Independent advertising agency January Third is rebranding to This January, the company announced, this week.
WASHINGTON, July 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — In January 2020, two long-time collaborators founded an independent advertising agency in Washington, DC. The partners named the company after the sense of optimism that comes with the start of a new year. The name of the agency? January Third.
Exactly one year and three days later, as thousands attacked the U.S. Capitol building on January 6th, 2021 — the name suddenly implied a bit less optimism.
“It was just absurdly unlucky,” says Maggie Winters, partner and Executive Creative Director. “We had a flourishing new creative agency and a name which, to us, felt like a fresh start. And then the insurrection happened.”
There was an additional layer of irony: the creative agency — which produces advertising for consumer brands like Lufthansa Airlines, Nike, Revature and The Motley Fool — had always avoided politics.
“In DC, it’s easy to get sucked into politics and government,” says Zach Goodwin, partner and Executive Creative Director. “We always made a point of not working in politics. And then it came to us in this bizarre, totally unpredictable way.”
The agency announced a rebrand to This January with a 2-minute film called “The Name” that tells the story of their unusual brush with history. As the film explains, the agency’s new name retains the feeling of a new beginning — but without a specific reference to any date.
“We’ve learned our lesson,” says Winters with a laugh.
This January is a full-service creative agency that specializes in branding, advertising, and digital marketing. In their three short years, they’ve led advertising for DC tourism, The International Spy Museum and America’s wireless companies. Most recently, they won the Lufthansa Airlines USA social account.
“We’re excited about the future of This January,” said Winters. “We have incredible client partners and an amazing, wildly talented team. We’re thrilled to share our new name, and we’re sure that our most interesting days are still ahead.”
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SOURCE This January