In a world where artificial ingredients, dupes, fakes and faux everything are nothing new, it’s refreshing to find a brand embracing real, authentic, pure ingredients. Our newest client, Backyard Nectar doesn’t have to fake sweet. It’s naturally made that way with 100% organic blue agave. Founded by Ryan Huntley, a past bartender and spirit salesman, Backyard Nectar is sourced from a local farm in Mexico, which its owners lovingly refer to as: Ryan’s backyard. Once we embraced the story behind Backyard Nectar Agave, we began creating the first brand chapter: The website.
“Getting a new product off the ground and out in the world isn’t easy. Launch has been an incredible partner in helping us develop our brand strategy, design and voice. This is just the beginning for Backyard Nectar.” —Ryan Huntley, Founder of Backyard Nectar
Like many startups out there, Ryan is in the beginning stages of launching his product and doesn’t have the big brand production budget. Yet. Not a problem for our Launch Agency studio. We have the talent needed to bring his product to life using our in-house capabilities. All food styling, propping, photography and video work was done at the office of Launch by Launchers. The result is an authentic, appetizing and informative site that leaves visitors wanting to learn more.
Ryan’s current goal is to get Backyard Nectar into more bars and restaurants and ultimately, get it on the shelves at local liquor stores. Cheers to entrepreneurs like Ryan! And cheers to a beautiful future working together!
It was big night for Launch Agency and our clients at the 2024 AAF Addy Awards. From AR activations to cinema advertising to sports sponsorships, we received honors in 10 categories, including Judge’s Choice Award. Hats off to Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s, Baylor Scott & White Health, Evergreen Power Solutions and Tulipalooza for trusting us with your beloved brands. Here’s to making work that makes a difference.
PHOTOGRAPHER: ANDY MAHR, AR: GROOVE JONES, DIRECTOR: JOHN SUITS, NATURAL SELECTION
LAUNCH AGENCY WEBSITE
SELF PROMO — SILVER
Unleashing the power for Baylor Scott & White Health.
The power to live better™
Repositioning the largest not-for-profit healthcare system in the state takes a Texas-sized effort. To introduce Baylor Scott & White Health’s new mission to empower its patients, Launch Agency was proud to team up with agency partners, Monigle, Camelot Media and Door No. 3. Our combined efforts created a campaign that’s already seeing powerful results with a 12% increase in brand equity.*
The new customer-first positioning led to the creation of a new tagline from Launch, “The Power To Live Better” and a new brand identity from brand experience agency, Monigle. “The real power in healthcare lies within our customers, they allow us to do what we love. Our role is to inspire them to live better every day. This refreshing and joyful campaign repositions us as the support our patients need to improve every aspect of the care they receive,” said Ben Day, Director of Creative & Brand Management at Baylor Scott & White Health.
Launch Spot
By partnering with award-winning directing trio, The Fold, we created a series of spots taking viewers on an energetic and empowering journey showing what healthcare looks like from the POV of the consumer. The soundtrack for all spots includes vintage gospel song “Power” by Mattie Wigley that was rearranged by local musician Damon Criswell. And photography by Callie Lipkin beautifully celebrates our new visual expression across print, OOH, social and digital.
*Among key healthcare systems in our markets, Baylor Scott & White Health was the only brand to see significant movement in brand equity measures, with BERA scores showing a 12% increase from Q3 to Q4. The next closest brand saw only a 6.4% difference.
The holidays are a wonderful time to reminisce and reflect on the past year. And looking back on 2023, AI seemed to be the only thing anyone could talk about. So it came as no surprise when agencies around the globe found ways to incorporate AI into their holiday messages.
But Launch isn’t like other agencies. We don’t merely keep up with the trends, as is so common in our industry. We look beyond at what lies ahead. So, while everyone else was scrambling to hop on the AI bandwagon, we were developing something even better. A special technology that has the power to improve every aspect of our lives, especially the holidays. And we can’t wait to share it with you.
A STORY BIG ENOUGH TO FILL DAK’S SHOES
Dak’s been setting records with his arm. But last night, all eyes were on his feet.
As part of the annual NFL My Cause My Cleats initiative, Dak teamed up with sneaker designer Jake Danklefs of Dank & Co and Baylor Scott & White Health to raise awareness for early cancer detection and encourage people to get screened.
