Preston Kelly is a full-service marketing communications agency based in Minneapolis, offering advertising, account planning, public relations, media, design, interactive and direct marketing.

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Our Reel
If you'd just like to sit back and see a reel of some of our recent TV this is the place. Spots here range in budget from 15K to 350K. What they have in common is that they have been successful in market. It's not the size of the budget, it's the size of the idea.

Be The Match
Be The Match is the new public name of the National Marrow Donor Program which is the largest marrow registry in the world with over 7-million members facilitating over 4,000 marrow and cord blood transplants per year.

CRL
World leader in clean technology, specialist in highly sophisticated telemanipulator arms and both nuclear and bio-hazard handling systems.

Deluxe Corp.
The Deluxe Corporation is a Fortune 1000 company among the leading personal and business check producers in the world--also a trusted advisor to financial institutions and scalable marketing resource for small businesses.

HealthPartners
One of the most innovative healthcare organizations in the United States named JD Powers top rated healthcare coverage for consumer satisfaction in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin. Also serving patients with 35 HealthPartners’ clinics and two hospitals.

Hormel
Hormel Foods Corporation is a multinational manufacturer and marketer of high-quality, brand-name food and meat products for consumers throughout the world.

HowStuffWorks
A wholly-owned subsidiary of Discovery Channel, HowStuffWorks.com receives 12 million visitors per month seeking credible, unbiased, and easy-to-understand explanations of how the world actually works. Named among Time Magazine’s “25 Web Sites We Can’t Live Without”.

Mall Of America
The largest (4.2 million sq. ft.) and most successful retail mall in the United States with record sales over the last two years. Home of nation’s largest indoor theme park “Nickelodeon Universe” opened in late 2007.

Minnesota Zoo
One of the premier zoos in America, striving to be among the best in the world. Broke 1MM attendance record in 2007 for the first time in over a decade.

Piper Jaffray
A middle market investment banking firm with global reach. Piper Jaffray's Guides for the Journey campaign called "the clearest and most ownable investment banking campaign in the US" by editors of Fortune magazine.

Physicians Mutual
A 106-year-old Health and Life Insurance Company with over 2.7 billion in assets and an A+ industry rating--ranking it among the top 1% in the industry.

Roundy's
153 stores in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois, under the Pick'n Save, Copps, and Rainbow monikers, Roundy's was named the fastest growing supermarket chain in America by Brand Week magazine.

STAGG Chili
Hormel's classic West Coast chili brand. Awareness among target West Coast audience is up 17% after year one of new street, interactive and TV campaign.

Succotash
Hipster furniture retailer specializing in vintage American designs. Business is up 300% with new locations and excellent traffic since the introduction of print, poster and interactive campaign.

Taco John's
Quick service Mexican restaurant chain with 435 stores. Forty-four straight months of same store sales increases, outperforming Taco Bell by 4X and 3X the quick service restaurant industry average.

United Sugars
United Sugars Corporation is the largest marketer of industrial and consumer sugar in the U.S.—supplying over 5 billion pounds of refined sugar per year.

Valley Fresh
The number one canned chicken in America with organic and all natural varieties. The newest member of the Hormel brand portfolio.

Venture Bank
Venture Bank is firmly committed to being the very best small business bank in the Twin Cities.

Wipfli
With more than 700 associates and 16 offices in Wisconsin and Minnesota, Wipfli ranks among the largest CPA and consulting firms in the nation.

YMCA
Established in Minnesota in 1856, the YMCA has 28 locations in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin as well as seven camps for kids and families. Over 300,000 new members have been recruited in the past three years, the most of any YMCA co-op in the nation.

Iconic Ideas
There’s no room in anyone’s head for another standard marketing message, no matter how clever. That’s why we don’t spend our clients’ money on advertising; we invest in iconic ideas.\n\nThe power of icons is universal; from the Eiffel Tower and the Great Pyramids to the bald eagle and American cowboy. They become communication shortcuts. They carve an indelible spot in your heart. Never has iconic thinking been so urgent for branding as it is today. As media choices fragment and messages expand from reductive slogans to consumer empowering information, what will create a cohesive whole?\n\nIconic ideas empower your brand to gel; with online, viral films, TV spots, street marketing, outdoor, print ads, sales materials, POP or a mention in someone else’s blog. We’re guessing you don’t have extra millions to spend trying to control your message. Iconic ideas allow you to create a brand story, then to set it free for others to pass along by email, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, word-of mouth(remember that old stand-by), or whatever the next social-networking trend will be.\n\nIconic ideas work. That’s why Taco John’s with its Cowboy Monkey is outpacing Taco Bell by 4 times in same store sales. Why HealthPartners awareness is double its closest rival. And why Roundy’s is America’s fastest growing grocery chain. Iconic ideas are also why we’ve won so many Effies for advertising effectiveness in recent years. We can get the same results for you.

