Author: Chris Copacino
Press Release +++ For Immediate Release
Drake Cooper, Copacino Fujikado not becoming DCCF
Boise, ID and Seattle, WA, December 2024 - Venerated PNW indie agencies Drake Cooper and Copacino Fujikado announced plans to not merge on Friday, December 13th. The pair also announced that neither would be acquiring the other. The news comes as a shock to many, especially in the wake of the Omnicom/IPG merger. Industry insiders were predicting the move because, as one put it, “it just seems like what everyone is doing these days.”
Seattle-based Copacino Fujikado, a 4-time AdAge Small Agency of the Year, seemed poised to further cement its position as hardest-to-pronounce agency and distance itself from BarkleyOKRP. Said agency CEO Scott Foreman, “A mouthful of a name like that is really tempting, but in the end, we felt Copacino Fujikado had enough syllables, and we’d just be merging for merging’s sake. Who wants to do that?”
Located in Boise, Drake Cooper recently won its first AdAge Small Agency award and looked ready to capitalize on that momentum by impulsively smashing itself together with another agency to make one bigger, more confusing agency. “When it came down to it, it just felt like not merging or acquiring was really a way to differentiate ourselves going into 2025, so we went rogue,” said Mindy Stomp, CEO of Drake Cooper.
The non-move is effective immediately, and both agencies are retaining their current names and brands, though spokespeople for both said they wouldn’t rule out name-lengthening in the future.
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About Copacino Fujikado A big idea agency for brands with big ambitions, Copacino Fujikado is a full-service, independent advertising agency based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1998 by Jim Copacino and Betti Fujikado, the agency specializes in powerful brand ideas and integrated campaigns. Copacino Fujikado has been recognized for its work on iconic Pacific Northwest brands such as REI, The Seattle Mariners, Seattle Children’s, and Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, and has been awarded Ad Age Small Agency of the Year regionally four times in the last eleven years. Learn more at Copacino.com
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About Drake Cooper Drake Cooper is a 100% employee-owned advertising and marketing agency with offices in Boise and Los Angeles. Established in 1978, the agency has evolved to specialize in building brands for the ambitious. With a team of 80 professionals, Drake Cooper tailors its services to maximize value for mid-market companies across the United States, offering strategic, creative, media, and digital expertise. In recognition of its strategic and creative solutions, Drake Cooper was named a 2024 AdAge Small Agency of the Year. Learn more at DrakeCooper.com