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As marketing decision-makers behind major brands are reinventing the relationships with their advertising agencies, Secret Fort, a Chicago-based company, has been busy forging a "refuge for marketers." Quietly launched in 2016 by industry veterans, Secret Fort is reinventing the traditional agency model. Why? Because today's clients are asked to do more with less and are operating in the most rapidly changing marketplace in history. The Core Team and nationwide Creator Network know clients deserve a better way of working.

 

The Core Team is led by Chief Creative Officer Jason Henderson and President John Fraser. Henderson's experience as an agency creative leader draws on over 15 years of staff positions at Team Detroit, Doner, Leo Burnett, and Cavalry, where he has shaped award-winning campaigns for countless Fortune 500 brands. Fraser brings over 15 years in senior agency leadership, as former President of Element 79, Chief Operating Officer of mcgarrybowen Chicago, and Chicago President of Young and Rubicam. 

 

Named after the forts of childhood—where imagination and setting your own rules are priorities —their blended workforce operating model and deep-rooted production relationships eliminate many frustrations felt by clients and creatives alike: Unnecessary politics, drawn-out timelines, annual scopes and bloated fees based on dedicated teams. Secret Fort's nimble Creator Network of more than 250 experts makes this possible, efficiently delivering fresh creative solutions that are curated by Henderson, Fraser and the agency's Core Team. 

 

Clients looking for "More Ideas. Better Content. Fewer Headaches" take note; Secret Fort's growing list of clients - including Cars.com, Massage Envy, Navistar, Wilson Sporting Goods, BrightStar Care and more - means they've staked their claim in the Chicago market, and this refuge for marketers is here for good.

 

The BrightStar Care work is just one example of how the agency's team fully invests itself in using intelligent strategic marketing to impact its clients' objectives. To set BrightStar apart in the world of in-home care service providers, Secret Fort embraced the company's inspirational "Caregiver of the Year" program, creating and marketing video content along with other integrated campaign elements. These efforts have earned high praise from - and an ongoing relationship with - the company's CMO, Steve Schildwachter.

 

"Secret Fort understands what's superior about our brand - and they understand how to tell our consumers about it," Schildwachter said. "They dialed in quickly to the right facts and feelings and produced work that made us proud; better still, they made our franchisees proud, which strengthens the brand even more."

 

True to promise, clients and creators are finding refuge in Secret Fort. Moral of the story: Some secrets are better off disclosed. And don't forget the secret password: "No jerks allowed."

 

Secret Fort is a Chicago-based advertising agency dedicated to forging a functioning path for the ad industry. To marketers seeking extraordinary creative resources, you can learn more at http://www.secretfort.com or contact info@secretfort.com.