Pocket Hercules: 20 Years Proving Small Agencies Deliver Big Results

Minneapolis-based advertising agency Pocket Hercules celebrates its 20-year anniversary with a powerful testament to its unconventional business model that prioritizes creative excellence over corporate bureaucracy. Founded on October 31, 2005, by Jason Smith and Tom Camp, the agency launched with the radical idea of keeping operations "small, smart, and senior"—a direct challenge to the industry trend of mergers and expanding payrolls. Within their first year, they were joined by partner Jack Supple, all three veterans of the same Minneapolis advertising agency where they had built national reputations for emotionally charged storytelling. The agency's craft-first approach centered on copywriting as a lost art, with Smith emphasizing their ability to "distill complex ideas into short, emotive copy" that creates genuine emotional connections rather than industry clutter.

From its inception, Pocket Hercules established what would become one of advertising's longest-running partnerships with legendary fishing lure company Rapala VMC, who followed the creatives from their previous agency. For nearly two decades, the agency has consistently found fresh, authentic ways to express Rapala's core promise of helping anglers "catch more and bigger fish," demonstrating the enduring power of their creative approach. The agency's client list reads like a cross-section of American ingenuity, with Pocket Hercules bringing its signature mix of heart, intelligence, and unpretentious creativity to numerous national accounts. True to its entrepreneurial spirit, the agency has also launched several agency-owned brands, including the now-iconic Lakemaid Beer, proving that creativity can function as both a service and a product itself.

As Pocket Hercules marks its 20th anniversary this Halloween, the agency continues under Jason Smith's leadership while Tom Camp and Jack Supple enjoy well-earned retirements. The agency's enduring success in a landscape where many boutique agencies "crash as hard as they burn" serves as powerful validation of its founders' original vision. The Minneapolis creative agency has maintained its commitment to direct client-creative relationships and craftsmanship-driven ethos, living up to its name by remaining small in size but mighty in ideas. Their work continues to demonstrate that the great work of a few talented creatives consistently trumps the clutter of many, offering a compelling alternative model for the advertising industry at large.