His cleats were inspired by the heartwarming story of a young woman, Sydney Benton, who narrowly avoided colorectal cancer thanks to an early screening. Sydney’s story struck a chord with Dak because of his own mother’s passing in 2013 to colon cancer, and he wanted to help tell her story to inspire other people to follow her lead.
So, we invited Sydney for an interview to talk about her experience with early detection. However, she had no idea that her favorite NFL player was waiting eagerly to meet her, or that he would be featuring her story on his cleats during primetime Thursday night football. The surprise reveal was an incredibly moving moment, which directors Andy Mahr and Ashton Rodgers captured beautifully.
Watch the story
What’s really remarkable about this initiative is seeing how much power a single story can have. Sydney has already started inspiring others to get screened, such as her mom and her older sister. And with the help of Dak and the Dallas Cowboys amplifying her voice, her story has the potential to impact many, many more.
Director of Creative: Ben Day, Baylor Scott & White Health
Brand Manager/Sports Sponsorships/Digital: Tyson Stuart, Baylor Scott & White Health
Director of Consumer Marketing/Brand Strategy & Planning: Kristn Owens, Baylor Scott & White Health
Brand Planning & Strategy: Robin Kraase, Baylor Scott & White Health
Marketing Producer Creative & Brand Management: Megan Doss, Baylor Scott & White Health
Senior PR Marketing Consultant: Eric Keese, Baylor Scott & White Health
We are extremely honored to be shortlisted by The Clio Awards for our Motivotter campaign for Baylor Scott & White Health and the Dallas Stars. The work was recognized in two categories: Social Media Influencer and Augmented Reality. The campaign leveraged the partnership between Baylor and the Dallas Stars to create an AR experience that motivated fans to engage with the brand in a fun, unexpected way.
The activation featured Stars’ goalie, Jake Oettinger, only it wasn’t actually Jake: it was his inner voice, which we named Motivotter. Fans could place Motivotter in places where they needed a little extra motivation. With 70+ million impressions, a 95% social positivity rating and an over two minute average filter engagement time, Motivotter scored big.
As always, we couldn’t do any of this without our incredible partners. High fives to our brilliant dream team:
3D Team: Jeannot Landry, Elliot Johnson, Chris Fisher, Groove Jones
Animation: David Aguilar, Groove Jones
Graphic Design: Bip, Groove Jones
Production VP: Monte Masters, Groove Jones
Audio: Andrew Carman, Groove Jones
Production Coordinator: Khoi Tran, Groove Jones
Director of Creative: Ben Day, Baylor Scott & White Health
Brand Manager/Sports Sponsorships/Digital: Tyson Stuart, Baylor Scott & White Health
Director of Consumer Marketing/Brand Strategy & Planning: Kristn Owens, Baylor Scott & White Health
Brand Planning & Strategy: Robin Kraase, Baylor Scott & White Health
Marketing Producer Creative & Brand Management: Megan Doss, Baylor Scott & White Health
Senior PR Marketing Consultant: Eric Keese, Baylor Scott & White Health
ANOTHER SUMMER, ANOTHER AMAZING INTERN DUO
Summertime at Launch is one of the best times of the year (if you can get past the heat) because that’s when we recruit the most talented interns to join our crew. It’s always a pleasure to nurture the next generation of our industry and watch their potential flourish, but this summer we got especially lucky with two star-studded creatives. Art director/designer intern Corinne Green and copywriter intern Morgan Martinez made a great team and blew us all away with their invaluable contributions on a wide range of projects. And as summer neared its end, we had to wave goodbye to Corinne and Morgan as they turned their focus toward completing their final year as undergrads. But before they left, we asked them to reflect on their time at Launch.
How did you find out about the Launch internship?
Corinne: I found out about the Launch internship through Connext, a networking/portfolio review event for Graphic Design majors at TCU. I got to chat with Caleb and Isaac and present my portfolio to them there.
Morgan: I found out about the Launch internship through Handshake and applied through that!
Was agency life what you expected?
