In a year when Chicago advertising said goodbye to legacy names, weathered layoffs, and fought harder than ever to break through national clutter, one agency didn’t just survive the moment. It expanded into it. Highdive is Reel Chicago’s Agency of the Year for 2025, not because it played it safe, but because it proved what an independent agency can still be when ambition, craft, and cultural fluency align.
Highdive’s year began with a statement move. The Chicago-based indie announced a major expansion to New York, opening an office at 56 Greene Street and signaling its intent to compete at the highest level without abandoning its Midwest roots. Led by executive creative directors Doug Fallon and Steven Fogel, the New York launch followed double-digit year-over-year growth and positioned Highdive as a bi-coastal agency with Chicago still firmly at its creative core. At a time when much of the industry was shrinking, the expansion read as confidence, not bravado.
That confidence was backed up by the creative work. Highdive’s ongoing universe for State Farm continued to be one of the most culturally resonant brand platforms in advertising. The Batman vs. Bateman campaign was more than a clever stunt. It respected superhero canon, leaned into meticulous production design, and treated insurance storytelling with the same care usually reserved for blockbuster IP. Behind-the-scenes footage only reinforced how seriously Highdive takes world-building, proving that mass-market advertising can still feel crafted and cinematic.
The agency’s work around Apple TV+’s hit series, Severance, further cemented the agency’s reputation for tapping directly into pop culture without feeling opportunistic. Rather than simply borrowing imagery from a buzzy series, Highdive understood why Severance resonated and built creative that mirrored its themes of identity, control, and modern workplace absurdity.
The executions felt native to the cultural conversation already happening online, rewarding fans who recognized the references while remaining accessible to a broader audience. That balance is where Highdive consistently excels. They don’t chase relevance. They align with it.
By treating pop culture as a shared language rather than a shortcut, the agency continues to prove it knows how to enter the conversation at precisely the right moment, with work that feels smart, intentional, and fully in on the joke.
The agency’s continued partnership with Jeep delivered one of the year’s most memorable co-branded moments with a Mission: Impossible tie-in for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Instead of defaulting to CGI spectacle, the spot featured real Jeeps physically suspended mid-air, echoing the franchise’s obsession with practical stunts.
That commitment to doing things for real carried across multiple Jeep campaigns throughout the year, including lighter executions featuring talking animals that managed to be funny without softening the brand’s rugged identity.
Restraint also became a Highdive calling card. The agency’s work for DISH earned Ad of the Week honors from Reel Chicago with The Talk, a spot that trusted awkward silence and human truth over feature lists and tech jargon. A simple family moment reframed a complicated category, proving once again that clarity beats clutter.
Highdive also made its mark in sports beyond football. Its work for the National Hockey League captured fandom not as noise or aggression, but as identity and ritual. Rather than selling speed alone, the campaign sold belonging, reinforcing Highdive’s knack for understanding sports as culture.
Highdive’s creative excellence didn’t just win eyeballs — it earned Emmy recognition, underscoring the agency’s ability to craft commercials that stand alongside the best in television art and craft. In 2025, Highdive’s Batman vs. Bateman for State Farm was nominated in the Outstanding Commercial category at the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, affirming that work breaking through culturally can also meet the highest industry standards.
The nomination wasn’t an isolated achievement; it added to a growing tally that positions Highdive as one of the few independent agencies whose spots consistently earn Academy-level accolades, a rare distinction for a creative shop outside the traditional network roster. This recognition reflects not just reach, but impact: work that resonates with audiences and peers alike while elevating Chicago’s creative reputation on the national stage.
Across it all, a pattern emerged. Highdive didn’t chase trends. It is committed to tone, craft, and emotional intelligence. Pop culture references were handled with respect. Humor landed without irony. Technology supported the story instead of becoming the story. And Chicago remained central, not incidental, to the agency’s voice.
In 2025, when breaking through felt harder than ever, Highdive proved that independent agencies don’t need to get louder. They need to get sharper. For its growth, its work, and its ability to keep Chicago creatively relevant on a national stage, Highdive earns Reel Chicago’s Agency of the Year.
Congratulations to Mark, Chad, Megan and the entire Highdive team. Happy New Year!
Colin Costello is the Editor of Reel 360 News and the West Coast Editor of Reel Chicago. Contact him at colin@reel360.com or follow him on LinkedIn.
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