megan Lucy has two first names, two little girls and one hubby. She leads the Baylor Scott & White Health account by day and crochets, bee keeps, and cans fruits and veggies by night. Before Launch, this busy little bee spent time at TracyLocke and the corporate headquarters of WalMart.
Richard Wezensky
Creative Services Director
Richard Wezensky
Creative Services Director
Richard is an art director, photographer, illustrator, toy car collector, die-hard bike rider and lead office prankster. So watch your backs. You never know when a fake cockroach will make an appearance. As an original Launcher, Richard has always been the creative anchor for many of our clients, from Park Place Dealerships to Sam’s Club. Earning him many ADDY awards, including Best of Show, as well as recognition from the Dallas Society of Visual Communications. Richard is main man to wife Wendy and proud dad to two talented kids.
Jason Giles
Principal/Account Director
Jason Giles
Principal/Account Director
Jason is an original Launcher. He’s a former car dealership dude turned account dude who is technically still a car dude since he owns three. When not dreaming about his next ride, Jason is looking for ways to improve business for key accounts like Baylor Scott & White Health and Park Place Dealerships. The results are always happy clients and impressive KPIs. Clients love Jason, coworkers too. In fact, he charmed one of our art directors into marrying him back in the day. They are still married and have an adorable little dude together.
Alex Slotkin
Associate Creative Director
Alex Slotkin
Associate Creative Director
Alex is a copywriter, songwriter, composer, short story writer and single-malt Scotch sipper. In his 20+ years in the biz, he’s worked on everything from luxury cars to upscale resort/casinos to restaurant chains. And he’s gotten lots of high fives along the way from the ADDY Awards, the Graphis Award Annual, the London International Awards and Adweek’s Best Spots of the Year. Alex currently enjoys being the afternoon Spotify DJ here at Launch and is close to snagging the morning gig as well. He is known as super dad to wife Holly and his two boys.
Caleb Alba
Associate Creative Director
Caleb Alba
Associate Creative Director
Caleb has lived in DFW his whole life aside from a few years in Arkansas studying graphic design and branding at John Brown University. Before boarding the Launch rocket, he worked at the Integer Group, The Infinite Agency and, most recently, Firehouse. He’s created digital, social, and branding content for regional and national brands including AT&T, Toyota, Baxter Auto and Budweiser. When he’s not creating beautiful layouts, Caleb enjoys eating Mexican food (specifically queso) and getting lost in fantasy worlds with the Lord of the Rings audiobooks. Oh, and don’t ask him to whip out his mouth trumpet unless you’re prepared to hear a song that makes angels weep.
April Steinbach
Principal/Group Creative Director
April Steinbach
Principal/Group Creative Director
April is a writer, creative director and semi-pro baker. She’s spent the last two decades creating and guiding campaigns for American Airlines, AT&T, Bank of America, Bausch + Lomb, Captain D’s Seafood Kitchen, Community Coffee, Discover Network, Japan Airlines, Match.com, Perot Museum of Nature and Science and Pier 1 Imports. She’s received high fives from Communication Arts, the New York Times, Ad Age Creativity, Webbys, DFWIMA and the AAF Addys. Her kids and hubby like her words, but probably love her cookies more.
Brian Dedering
Creative Director
Brian Dedering
Creative Director
A Wisconsin native, Brian hails from small town Elroy and headed to college at University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and then to Miami Ad School for portfolio school. Before buckling up with Launch, he created awesome campaigns for clients like Kraft Foods, Turtle Wax, EGO Lawnmowers, Greenpeace, Papa Gino’s Pizza, Bridgestone Tires, Delta Dental Insurance, and USAA. Brian is a big fan of professional sports specifically Wisconsin teams. He has also recently picked up golf and is slowly getting better. His favorite food is buttered popcorn. Fun Fact: Brian was born on April Fool’s Day. (Although we may joke a lot here at Launch there are no fool’s here!)