Corinne: I feel like no one can totally prepare you for what agency life is like unless you are living it! I expected a fast paced, creative, and collaborative environment, and I think that was pretty accurate. Every agency has different clients, different processes, and different values, so it was all new and exciting to learn how Launch does it all.
Morgan: Agency life was different than I expected in a good way. I feel like I got an excellent grasp on what agency life is like this summer!
What was your favorite project you worked on this summer?
Corinne: One of my favorite projects to work on was a poster design for The Ashford Rise School and Touchdown Club of Dallas’s Rise Cup Classic, a golf tournament benefitting education for special needs children. I was able to illustrate elements and take a bit more creative freedom with this project, which was right up my alley.
Morgan: My favorite project this summer was the August Billboard Refresh for Park Place. I’m excited to see them go up!
How would you describe your daily routine?
Corinne: No two days were exactly the same at Launch. On an average day, I would head into the office, check my schedule, and get started on my work. Some days, we would have status meetings, creative check-ins, internal reviews, or client meetings to attend. Others were spent catching up on work and preparing it for presentation. On Wednesdays (some of the best days), lunch was on Launch, and we all ate and laughed together in the conference room. Thursday happy hours on the deck (before it got over 100 degrees) also made the tail-end of the week so fun!
Morgan: There was always something new to do, but my daily routine was typically grabbing a coffee in the morning and driving to the office on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday! After that, I would see if I had any meetings scheduled and/or tasks due, and I would research and write drafts for deadlines approaching.
What was your funniest memory?
Corinne: When Morgan and I (the two interns) both won LCR consecutively, and made it rain with all our ones.
Morgan: My funniest memory is playing Kiki or Booba/Sun or Moon on one of the Happy Hour Thursdays!
What advice would you give a future intern?
Corinne: Ask lots of questions! Questions don’t make you seem clueless, but rather interested and dedicated to learning from the people around you. Also, be very open to criticism and new ways of doing things– absorb all that you can from critiques and explanations, and don’t take anything personally!
Morgan: I would say don’t be afraid of the work and don’t be afraid to ask for help! Everyone is there to support you, and everyone believes in you.
What was the biggest takeaway from your internship?
Corinne: Being trusted to tackle bigger projects as an intern led me to an invaluable experience gaining knowledge and confidence working in an agency setting. I learned how to best collaborate with Morgan (my copywriter partner & fellow intern), ask the right questions during a creative briefing so the account manager can provide the best information, respectfully and promptly communicate with a creative team, and so much more. I feel very prepared to enter the workforce with the experience and mentorship provided by Launch.
Morgan: My biggest takeaway was that talking to others and seeing their work will expand your thinking, and you can always learn something new unexpectedly.
INTERNS SUM UP THEIR SUMMER
We believe in nurturing and inspiring the next generation of industry talent. That’s why every year, Launch seeks out the most promising advertising students and gives them a chance to put what they’re learning in the classroom into practice. So as summer draws to a close, we’re proud to recognize this year’s talented trio of interns. Art director/designer interns Bryce Johnson and Natalie Castillo and account service intern Lucy Galloway all made major contributions and came away with plenty of valuable experience. We asked them to share some of their highlights.
How did you find out about the Launch internship?
Bryce: Launch funds an art director scholarship for my school UNT. I was the winner selected, and it led to an intern position for the summer.
Lucy: I was browsing advertising agencies in Dallas and came across Launch and the internship position. I applied and, the next day, got a message that two Launchers were visiting UT for creative week. I loved talking to them, and knew that this would be a great experience and a great place to work. The rest is history.
Was agency life what you expected?
Natalie: Working at a smaller agency, I feel like things are a bit more personal. Whether it’s happy hour on Thursdays or hearing jokes randomly through the week, I don’t think I would have had quite the same experience at a bigger agency.
Lucy: Launch was ten times better than what I had expected out of agency life and what I have experienced in the past. It is such a creative and collaborative environment and I think that’s a main factor in producing great work.
What was your favorite project you worked on this summer?
Natalie: I really enjoyed the Rise School Round-Up poster and the agency social templates project.
Bryce: The Dallas Cowboys activation for Baylor Scott & White Health was a fun project where I was waaaaay out of my element.
How would you describe your daily routine?
Natalie: Since things were always changing or different assignments were coming up, I don’t think I had the exact same day twice, but I preferred it like that. There was always something new to do, so I was never bored.
