Top 13 advertising agencies in Des Moines
13 advertising agencies in Des Moines that are actually operating, each checked against its own site and a second source. What they do, who it’s for, and the one reason it made the list. No pay-to-rank.
- 01
- Des Moines, IA
- Since 1984
- 51–200 people
Flynn Wright is a full-service advertising agency headquartered in downtown Des Moines with offices in Sioux Falls and Portland. Its 101 staff cover research, strategy, creative, in-house media planning and buying, direct marketing and PR, and the agency produces broadcast, digital and out-of-home campaigns for clients in telecom, equipment, energy, retail, agriculture and tourism.
Why it’s hereThe largest locally owned advertising agency in Des Moines, in business since 1984 with an in-house media department and accounts such as Mediacom, Bobcat and the Iowa Lottery.
Known forfull-service advertising · media planning and buying · broadcast creative · research · public relations
Named clientsMediacom, Bobcat, Culligan, Medica, MidAmerican Energy, Fareway, Kemin, Iowa Lottery, Sammons, Advanced Drainage Systems
Checked against flynnwright.com, clutch.co
- 02
- West Des Moines, IA
- Since 1980
- 51–200 people
Strategic America is an employee-owned, full-service advertising and marketing agency in West Des Moines with more than 120 associates. It works for enterprise and multi-location brands, with particular depth in franchise and dealer-network advertising, and runs brand strategy, media planning and buying, SEO, web, social, email, PR and analytics in-house. It became an ESOP in 2021.
Why it’s hereFounded in 1980 and employee-owned since 2021, with 120-plus staff and a media department built around multi-location and dealer campaigns.
Known formulti-location and franchise advertising · media planning and buying · digital advertising · public relations · analytics
Named clientsExmark, American Heart Association
Checked against strategicamerica.com, clutch.co
- 03
- Des Moines, IA
- Since 1907
- 11–50 people
Lessing-Flynn is an advertising, creative and digital agency in Des Moines' East Village that has operated continuously since 1907. It develops brand positioning and campaigns for established and emerging brands, with recent case studies for Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas, Champion Seed and DCI Group. It has been named an Iowa Top Workplace for seven consecutive years.
Why it’s hereFounded in 1907, it is one of the oldest continuously operating advertising agencies in the United States.
Known forbrand campaigns · creative · digital strategy · video · event marketing
Named clientsHitachi Construction Machinery Americas, Champion Seed, Insane Impact, DCI Group
Checked against lessingflynn.com, clutch.co
- 04
- Des Moines, IA
- Since 1987
- 11–50 people
ZLR Ignition is a full-service advertising and branding agency in downtown Des Moines that began in 1987 as Zimmerman, Laurent & Richardson. It handles brand planning, creative development, media strategy, PR and digital, with much of its work for healthcare, financial services, education, public-sector and nonprofit clients. It is a Google Premier Partner and a member of the ICOM independent agency network.
Why it’s hereNearly 40 years in Des Moines with named public-sector and healthcare accounts such as the Iowa Clinic, UnityPoint Health and the Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau.
Known forbrand planning · creative · media strategy · public relations · healthcare
Named clientsCemen Tech, Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau, The Iowa Clinic, Iowa State University, UnityPoint Health
Checked against zlrignition.com, clutch.co, icomagencies.com
- 05
- West Des Moines, IA
- Since 1984
Meyocks is a full-service branding and advertising agency in West Des Moines that concentrates on agriculture, food and beverage, and health and wellness brands. Its services run from brand strategy and campaign creative through packaging design, SEO, social, web and PR. The agency reports a seven-year average employee tenure and a longest client relationship of 36 years.
Why it’s hereFour decades of campaign work for agriculture and food brands including Hy-Vee, ADM and Farm Credit Services of America.
Known foragriculture · food and beverage · health and wellness · brand campaigns · packaging design
Named clientsHy-Vee, ADM, AgDirect, Farm Credit Services of America, Grinnell Mutual, Hass Avocado Board, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Topco, Seed Consultants, Vivid Clear Rx
Checked against meyocks.com, clutch.co
- 06
- Des Moines, IA
- Since 2000
- 51–200 people
Two Rivers Marketing is a B2B advertising and marketing agency in Des Moines' East Village that works with manufacturers and brands selling through dealer and distributor networks. Its 110-plus associates handle full-funnel strategy, campaign creative, media, content and sales enablement. The agency is a wholly owned subsidiary of The VGM Group, an employee-owned company in Waterloo, Iowa.
