A Year of Reinvention: DNA&STONE Turns Bold Ideas into Industry Recognition and Fresh Talent

From steady beginnings to a turning point

DNA&STONE closed the year having reshaped itself. What started as a steady independent agency became a clearer creative voice with new clients, show-ready work and public recognition. Across 2025 the firm refreshed its brand strategy, launched several headline campaigns and picked up industry nods that raised its profile. The practical result: more briefs from national clients and a bigger team to handle them. For readers who follow marketing and creative business, the story is simple — DNA&STONE moved from quiet competence to visible momentum, and that shift changes how the agency will compete next year.

Awards and campaigns that put the agency on the map

The calendar of wins started in the spring and kept growing through the fall. In June 2025, the agency’s integrated campaign for a regional home services client, called “Home Truths,” earned a creative medal at a national advertising festival. That early success was followed in September by recognition for a public-health spot that ran in local cinemas; jurors highlighted the campaign’s humane tone and measurable uplift in awareness. In October, DNA&STONE’s social-first work for a direct-to-consumer brand was shortlisted at a major marketing awards show, and a holiday film in November took a regional creative prize.

These wins came with practical upside: several award citations were used in new-pitch decks, helping the agency win three mid-size accounts in the second half of the year. The pattern mattered more than any single trophy — judges and clients responded to work that felt purposeful and well-crafted, not just flashy.

Radical Empathy in action: campaigns that spoke plainly and stuck

DNA&STONE has been billing its approach as “Radical Empathy” — a commitment to put human behavior at the center of every idea. That theory played out in two campaigns that show how the agency thinks. The first, a service-industry spot titled “Carry On,” took a soft, character-led approach. Rather than pitching features, the film followed a single courier through a day and let small, relatable moments build trust. The result was steady engagement on social platforms and a measurable rise in the client’s brand mentions during the flighting period.

The second example focused on utility customers and a straightforward brief: reduce confusion around billing. DNA&STONE stripped the language down, used clear visuals and ran a short explainer series across email and connected TV. Audience testing showed comprehension improved and customer calls about billing fell during the campaign window. Both projects used real human moments to guide creative choices — casting, tone and channel mix — and both delivered outcomes clients could point to in business reviews.

Strengthening the team: leadership moves and growth plans

To match the bigger briefs, DNA&STONE added senior talent and promoted from within. In August the agency appointed a new chief strategy officer with experience at two global holding groups. The hire was paired with a promotion to executive creative director for a long-time staffer who led the Home Truths campaign. Headcount grew by roughly 20% in 2025, focused on planners, producers and midweight creative roles — the people who turn strategic ideas into campaigns that run without surprises.

Those choices matter: the agency now has a clearer bench for new business and the project capacity to scale multi-channel work. The balance between outside hires and internal promotion also signals a willingness to keep culture intact while bringing in outside discipline.

What comes next and how to reach the team

Looking ahead, DNA&STONE is positioning itself to win larger, cross-market briefs in 2026. The agency plans to invest in measurement and production capabilities so it can promise both creative edge and reliable delivery. Client focus areas will include consumer brands, category repositioning and communications that require a mix of social, video and activation work.

For journalists and potential partners: the agency says it will make case studies and campaign materials available early next year and will be active at several industry events. Press inquiries and requests for campaign reels can be directed to [email protected]. The broad message for the market is clear — DNA&STONE wants to be known as a practical creative partner that pairs heart with results.

Sources

• prnewswire.com