Alright, deep breath. Because if 2025 felt chaotic, heavy, and occasionally on fire, 72andSunny didn’t flinch. They leaned in. That’s why they’re our Creative Agency of 2025.
While much of the industry was busy cutting back, circling the wagons, or playing it safe, 72andSunny kept doing what they do best: turning optimism into action and ambition into culture, moving work. Their mantra isn’t just aspirational copy.
It showed up everywhere this year. From global humanitarian storytelling to culture hacking stunts, from sports joy to tech paranoia, their work didn’t chase relevance. It created it. In a year when audiences were exhausted by bad news, layoffs, and mergers, 72andSunny understood the assignment: make people feel something real again.
They reminded us what advertising can do when it actually stands for something. Operation Smile’s Badges of Hope reframed surgical scars not as something to hide, but as proof of access, survival, and dignity. It was emotional without being manipulative, cinematic without being indulgent, and deeply human in a way few nonprofit campaigns achieve.
That same instinct powered their work for Surfrider, where fake, darkly comic billboards jolted Angelenos out of apathy and flipped indifference into accountability. Shock with purpose. Humor with teeth. Classic 72.
Then there was scale. The NFL’s You Better Believe It kickoff anthem was pure, unfiltered joy, blending live action, CGI, and AI into a rolling, singing, all-32-team love letter to fandom. It was big, musical, unapologetically earnest, and perfectly tuned to that Week One feeling when anything still feels possible.
Later, their work on NFL Flag pushed culture forward again, challenging outdated gender norms and helping normalize girls’ flag football at a national level, without losing the spectacle or the fun. And last, but certainly not least, was their Super Bowl spot for the NFL which empowered children.
When it came time to mess with our heads, 72andSunny delivered one of the boldest launches of the year for Call of Duty. Don’t Fear Tomorrow didn’t look like a game campaign at all. It looked like a tech startup nightmare, complete with fake press, fake executives, and real cultural anxiety. By the time the reveal hit, the internet was already hooked. It wasn’t advertising. It was world-building.
Even in categories that often feel crowded or predictable, they found fresh lanes. Hard Rock Bet’s mockumentary style Jackpot Season was funny, specific, and human in a space that usually defaults to glossy clichés. Across every piece, the through line was unmistakable: optimism doesn’t mean ignoring reality. It means engaging with it creatively, intelligently, and with conviction.
In a year defined by fires, fights, and final acts, 72andSunny didn’t just survive. They showed what leadership in creativity actually looks like when things get hard. That’s why this one feels easy. Creative Agency of 2025. No hesitation.
Colin Costello is the West Coast Editor of Reel 360 News. Contact him at colin@reel360.com or follow him on LinkedIn.
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