Merkley+Partners

Merkley+Partners is a full-service advertising agency headquartered in New York City. The agency was established in 1993 under the name Merkley Newman Harty by Parry Merkley, Steve Harty, and Jane Newman. The founders represented different agency disciplines: Merkley served as creative director, Harty as client services director, and Newman as strategic planning director. Their founding concept was to reduce the organizational separation between creative, account-service, and strategic-planning functions, creating an integrated model for developing and delivering advertising work. The agency later adopted the name Merkley+Partners. It operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Omnicom Group and is part of Omnicom's Diversified Agency Services, commonly known as DAS. This ownership structure places the agency within one of the world's large communications holding-company networks while preserving Merkley+Partners as a distinct agency brand. Its business is described as full-service advertising, indicating work across the principal disciplines required to plan, create, and manage campaigns for clients, although the available reference material does not provide a complete list of service lines, clients, or geographic offices. Merkley+Partners is based in New York City and has been described as having approximately 225 employees. The agency's leadership has included Alex Gellert as chief executive officer and Andy Hirsch as executive creative director and chairman. Both joined the agency in 1999, according to the referenced agency history. Scott Gelber was named president in 2018. These leadership roles reflect the agency's combination of business management, creative direction, and client-service responsibilities. The agency has received recognition in New York advertising competitions and industry publications. Referenced awards include Silver New York ADDY recognition for Mercedes-Benz in 2012, as well as multiple 2011 ADDY distinctions and a Communication Arts Award connected with the Ad Council's lead-poisoning-prevention campaign. These examples show that the agency has worked on both commercial automotive advertising and public-service communications. Merkley+Partners' positioning is rooted in integrated advertising and collaboration across agency disciplines. Its founding rationale emphasized removing boundaries among creative, client-service, and planning teams, while its later identity as an Omnicom/DAS agency provides access to a broader holding-company environment. Publicly available reference material is limited regarding its full client roster, international operations, financial performance, current employee count, and recent campaigns; those areas therefore remain unspecified in this entry.

Merkley+Partners was founded in New York City in 1993 as Merkley Newman Harty by Parry Merkley, Steve Harty, and Jane Newman. Their professional roles were deliberately complementary: Merkley was the creative director, Harty led client services, and Newman was responsible for strategic planning. The agency was formed around the idea that advertising work would be stronger if these disciplines operated without rigid organizational boundaries. The agency subsequently became known as Merkley+Partners and developed as a full-service advertising business. Its model combines strategic planning, creative development, and client-service functions rather than limiting the company to a single specialist advertising discipline. The available reference material identifies New York City as its location and describes the agency as having approximately 225 employees. Merkley+Partners became a wholly owned subsidiary of Omnicom Group and a member of Omnicom's Diversified Agency Services network. The relationship gives the agency a place within a major international communications holding company while retaining its own name and operating identity. The supplied sources do not establish the exact date of the acquisition or provide detailed information about subsequent corporate restructuring. Alex Gellert and Andy Hirsch joined the agency in 1999 and were later identified as chief executive officer and executive creative director/chairman, respectively. Scott Gelber was named president in 2018. The agency's public record also includes award recognition for commercial and public-service work. In 2011, its campaign for the Ad Council on lead-poisoning prevention received several New York ADDY awards, a district-level ADDY distinction, and a Communication Arts Award. In 2012, the agency received a Silver New York ADDY for Mercedes-Benz work. Beyond these documented points, the available reference material does not provide a full chronology of office openings, major client wins, revenue, ownership transactions, or recent campaigns. The agency remains described as active, New York-based, and affiliated with Omnicom Group and DAS.

• 2018

  Scott Gelber named president

  [1]Merkley+Partnersen.wikipedia.org

  Scott Gelber was appointed president of Merkley+Partners.

• 2012

  Mercedes-Benz work receives a Silver New York ADDY

  [1]Merkley+Partnersen.wikipedia.org

  Merkley+Partners received Silver New York ADDY recognition for advertising associated with Mercedes-Benz.

• 2011

  Lead-poisoning-prevention campaign receives awards

  [1]Merkley+Partnersen.wikipedia.org

  The agency's Ad Council public-service campaign received multiple ADDY distinctions and a Communication Arts Award.

• 1999

  Alex Gellert and Andy Hirsch join the agency

  [1]Merkley+Partnersen.wikipedia.org

  Alex Gellert and Andy Hirsch joined Merkley+Partners, later becoming senior agency leaders.

• 1993

  Agency founded as Merkley Newman Harty

  [1]Merkley+Partnersen.wikipedia.org

  Parry Merkley, Steve Harty, and Jane Newman founded the New York advertising agency with an integrated approach spanning creative, client services, and strategic planning.

A New York-based full-service advertising agency built around collaboration among creative, strategic-planning, and client-service disciplines, operating within Omnicom Group's DAS network.

• Advertising agency services · 1993

  Full-service advertising

  Merkley+Partners provides full-service advertising rather than focusing on one isolated production or media function. Its documented operating model brings together creative direction, strategic planning, and client services, reflecting the structure established by its founders. The available sources do not enumerate every current service capability.

• Advertising campaigns

  Public-service communications

  The agency has worked on public-service advertising, including an Ad Council campaign focused on lead-poisoning prevention. That work received multiple advertising and design recognitions in 2011.

• 2012Mercedes-Benz advertising

  United States

  Merkley+Partners produced advertising work for Mercedes-Benz.

  Outcome. The work received a Silver New York ADDY.

  Source
• 2011Ad Council Lead Poisoning Prevention

  United States

  Merkley+Partners developed advertising for an Ad Council public-service campaign addressing lead-poisoning prevention.

  Outcome. The campaign received Silver and Gold New York ADDY recognition, a district-level Silver ADDY distinction, and a Communication Arts Award.

  Source

• 2018

  Scott Gelber named president of Merkley+Partners[1]Merkley+Partnersen.wikipedia.org

  Leadership change

  Scott Gelber was named president of the New York advertising agency.

• 2012

  Merkley+Partners receives recognition for Mercedes-Benz advertising[1]Merkley+Partnersen.wikipedia.org

  Campaign

  The agency received a Silver New York ADDY for work associated with Mercedes-Benz.

• 2011

  Merkley+Partners receives awards for lead-poisoning-prevention campaign[1]Merkley+Partnersen.wikipedia.org

  Campaign

  The agency's Ad Council lead-poisoning-prevention campaign received several ADDY distinctions and a Communication Arts Award.

1. 1Merkley+Partnersen.wikipedia.org