Brooke Stites, Zac Ryder & Adam Groves
Co-founders & CEO (Stites) & CCOs (Ryder and Groves), Modern Arts
Part of the story: Modern Arts’ strategists work in tandem with Hollywood producers and showrunners to ensure that their messaging contributes to, not interrupts, your next watch. Brands are moving beyond product placement to become necessary to the narrative, such as in films like Netflix’s The Seat and Prime’s We Are Ayenda. Both relied on actual WhatsApp messages to showcase privacy and high-stakes communication in pressure-cooker environments.
By design: Full Bleed, the agency’s behind-the-scenes look at Adobe for the Roku Channel, delivered about 170 times the audience commitment of a standard digital ad.
Bruno Acanfora & Ariel Abramovici
Chief Creative Officers, Gut Los Angeles
Following their Gut: The self-described “proud ad nerds” had a banner 2025: They doubled revenue and headcount; secured Visa, Disney, and Google as clients; and won over Activision Blizzard in a competitive pitch.
Thanks, Dad: For Mother’s Day, they squashed the default parent expectation by giving moms the day off and rebranding DoorDash as DoorDad for the day. It pushed the delivery service to No. 4 in the App Store, its highest ranking ever.
Make it fun: For NYX Cosmetics, they modernized boring HR training videos to speak fluent Gen Z. And let’s not forget the parade of hearses through Los Angeles to promote Diablo IV all the way to the 2025 Game Awards.
Eric Rojas
Founder & CCO, Six+One
Trash talk: Eric Rojas’ “Disruption for Good” philosophy emphasizes cultural impact alongside every commercial venture. When Andy Cohen dissed outgoing New York City mayor Eric Adams live on CNN on New Year’s Eve, Rojas and his team partnered with the Hudson Square Business Improvement District to immortalize the moment with a branded corner—featuring a gold trash can—in honor of its infamous resident.
Making a splash: Rojas’ nonprofit, For the Greater Hood, took its “Empty Hangers” installation in recognition of clothing insecurity to New York Fashion Week. His team also hit the CPG space by launching alkaline water Jove with an emotion-driven social-first campaign.