Movin' On Up


Chuck Kelly
Chuck Kelly may have the big title at Preston Kelly, but he's just a regular guy. When you shake Chuck's hand, he doesn't do that thing where he grabs your elbow and shakes it too, nor does he say, "Quite a shake there, Frank. You've been working out?" No, Chuck is just a regular guy, same as you or me. Except that he owns one of the best ad agencies in Minneapolis, maintains a golf handicap of eight and runs a four-minute mile. But other than that, same as you or me. \n\nInherent in Chuck's business philosophy is his personal involvement in your key business issues. He believes in close relationships with people throughout a client's organization. He is an expert in strategy, finance, organization and Nebraska football. (Sorry about that last one.) He has been President of four different boards, and over a 30-year career has sold more hockey tickets, investment banking services and porcine heart valves than any man alive The best thing a client can say to him is, "Sales are up!" Preston Kelly clients always have access to Chuck for key meetings and events, as well as his personal phone number so that you can pick his brain whenever the need arises. And boy, does Mrs. Kelly love Chuck's "business philosophy" or what? Does she ever.\n\nChuck sits on the YMCA Board of Directors and on the Penn State University Board of Visitors. He occasionally wears pink sweaters just because they drive everyone crazy.

Chris Preston
Chris Preston grew up in Evergreen, Colorado, where his father was a Forest Ranger and English Teacher. Chris has climbed all but one "fourteener" in Colorado and believes that downhill skiing is the truest art form. You might be thinking, "Who is this Chris Preston? Is he some sort of John Denver Paul Bunyan Ernest Hemingway?" To which Chris would probably reply, "Kind of, but better."\n\nChris joined Preston Kelly in 1999 after success at Tracy Locke, Campbell Mithun, and Martin/Williams as Creative Director on accounts like Target, Marshall Field's, Little Tikes, General Mills, IBC, Wells Fargo, Mercury Marine, Federal Cartridge, and the Colorado Rockies Baseball Team. As a partner at Preston Kelly, he's created some of the most effective campaigns in the country and has been awarded three gold EFFIEs in the past few years. He's also won Cannes Lions, One Show Pencils, is the only three-time individual RAC Heineman Trophy Best of Show winner, and was crowned his high school's prom king while wearing a green velvet tux. His work is also in the Radio Broadcaster's Hall of Fame and in The Museum of Modern Art in NY. He has helped make literally billions of dollars for his clients. (We've checked. It's true.)\n\nWhen it comes to breakthrough creative that sells like gangbusters, Chris Preston is Paul Bunyan and Preston Kelly is his big blue ox. Or his axe. Or maybe a little of both.

Melody Lentsch
Melody Lentsch talks fast. She's one of those people who are so smart that their mouths are always trying to catch up with their brains. That's a good thing, especially if you're a Preston Kelly client and she's using her super brain skills on your business. It probably drives her kids nuts, but hey, we're not her kids. Besides, kids have good hearing anyway, so don't worry about it. \n\nMelody has 10-years of agency experience at Carmichael Lynch, Rapp Collins and Preston Kelly, and 12-years of client-side experience at Schwan's, McGraw-Hill and Random House. She's an Interactive Strategist, Web Marketer, Customer Lifecycle Expert, Idea Generator, Trained Brainstorming Facilitator, and Measurement Enthusiast. Her business card has writing on both sides. \n\nIn her spare time, Melody reads Anna Karennina while power walking, takes photographs while doing yoga and water skiing, and gardens while playing hoops with her kids. She sleeps in 30-minute naps once every four hours. Sometimes she works while she sleeps.

