Velocity Sports & Entertainment took a big leap up the PROMO 100 chart this year to No. 6 (from No. 25 ), largely due to strong revenue growth over two years and high marks for its campaign work.
Velocity’s revenue rose to $9.8 million last year from $5.4 million in 2001. The agency was named global AOR by Eli Lilly to promote the launch of its oral treatment for erectile dysfunction, Cialis, a competitor to Viagra and Levitra. Velocity also was named AOR for ConAgra Foods and took on work for The Home Depot.
Promotions for Cialis play on lifestyle areas core to consumers’ interests. Campaigns broke last year in the U.S. leveraging a PGA Tour sponsorship and other golf tie-ins. A music platform played across promotions launched in six other countries. Velocity moved up in the campaign creative rankings to No. 13 from No. 31.
The agency, which is headquartered in Wilton, CT, opened a London office last year, in addition to its offices in Atlanta, Chicago, San Jose, CA, and Landover, MD.
This year, the agency launched Velocity Municipal Marketing, a division focused on the growing municipal sponsorship market.
“We strongly believe that given the increasing pressure that municipalities around the country are feeling from a budget standpoint, they are going to be increasingly receptive to promotional relationships that help to fill the revenue void,” says Mike Reisman, one of four partners who founded the company in 1999.
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