Why it’s hereA 110-person B2B specialist with 25 years of campaign work for manufacturers that sell through channel partners.
Known forB2B advertising · channel and dealer marketing · content · media · sales enablement
Named clientsPioneer
Checked against tworiversmarketing.com, clutch.co
- 07
- West Des Moines, IA
- 11–50 people
TwoTone Creative is a full-service creative and marketing agency at 4800 Mills Civic Parkway in West Des Moines, founded by CEO Jenny Cross and grown without mergers or acquisitions. It produces branding, campaigns, video, digital advertising, social and websites for mission-driven organisations including nonprofits, churches, healthcare providers, manufacturers and government, and reports clients in 29 states. It has won American Advertising Awards from AAF Des Moines every year from 2021 to 2026 and appeared on the Inc. 5000 in 2022 and 2023.
Why it’s hereA West Des Moines agency with six consecutive years of AAF Des Moines American Advertising Awards and two Inc. 5000 appearances.
Known forbrand campaigns · video · digital advertising · web design · nonprofit and church marketing
Named clientsHandy Industries, Kimberley Development, Valley Church, Apex Dental, Bank Midwest, Palvella Therapeutics, Pivot Cycles
Checked against twotonecreative.com, twotonecreative.com, aafdsm.com
- 08
- Des Moines, IA
- Since 1975
- 11–50 people
Mills Marketing is an advertising and marketing agency that works only with banks, credit unions and other financial institutions. Founded in 1975 by Becki Drahota, it has grown from a one-person operation to more than 20 staff across offices at 400 East Court Avenue in Des Moines and in Storm Lake, Iowa, and runs research, planning, campaign creative, digital execution and staff training aimed at deposit growth and loan production.
Why it’s hereFifty years of advertising work for financial institutions from Iowa offices, with a Des Moines office in the East Village.
Known forfinancial services advertising · brand strategy · deposit and loan campaigns · digital execution · training
Checked against millsmarketing.com, millsmarketing.com, expertise.com
- 09
- West Des Moines, IA
- 1–10 people
Red Dot is an independent creative agency in the Valley Junction district of West Des Moines that describes itself as 'a little integrated marketing firm'. Its nine-person team, led by principal and creative director Jason Ploog, handles branding, advertising campaigns, design, product naming and websites for clients in agriculture, renewable fuels, electrical distribution, education and retirement investing, including Renewable Energy Group's EnDura Fuels line and Van Meter.
Why it’s hereA small independent creative shop listed by Expertise.com among Des Moines advertising agencies, with named campaign work for Renewable Energy Group and Van Meter.
Known forbrand campaigns · advertising creative · product naming · web design · agriculture and energy
Named clientsRenewable Energy Group, Van Meter Inc., JR's Southpork Ranch
Checked against reddotad.com, reddotad.com, expertise.com
- 10
- West Des Moines, IA
- Since 2009
Strategic Elements is a public affairs and public relations firm headquartered in West Des Moines with seven additional offices including Washington, DC, Houston, Atlanta and Pierre, South Dakota. Co-founded in 2009 by Christine and John Stineman, it runs issue and advocacy advertising, media buying, video production, digital ads and events for corporations, trade associations and foundations, and is a certified woman-owned small business and a member of the American Association of Political Consultants.
Why it’s hereAn Iowa-based firm whose advocacy advertising and media buying serve national clients from a West Des Moines headquarters.
Known forpublic affairs advertising · media buying · video production · issue and advocacy campaigns · digital ads
Named clientsMuscular Dystrophy Association
Checked against strategicelements.com, strategicelements.com
- 11
- Pleasant Hill, IA
- 1–10 people
Liebl Marketing Group is a full-service advertising agency at 1290 Copper Creek Drive in Pleasant Hill, east of Des Moines, led by agency principal Jon Liebl. It buys media across radio, TV, cable, streaming, digital display, out-of-home and print, produces radio and TV commercials in-house, and adds social media, design and web work. Portfolio clients include Grip-Tite Foundation Systems and Newton Community School District.