Mark Jenson
Mark Jenson attended his first Major League Baseball game in June of 1968, and that summer day is permanently etched in his memory. He caught a foul ball from Harmon Killebrew that day. Eventually, Mark had Harmon Killebrew sign the ball, and considers it one of his most prized possessions. So, who the heck is Harmon Killebrew? You got us! But hey, Mark likes baseball, we like Mark, so good enough. \n\nContinuing with the whole baseball theme, advertising and baseball are both strategic games. Mark loves the strategic process of identifying business issues and solving them in fresh and original ways, and has spent more than 20 years doing just that for brands like Andersen Windows, Tropicana, Healthy Choice, Pillsbury, Kraft, Betty Crocker and Land O' Lakes, not to mention Preston Kelly clients like Johnsonville, Pure Fishing and Taco John's. With all of that experience, knowledge and passion for the game, we think Mark's a "home run." Is that dumb, to say that? Not as dumb as getting bonked on the head by a fly ball because you were spacing off thinking about timesheets.\n\nIn college, Mark was a radio and television announcer.  His biggest thrill was being the TV play-by-play voice of the UND Fighting Sioux hockey team as the team rose back to national prominence. You might be wondering exactly when the UND Fighting Sioux were "nationally prominent." Let's just say you would not be alone.

Peter Tressel
Despite his youthful appearance, Peter Tressel has been at Preston Kelly for a long time. Back when you were born, Peter Tressel was at Preston Kelly. If you were born at 1am, Peter was probably mounting something on foam core as you were being spanked. Fortunately for us, Peter does not age, he merely improves. Peter is currently Preston Kelly's 29-year-old Interactive and Digital Design Guru. \n\nPeter has a bionic brain. His supreme organizational skills are perfect for creating systems that work intuitively for consumers. Peter is an avid student of design trends and communications philosophy. He invents things. Anything is possible with Peter on your side. He will make your Web site shine. He will make your banners click. He will enrich your media. He has a gold and a silver Effie in the last three years to prove it.\n\nEveryone loves going to Peter's house for dinner parties because he has this special sea salt from England that makes food taste better. You might think that salt is just salt, but it isn't. Peter's salt is different.

Scott Dahlgren
Scott was originally nicknamed "Boy Genius" by a Preston Kelly client for his out-of-the-box media thinking and Dick Clark-like youthful appearance. Now everyone calls him Boy Genius because it's fun to work with a superhero. Plus, you can imagine how much Scott loves it that we call him Boy Genius. He does his little snicker, like he's oh-so-tired of it, but we know better. \n\nScott is an experienced marketing and advertising pro with media management experience across a variety of industries. He's media neutral - not predisposed to one way of reaching consumers versus another, and revels in the opportunity to find new and inventive ways to reach a target audience. During his eight years at Preston Kelly, he's worked with local and national consumer clients like Piper Jaffray, Hormel's STAGG Chili and Mall of America. Scott is particularly adept at playing bigger than budgets would seem to allow and negotiating relevant added-value media opportunities. He helped win MediaWeek's national Media Plan of the Year Honors for his broadcast planning and buying on the Twin Cities YMCAs. \n\nScott proved his commitment to the agency when he broke both wrists in the same game playing on the agency softball team. So, he's not really a superhero, because a superhero wouldn't break both their wrists playing softball. Unless... Boy Genius only has extra powers in his brain. That explains it! Okay, he's a superhero again.

Beth Elmore
Beth Elmore is the person in charge of making sure that all of our brilliant ideas look just as brilliant on paper, vinyl, outdoor media, backlit displays, POP, props, sculpture, 3-D art, car wraps, truck graphics, aprons, underwear, custom-made costumes, and human-sized hamster balls. Sounds easy enough, right? Yeah, well try having an agency of perfectionists looking over your shoulder all day every day. No wonder Beth gets that crazy look in her eye every once in a while, that crazy Beth stink-eye. You can almost smell that crazy stink-eye! \n\nBeth has an affinity for developing processes and internal checks and balances that are integral to the agency's maintenance of the highest production standards from start to finish. All of her work is produced with relentless attention to detail, even if it requires that custom processes be developed to fit unique client needs. She is also the head art buyer at Preston Kelly, combining negotiating savvy, resourcefulness and taste. \n\nBeth is really funny. She's the kind of funny that you don't realize is funny until you're walking back to your office, thinking about what she said, and then you laugh and think to yourself, "That crazy Beth Elmore!" But you keep walking because you don't want to go back and risk the stink-eye.

Contact Us
Fact Sheet


Berkley Brand
The Berkley brand has represented the best in fishing equipment for 40 years, yet its reputation with avid anglers had waned. By recapturing Berkley's master-brand status its profitable sub brands could flourish. Humanity, Conservation and Technology are core values that define the master brand.