Lucy: Wake up, walk to work (I live two blocks away), attend a few client calls in the morning, eat lunch, participate in internal reviews, work on our social platforms, update statuses, look for Wolfie (a wolf man action figure everyone takes turns hiding somewhere in the agency) and walk home!
What was your funniest memory?
Bryce: When I was spitballing with my partner in crime, Nat. I refuse to give our account director, Jason, any credit because his jokes are terrible, but our copywriter, Isaac, coming in with the rimshots always got a laugh out of me.
Lucy: There is always so much fun to be had in this office: Hawaiian shirt Thursdays, happy hours in the office on the balcony, going to Electric Shuffle, doing headstands for no reason, repotting the office plant. But I think my favorite is when they let me think (only for a few minutes) that I was being fired from being an intern. It was all in good fun and, needless to say, it ended happily with me being over the moon to become a full-time Launcher!
What advice would you give a future intern?
Natalie: Don’t beat yourself up. Being able to witness people’s out-of-the-box ideas would kind of discourage me, but I would remind myself that one day I could be on their level. It just takes experience to learn the ropes on how to come up with great ideas.
Lucy: If you are open to working and learning, Launch will give you all the tools you need to be a part of the team and work with clients on actual projects. I think this sets Launch’s internship apart from a lot of others. They understand that busy-work/made-up projects and assignments don’t really help anyone grow.
What was the biggest takeaway from your internship?
Natalie: One, go out to see work and expand your thinking. Two, enjoy your time. The people here are nice with great ideas, so LEARN from them.
Bryce: Great vibes, free food and too many dad jokes.
FUELING GROWTH: LAUNCH ADDS CREW TO LEADERSHIP TEAM
Award-winning brand strategy and creative agency builds on momentum, promotes three to principal.
Two decades ago, partners Diane Seimetz Duncan, David Wilgus and Michael Boone set out on a mission: deploy their years of marketing experience working on high-profile national and international clients to help new brands successfully achieve lift off, and guide mature brands back to the success they once enjoyed. They named the business Launch because it perfectly fit what they wanted to build, a creative company able to give innovative businesses the strategic thinking and creative firepower to launch or relaunch successfully.
And soon after its own launch, the burgeoning agency had built a star-studded roster of dotcoms and startups, including Match.com, Hotels.com and Paris Las Vegas; as well as high-profile relaunches – among them restaurateur Phil Romano’s eatZi’s Market & Bakery, and retail giant Sam’s Club.
Today, Duncan, Wilgus and Boone are making room at the helm for three new principals: Group Creative Director April Steinbach, Account Director Jason Giles, and agency Controller Ray Ives.
Left to Right: Ray Ives, April Steinbach, Jason Giles
“We have always believed – and reinforced to clients – that launching is not just for startups. It’s a mindset. Something you do every day, evolving and innovating your way to the top,” said Diane Seimetz Duncan, Principal and Creative Director for Launch. “Expanding our leadership capabilities with key talent like April, Jason and Ray is putting that deeply held belief into practice in our own business.”
April Steinbach is on her second tour as a Launcher, starting in 2004 as senior copywriter and returning in 2018 as Group Creative Director. She brings with her extensive digital and mass media experience from BBDO/Organic and TM Advertising, leading campaigns for American Airlines, AT&T, Bausch + Lomb, Community Coffee among others, and earning recognition from Communication Arts, Graphis, The New York Times, Muse by Clio and the American Advertising Federation. April currently heads creative efforts for Baylor Scott & White Health along with new business initiatives.
Jason Giles, Launch employee #2, has been with the agency since the doors opened over 19 years ago. Coming to the shop with a strong background in retail, service businesses and automotive, Jason was key in helping longest-standing client, Park Place Dealerships, grow to a more than $2 billion luxury brand powerhouse. He has also been instrumental in new business, and has led strategy and growth efforts for Baylor Scott & White Health, the largest not-for-profit healthcare system in Texas, since the client joined the roster in 2017.