Why it’s hereA Des Moines-area shop where traditional media buying and broadcast production remain the core service, listed by Expertise.com among Des Moines advertising agencies.
Known formedia buying · radio and TV production · out-of-home · social media · web design
Named clientsGrip-Tite Foundation Systems, Canoyer Garden Center, Newton Community School District, Charter House Real Estate
Checked against lieblmg.com, expertise.com
- 12
- Grimes, IA
- 1–10 people
TRIO is a full-service marketing communications agency at 400 SE Gateway Drive in Grimes, northwest of Des Moines, founded and led by president Renee Schneider. Its seven-person team organises work into broadcast, creative, digital and strategy, executing campaigns through radio and TV, design, printing and mailing. It cites work for clients in sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, retail, real estate, biotechnology, tourism and financial services.
Why it’s hereA small Des Moines-metro agency with a dedicated broadcast practice, listed by Expertise.com among Des Moines advertising agencies.
Known forbroadcast advertising · creative · digital · direct mail · agriculture and renewable energy
Checked against trioagency.com, trioagency.com, expertise.com
- 13
- Des Moines, IA
Group C Digital is a digital media and consulting firm at 1821 High Street in Des Moines that plans, buys and measures paid campaigns across search, social, video, OTT and connected TV, targeted email and programmatic display. It cites more than 20 years of digital marketing experience and works through platform partnerships with Google, The Trade Desk, YouTube, Instagram and Bing, and also offers media training and offline attribution.
Why it’s hereA Des Moines media-buying specialist focused on OTT, connected TV and programmatic placement, listed by Expertise.com among the city's advertising agencies.
Known fordigital media buying · OTT and connected TV · search and social advertising · attribution · media training
Checked against consultgroupc.com, expertise.com
Checked, not scraped.
Every firm on this page was found through directories, press and client mentions, then verified two ways: its own website had to be live and describe the work, and a second, independent source had to agree it exists and does that work. Founding years, headcounts and client names appear only where the firm or a directory states them; where we couldn’t confirm, the field is blank rather than guessed.
The order is editorial — longevity, named clients, scale and a clear specialism, in roughly that weight — not a score, and nobody on the list paid to be on it. The one exception is marked: the featured card is our own bench and says so.
Lists are re-checked each quarter. Missing a firm that belongs here, or listed and want a correction? Write to lists@primortul.com.
Hiring a advertising agency in Des Moines, answered plainly
- How many advertising agencies in Des Moines are on this list, and where are they?
- 13. All 13 are based in the Des Moines metro — Des Moines, West Des Moines, Pleasant Hill, Grimes. Each was verified against its own website and a second source before it was listed.
- How do I choose between advertising agencies in Des Moines?
- Start from the job, not the agency: write down what done looks like in one paragraph, then read the "why it's here" line on each entry and shortlist the two or three whose reason matches your job. Ask each for one comparable piece of work and who on their team would actually do yours. 7 of the 13 here are under 50 people, which usually means the people you meet are the people who do the work.
- Did any of these firms pay to be listed?
- No. The order is editorial — longevity, named clients, scale and a clear specialism — and no firm on the ranked list paid for its place. The one paid card is marked "Featured" and is our own bench, Fracs; it is not ranked.
- How long have these advertising agencies been around?
- The oldest firm on the list dates from 1907; founding years are shown on each entry where the firm states one, and left blank where it doesn't.
- What should I bring to a first call with an advertising agency?
- Your revenue band, what you sell and to whom, the one number you want moved, a budget range, and a start date. Firms price faster and more honestly when the brief is concrete; the match form on this page asks for exactly those five things.
- How is this list kept current?
- It was checked September 2026 and is re-checked each quarter: dead sites come off, mergers and renames are updated, and firms that belong here are added. Corrections go to lists@primortul.com.
Describe the job. Get one advertising agency back that fits it.
Two minutes. We read what you wrote, pick one provider from this list or our bench whose work matches it, and they contact you within a business day. Nobody else gets your details.
- Top marketing agencies →
- Top social media companies →
- Top digital marketing agencies →
- Top SEO companies →
- Top web design companies →
- Top lead generation companies coming
- Top fractional CMOs coming
- Top branding agencies coming
- Top PR firms coming