The Shipyard, an independent full-service advertising agency based in Columbus, Ohio, has acquired Fahlgren Mortine, one of the top 20 firms in the nation (O'Dwyer's), and the two-time reigning Mid-Sized Agency of the Year as designated by the Public Relations Society of America. "Fahlgren Mortine is recognized as a leader in the industry," said The Shipyard founder and CEO Rick Milenthal. "With our shared values, combined resources and a galvanizing mission of 'Engineering Brand Love' wherever audiences consume media, we are creating the leading independent platform in the country that creates great value for our clients."The Shipyard will maintain the Fahlgren Mortine brand, which will now have access to expanded media buying volume, creative firepower and data and analytics resources.The combined company represents $350 Million in billings, with 400 professionals and 10 offices throughout the country. The companies already share clients in addition to B2C and B2B industry expertise in tourism and economic development, financial services, consumer products, energy, retail, building products, logistics, technology and healthcare.Fahlgren Mortine leadership remains in place with CEO Neil Mortine, and Marty McDonald, who was named president in 2022. Neil Mortine will also be named vice chairman for The Shipyard and Christine Turner will continue as president of TURNER, a subsidiary brand of Fahlgren Mortine since 2014. TURNER focuses on integrated communications for travel, tourism and active lifestyle brands with offices in New York City, Denver and Chicago. Mortine confirmed: "We are certain this is the right next move for Fahlgren Mortine. We complement each other's strengths and specialties with a shared love for our community, bold national vision, and a commitment to doing work that makes a difference."Fahlgren Mortine was previously owned by Eastport Holdings, a leading communications network, which acquired the firm in 2018.The Shipyard announced last August a minority investment from Alaris Equity Partners which provided funding for this strategic investment in growth.

McDonald's "Grimace's Birthday" campaign, created by Golin, was the star of the North American SABRE Awards, winning the top prize for Best Public Relations Campaign of 2023. This marks a historic night for Golin, becoming the first agency ever to snag three major awards: Best Agency to Work For, Large Agency of the Year, and Best in Show.The award-winning campaign addressed a significant drop in birthday celebrations at McDonald's. They brought back a beloved character, Grimace, to reignite excitement. This clever strategy resulted in a staggering 900% increase in birthday celebrations at McDonald's after five years of stagnation."This campaign was pure, fantastic consumer marketing," said Paul Holmes, head judge and founder of PRovoke Media. Awards often favor purpose-driven initiatives, but sometimes, great PR boils down to a creative idea that captures consumer imagination and fosters meaningful engagement."And the results in this case were nothing short of phenomenal," he concluded."Grimace's Birthday" triumphed over other impressive campaigns to win the coveted Platinum SABRE. These finalists included:  Dove's "Black Hair is Professional" with Ogilvy  SAG-AFTRA's "2023 Negotiations and Strike Campaign" with SAG-AFTRA  DHL Supply Chain's "Step Up for Safety" with Fahlgren Mortine  Aura Freedom's "For Her" Campaign with Veritas Communications and Forsman & Bodenfors"These finalists represent the incredible range of PR work seen this year," said Holmes. "From social justice efforts by Dove to navigating the Hollywood strike for SAG-AFTRA, to internal communications for DHL, any of these campaigns could have rightfully won the top prize."Ogilvy walked away as the biggest award winner, taking home eight trophies. MSL and Weber Shandwick followed with five awards each, while BCW snagged four. Finn Partners, Golin, and M Booth rounded out the top with three awards apiece.