HealthPartners
Among the innovative health care organizations in the U.S., HealthPartners had introduced an industry-leading website enabling members to enhance their care with online test results, appointments and medical records. Post campaign recall is at 65%, with the closest competitor at 35%.

HowStuffWorks
Discovery Channel purchased HowStuffWorks last year as an aggressive entree into the online information market. This is their first mass-market campaign and with TV, outdoor, rich media banner ads, YouTube, search, and on-screen mortises and squeeze-backs, site visits have increased from 11MM per month to nearly 15MM over the first two months.

Johnsonville
The nation's #1 fresh sausage company achieved double-digit growth each of the five years we worked together. Creative that educated, entertained and achieved EFFIE-winning results (1 Gold and 1 Silver) also sold millions of pounds of brats, Italian and breakfast sausage.

Minnesota Zoo
On a mission to become one of the premier zoos in the world, the Minnesota Zoo has enjoyed its first one million plus attendance year in nearly a decade. With a modest budget the quality of the brand work nonetheless reflects the Zoo's international reputation.

MOA
As the largest mall in the U.S., the MOA was seen by upscale local female shoppers as “too big” and “for tourists.” By repositioning the 520 store Mega Mall with the positive and inspiring “More ways to be you” tagline and focusing on family events at The Park at MOA, we helped MOA generate the best sales year in its 15-year history.

PowerBait/Gulp
In tests, Gulp and Powerbait out-fish the competition 4-1 but the technology story wasn't resonating with the core bass market. Recruiting leading-edge fishing pros, giving them a simple message, then using them in a completely new and unexpected way was the key to market share gains that beat all projections.

Roundy's
This 140-unit juggernaut was recently named one of the fastest growing companies in the U.S., however, Roundy's own brand sales were flagging. Preston Kelly was enlisted to develop an iconic idea to help Roundy's 5,000 SKUs stand out among the leading national brands, and get consumers to take another look at its redesigned, reformulated and reliably excellent products.

Spiderwire
Building on Spiderwire's hardcore reputation as the toughest braided super-line on the market, our branding work expanded awareness of Spiderwire to a new mass audience. The fishing truth that big bass hide in the toughest structure led to work that captured anglers imaginations in fishing pubs. Tying into the look and feel of Spiderwire packaging accelerated big box retailer awareness and sales.

STAGG Chili
STAGG is Hormel's classic West Coast chili brand. Recent packaging changes had hurt the brand with core users and sent sales to the bottom of the bowl. Preston Kelly developed new brand positioning and edgy work to re-connect and reactivate the young male core user audience.

Stren
"Old reliable" is a dreaded position in most categories. But in fishing, having a line you can count on like your father and grandfather before you, makes for good business. Using veteran fishing pro Bill Dance to tout the humorously unexpected side of fishing reminded anglers what they could always expect from category leader Stren: Reliability.

Succotash
"1950's since 1995" has become this hipster retailer's mantra. Print, posters and direct mail all feature designs that reflect the attitude of the furnishings and have become local collector's items themselves. Traffic at all three locations is up over 30% since the campaign broke.

Taco John's
Taco John's 420-unit restaurant chain is outspent by Taco Bell 50-1, yet has enjoyed 40+ months of same store sales increases. Almost 4 times that of Taco Bell and 3 times the quick service restaurant category. Repositioning Taco John's as "West Mex" and creating a lovable icon that can't be confused with the behemoth Bell has been the secret.

United Sugars
LIVING IT with United Sugars' sales team helped Preston Kelly get inside the minds of purchasing agents for large food manufacturers. "100% blame and 0% credit" seemed to be the universal theme. This 3-year campaign has been so popular purchasers have requested (over 100) reprints for their walls and customer presentations. United Sugars now enjoys a competitive difference in a commoditized category.

YMCA
Preston Kelly uncovered the frighteningly motivating fact that the average person gains 5-7 lbs during the holidays. Working pro bono with the 26 YMCA branches of Minnesota and Western Wisconsin, we have leveraged this fact with four years of traffic-driving TV, radio and outdoor. Nearly 300,000 new members have been recruited to date. We've also generated 22 broadcast news stories and counting.

Archives
Here's some work that we're still darn proud of from our not so distant past. It was effective. It won awards. We hate to see it go, so we gave this classic work its own button. Sometimes it's good to look back and see where we've been.

Intern Gallery
Young people look at marketing problems from a fresh new perspective. We like that. So do many of our clients. Our interns are given the freedom to spread their creative wings on personally interesting projects.

Newsroom


Taco John's