What to know before hiring an agency

Ashwinn’s Viral Spec Ad

What Happened: Hoka sent Ashwin their new Cielo X1 2.0 shoes, and instead of just lacing them up and moving on, he did what any good marketer would—turned it into an ad.

The result? A 1970s-style Ogilvy ad with the tagline:

“If you want to know what it feels like to be a Nepo Baby, go for a run in the Hoka Cielo X1.”

It absolutely cooked on Twitter and Instagram.

Hoka’s own agency, Anomaly, might want to take notes because Ashwinn basically handed them a campaign for free. He even told them they should run it as a paid ad, but since it’s currently lost in the abyss of corporate approval, we’ll just appreciate it here.

Oh, and about the shoe? The Fathers consensus:

✔️ Feels like you’re flying when you run
✔️ Feels like you’re going to eat pavement when you walk

Not for the faint of heart.

Sweetgreen Debuts Fries

What Happened: Sweetgreen launched “healthier” fries, and rolled them out with an ad comparing to McDonald’s

The Fathers Take: This ad got plenty of love on Marketing Twitter™, but is it changing consumer behavior? Probably not.

That said, good beef is good marketing (see: Apple vs. Microsoft back in the day). We’re not sure where this notion that you can’t call out a competitor or copycat brand anymore came from and why it stuck. More brands should be bold enough to take a shot.

David’s Bridal is Now… a Media Company?

What Happened: After filing for bankruptcy twice, David’s Bridal has decided it’s time to become a media company.

As their CEO said: “The brides are evolving, and we’re evolving with her.”

The Fathers Take: That is the most classic C-level PR statement ever.

Realistically, they’re building a content network around weddings—think TV shows, digital content, and influencer collabs—while shifting to a dropship model so they don’t have to hold inventory.

On paper, it sounds insane, but bridal content does pull views, and algorithms love wedding-related content. If they can actually make good content, this might work.

Or it’ll flop spectacularly. Either way, can’t get much worse.

SKIMS Takes Over Times Square

What Happened: SKIMS was the latest brand to execute a Times Square Pop Up, dropping a giant inflatable Kim Kardashian in the middle of it.

The Fathers Take: This is peak “make it go viral” marketing.

✔️ It got people talking and taking pictures
✔️ It may not have been meant for the male gaze, but it sure got their attention
✔️ It’s another example of how Skims stays in the conversation year-round

Hate it or love it, Skims doesn’t miss. Kim is looking at LeBron level longevity at the top of the game.

The Future of Agencies: Who’s Winning, Who’s Losing, and What’s Next?

What Happened: The agency world is shifting fast. Some recent key moves:

📌 R/GA bought itself back from a holding company
📌 Wasserman consolidates Laundry Service
📌 Smaller, niche agencies are thriving

The Fathers Take:

• The old-school agency model is struggling. Big agencies move too slow to keep up with social, culture, and content demands.

• Smaller, global teams are winning. Decentralized, nimble agencies with culture experts across different regions are the new wave.

• Brands need to start valuing creators. Instead of just outsourcing everything to agencies, the next evolution is bringing creators in-house

If you’re starting an agency today, the play is clear:

✔️ Go niche
✔️ Become undeniably good at one thing
✔️ Worry about scale once you dominate your category

Final Sermon

This week, we saw Hoka get a free ad, Sweetgreen make fries happen, and David’s Bridal decide they’re a media empire now. Meanwhile, Skims proved once again that staying in the conversation is the real game, and the agency world keeps shifting—fast.

We covered it all in depth and more—go watch the episode:

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Until next time,

The BrandFathers