As the newest addition to the senior leadership team, Controller Ray Ives, lends nearly 30 years’ experience to the agency’s financial and business operations. The USC grad spent more than 17 years at San Antonio-based Bromley and Associates, where he served as Finance Director and Chief Financial Officer during his tenure. Prior to that, he was Senior Financial Analyst at DMB&B, and most recently at Publicis Groupe’s Spark Foundry, NYC, where he was SVP Finance Director.
“We feel very fortunate to have the caliber of talent, integrity, loyalty and work ethic we have in April, Jason and Ray,” said Michael Boone, Principal and Account Director for Launch. “Each has already earned the respect and trust from peers, partners and clients. With the promotion to principal, we are just formalizing the role, and look forward to leading alongside them in the years ahead.”
Meet the bosses that give Launch its boost.
It’s 2021, and Launch has made its way into Uptown, nestled in an office building overlooking the bustling shops and restaurants below. It outgrew its location in Carrollton, TX, and has found a new home in the heart of Dallas. Years of expertise, successful campaigns, and busy days have molded the agency into what it is now.
National Boss’s Day is coming up this weekend, and we figured there was no better time to dig into Launch’s history and learn more about the people who created it. We can trace our culture, workflow, and success back to the founding Launchers and principals – Diane Seimetz, David Wilgus, and Michael Boone.
Prior to Launch’s formation, these three were off on their own, making a name for themselves in the ad industry.
Diane was working on brands such as Frito-Lay, American Airlines, and Match.com. Dave worked at TracyLocke, where he met Diane. He completed work for Bank of America, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, as well as many others. Michael, who previously worked at TracyLocke, Puskar Gibbon Chapin, and The Maxfield Group, came into the picture once Dave and Diane moved to Temerlin McClain, and the rest is history!
They formed Launch in 2000 within Temerlin McClain, and GroceryWorks was their very first client.
Some of the projects completed by Launch for GroceryWorks
These OG Launchers gave some insights into their passion and the work they do:
David Wilgus
What was your mission when first starting Launch?
“We wanted to take our experience working on big brands at large advertising agencies and apply it to launching startups and relaunching brands that needed help gaining momentum. In 2003, we left the world of big agencies and holding companies to start our own ‘startup’ and reshape what an ad agency looks like. We adopted the characteristics of the startups we were working with – lean, scrappy, creative innovators.”
What’s a source of inspiration for you?
“Our local arts community helps feed my creative spirit. Austin seems to always get the center stage, but Dallas, Ft. Worth, and Denton offer a wealth of talented artists, musicians, photographers and filmmakers.”
Diane Seimetz
At the agency, what is one major thing that has changed over the years?
“Embracing technology and leveraging consumer insights resources to help level the playing field for our clients and the agency. We’ve been using Slack, for example, since 2015 – less than two years after it launched. We also invest in several enterprise-caliber research tools to help understand our clients’ customers better and inform the work.”
What’s a source of inspiration for you?
“People-watching 😊 I love to observe how consumers think, shop, express themselves – it’s a wellspring of great ideas. I also like to immerse myself in creativity in many forms, whether it’s fine art, podcasts, crafting, music. The more diverse, the better.”
Michael Boone
What do you think is the biggest contributor to your or the team’s success?
“For Launch, it’s been a three-pronged approach. Start with talented professionals passionate about doing a good job, infuse a collaborative and creative culture, and finish with trusting clients.”
What’s a source of inspiration for you?
“I’ve always loved advertising. As a kid, I was impressed by unique, compelling ads and almost equally fascinated by terrible ones (what was that?). I first learned of ad agencies – and that they could be a career choice – from watching the old Bewitched TV show. In fact, I referenced that when I got my first agency job. I’m not sure whether they hired me in spite of that comment or partly because of it!”
When starting the agency, Michael mentions his desire to “create great work […] and have fun doing it without layers and bureaucracy to muddle the message.” This is the reason there is an air about Launch that asks people to notice it – to ask why it stands out. It’s more than an agency. To Diane, this is due to the “special culture of people who genuinely care about our clients and each other.” Because of this, the agency and those within it have made a name for themselves in this big Texas city. “The strong entrepreneurial spirit and business culture of Dallas is a perfect fit for Launch and it’s at the heart of who we are,” Dave writes.
These specific characteristics and elements have come together to forge a small-sized yet mighty advertising agency with equally tough team members.