Ray Ives
Principal/Controller
Ray Ives
Principal/Controller
Ray’s career in advertising started when media unbundling was still a concept, digital advertising wasn’t even on a sticky note yet, and the car phone was still cool. Throughout all this industry transformation, he has kept the business side of the business in order. After work, Ray lets his hair down on more than one type of green: He’s a former competitive tennis player and now an avid golfer. He and his wife have two children who have their own careers, one of which is in advertising.
Isaac Swedlow
Copywriter
Isaac Swedlow
Copywriter
Born and raised in Austin, Issac is a recent graduate of the award-winning Texas Creative ad program at University of Texas at Austin. When Isaac isn’t typing up a masterpiece or listening to his favorite bands The Symposium and Glass Animals, he can usually be found puzzling. He enjoys all kinds including jigsaw puzzles, crosswords, sudoku, and riddles. He’s also a very competitive board gamer. (Ask him about the time he got a concussion during Monopoly).
Kelly Begley
Senior Art Director
Kelly Begley
Senior Art Director
Kelly Begley is a Senior Art Director who came to Launch after six years at The Marketing Arm where she created work for Frito-Lay and Quaker Brands. She is exceptionally well-travelled, having visited 10+ countries in the past five years. She’s also very good at the game Banagrams, though it’s hard to fathom how she even finds time to play between all those international flights. Perhaps it has something to do with her mantra, “Doing Things” which is printed across the Outdoor Voices hat she wears so often. We are incredibly lucky to have Kelly on our team, which is fitting considering her maiden name is “Miracle”.
Megan Robertson
Senior Account Executive
Megan Robertson
Senior Account Executive
Megan impressed us right away after coming aboard our Launch Summer Internship program. (In the middle of a pandemic, we might add!) Her flexibility and dedication paid off earning her a full-time spot as an Assistant Account Executive on the Baylor Scott & White Health account. This Kansas native is a natural multi-tasker. Juggling varsity tennis and music theater in high school, then double majoring in Marketing and Advertising with a concentration in Strategic Brand Management at Southern Methodist University. As long she has her Diet Coke from McDonald’s every day, Megan is ready for anything advertising throws her way!
Sarah White
Assistant Account Executive
Sarah White
Assistant Account Executive
Sarah White is an Assistant Account Executive originally hailing from Houston, TX. She recently received her MBA from UNT where she worked closely with notable clients including Avocados from Mexico, PepsiCo and Toyota among others. When she’s not in the office, she enjoys a number of artistic pursuits such as canvas paintings, creative writing, photography and short videography projects. She also identifies as a major foodie (with a huge sweet tooth) and loves trying out new restaurants. We can already tell Sarah is a wonderfuladdition to our team. And considering her theme song is Run the World by Beyonce, it’s safe to say she has the skills to run things smoothly in the office.
Lucy Galloway
Assistant Account Executive
Lucy Galloway
Assistant Account Executive
Lucy hails from New Orleans (or in her native parlance, “WHO DAT NATION”). She migrated to Texas to earn her degree in advertising with a minor in business from UT Austin. She joins Launch after internships with IPG Health and Neon, where among other things, she learned the ins and outs of pharmaceutical advertising. She also interned at an events planning company in Austin. Lucy treasures her time abroad as an exchange student in Vienna and Rome. Closer to home, she spent time as a flyer for her cheer team and watching (and rewatching) her favorite movie, The Devil Wears Prada. She’s dazzled us with her drive and positive attitude, and we’re thrilled to watch her flourish as part of the Launch family.
Ashleigh Gerleman
Senior Account Executive
Ashleigh Gerleman
Senior Account Executive
Ashleigh is a Senior Account Executive on Baylor Scott & White Health and Omni Hotels & Resorts. She graduated from UT Austin where she found her calling for advertising. Prior to joining Launch, she worked on brands including Golden Chick, Harwood Hospitality, and The Cookie Society. When not in the office, she loves walking her golden doodle, Ziggy, around White Rock Lake trail and taking care of her plant babies. She also aspires to marry Justin Bieber someday, what a catch for him! We’re so happy to have her as a part of our team!