Unpretentious, relaxed, quirky, and fiercely independent, Portland’s creative community is very much on the down low in terms of nationwide visibility. Even though our agencies consistently garner national awards, and our boutique agencies produce some of the most original advertising, marketing, and creative material anywhere. But people are beginning to take notice that Portland is truly a dynamic creative hub.
Young creatives fresh out of college and art schools flock here. Talented people with established names and businesses in larger markets are moving to Portland for quality of life reasons a smaller city with outstanding arts and culture, diverse and urban with great planning, respectful of the environment, and with some of the best food, wine, and beer in the country. In a word, Portland exemplifies liveability. Often they’re also bringing their high paying clients with them who positively impact our economy.
Major companies already recognize the city’s wealth of creative talent. Nike is a homegrown powerhouse that has forged a long-term advertising partnership with Wieden and Kennedy. Adidas has their North American headquarters here. This competitive atmosphere also helped raise the profile of local companies such as Columbia Sportswear. Now a new wave of companies is drawn to Portland for its talented creatives and energized setting. Nautilus, Keen Footwear, Nau all come to mind.
We’re seeing this exciting new wave of talented people in our own practice. At 52 Limited, we’re working with creative and inventive people from many places and backgrounds: art directors from New York, designers from Minnesota, copywriters from San Francisco, fashion designers from Los Angeles to name a few. As a creative resource company, we’re able to match highly talented individuals with our best businesses. We work diligently to ensure success at all levels. Our growing creative base has made this an easier task. Success breeds success. The more outstanding our industry becomes, the more Portland shines as a creative center.
Still, with all of this talent and all of this great work, why doesn’t Portland have the national recognition of L.A. or Chicago? Certainly agencies like Wieden & Kennedy and Sandstrom Design are doing high profile international work and being acclaimed for it. Unfortunately, most of our best work goes unnoticed outside of the Northwest. Our small shops and boutique agencies lack the marketing clout and bold-faced bravado to push their products to a higher level of recognition.
But maybe smaller and quieter is better in the long run. Do we really want to be like L.A. very talented but lacking in proportion, balance and livability? We cherish our unassuming nature, and we hardly revel in the bling bling of everything. Maybe, though, we could use a little push. Perhaps we need to blow our own horns more, attracting attention to our work with just a bit more panache. We can keep our vibrant, independent Portland aesthetic but join together to coax ourselves more noticeably upon the national stage. The challenge, of course, is how to do this. Who will step up and take us to that higher level? Self-promotion certainly has its merits! Everyday fascinating and imaginative ideas originate in the Portland creative community. We just would enjoy more people knowing about them.