Hill Holliday

Hill Holliday is an American advertising, marketing, and communications agency headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The agency was established in 1968 under the name Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos, Inc. by Jack Connors, Jay Hill, Steve Cosmopulos, and Alan Holliday. Its origins place it within Boston's long-established advertising community, while its work has developed across creative advertising, media planning, brand strategy, and broader marketing communications. The agency is associated with campaigns for nationally recognized clients including Dunkin' Donuts, Bank of America, Cigna, the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, and AMD. Among its best-known assignments are Dunkin' Donuts' “America Runs on Dunkin” platform, Bank of America's “Life's Better When We're Connected,” Cigna's “GO YOU,” and the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids' “WeGotYou” initiative. Its work for AMD included the campaigns “Trucks,” “Diabolical,” and “Flatzone.” These assignments illustrate the agency's involvement in consumer, financial-services, healthcare, technology, and public-interest communications. Hill Holliday expanded beyond its original Boston base and has offices in New York City and Greenville, South Carolina. The agency has been recognized for both creative and media capabilities. It was named Media Magazine's full-service Agency of the Year in 2011 and 2012, and it is identified as the only agency to win Adweek's Media Plan of the Year four consecutive times. The agency has also been described as the 17th-largest advertising agency in the United States, although rankings of this kind depend on the methodology and period used. A major ownership transition occurred in 1998, when Hill Holliday was acquired by the Interpublic Group of Companies, commonly known as IPG. The agency subsequently operated within the structure of one of the world's major advertising and marketing-services groups. In 2024, Hill Holliday was sold to Attivo. This transaction marked a change in corporate ownership while preserving the agency as an operating marketing and communications business. Hill Holliday's positioning is that of a full-service agency combining creative development, media expertise, strategy, and integrated communications. Its historical identity has been shaped by nationally visible brand platforms and by a Boston headquarters that remains central to the brand. Publicly available reference material provides limited detail on its current executive roster, revenue, employee count, and precise international footprint; those fields are therefore left unreported here rather than estimated.

Hill Holliday began in Boston in 1968 as Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos, Inc. The founding partnership consisted of Jack Connors, Jay Hill, Steve Cosmopulos, and Alan Holliday. The original corporate name reflected the partners' surnames and established the agency's identity as an independent Boston advertising firm. Over time, the company developed into a broader marketing and communications agency. Its work extended beyond conventional advertising into media planning, brand strategy, and integrated communications. Publicly documented client work spans several sectors. For Dunkin' Donuts, Hill Holliday developed the “America Runs on Dunkin” platform. It also worked with Bank of America on “Life's Better When We're Connected,” Cigna on “GO YOU,” and the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids on “WeGotYou.” Technology work for AMD included “Trucks,” “Diabolical,” and “Flatzone.” Together, these campaigns show the agency's range across consumer brands, financial services, healthcare, public-interest communications, and technology. The agency's geographic presence expanded from Boston to include offices in New York City and Greenville, South Carolina. Boston remained its headquarters and a defining part of its institutional identity. Its reputation was supported by recognition for media and full-service capabilities. Media Magazine named Hill Holliday its full-service Agency of the Year in 2011 and 2012. The agency is also described as the only agency to win Adweek's Media Plan of the Year four years consecutively, a distinction that emphasizes its media-planning credentials alongside its creative work. Ownership changed substantially in 1998, when Hill Holliday was acquired by the Interpublic Group of Companies. Under IPG ownership, the agency became part of a large advertising and marketing-services network while continuing to operate under the Hill Holliday name. In 2024, IPG sold the agency to Attivo. The sale represents the latest documented ownership transition in the supplied reference material. Hill Holliday remains an active American agency with a full-service positioning. Its documented public profile is strongest in relation to campaigns, awards, locations, and ownership history. Detailed current information about its leadership, financial performance, staffing, and client roster is not established by the available reference material and is not inferred in this entry.

• 2024

  Sold to Attivo

  [1]Hill Hollidayen.wikipedia.org

  Attivo acquired Hill Holliday from Interpublic Group.

• 2012

  Received a second Agency of the Year recognition

  [1]Hill Hollidayen.wikipedia.org

  Hill Holliday was again named Media Magazine's full-service Agency of the Year.

• 2011

  Named Media Magazine full-service Agency of the Year

  [1]Hill Hollidayen.wikipedia.org

  The agency received Media Magazine's full-service Agency of the Year award.

• 1998

  Acquired by Interpublic Group

  [1]Hill Hollidayen.wikipedia.org

  Hill Holliday became part of the Interpublic Group of Companies through an acquisition.

• 1968

  Agency founded in Boston

  [1]Hill Hollidayen.wikipedia.org

  Jack Connors, Jay Hill, Steve Cosmopulos, and Alan Holliday founded the agency as Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos, Inc.

A full-service marketing and communications agency combining creative advertising, media planning, brand strategy, and integrated campaign execution.

• Advertising services

  Creative advertising

  Development of advertising concepts, campaign platforms, creative executions, and brand storytelling for consumer, corporate, technology, healthcare, and public-interest clients.

• Marketing strategy

  Brand strategy

  Strategic services intended to define brand positioning, clarify communications priorities, and connect business or institutional objectives with integrated marketing activity.

• Media services

  Media planning and buying

  Planning and execution of media strategies across campaign channels. The agency's media capabilities have been recognized through repeated industry awards, including a four-year run of Adweek Media Plan of the Year wins.

• Communications services

  Integrated marketing communications

  Coordinated creative, strategic, media, digital, and communications work designed to deliver unified brand campaigns across multiple touchpoints.

• America Runs on Dunkin

  United States

  A major Dunkin' Donuts brand platform associated with Hill Holliday's consumer advertising work.

  Source
• Life's Better When We're Connected

  United States

  A Bank of America campaign developed by Hill Holliday.

  Source
• GO YOU

  United States

  A Cigna campaign credited among Hill Holliday's notable work.

  Source
• WeGotYou

  United States

  A public-interest campaign for the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids.

  Source
• AMD K6/K6-2 campaigns

  United States

  A group of AMD campaigns comprising “Trucks,” “Diabolical,” and “Flatzone.”

  Source

• 2024

  Transfer ownership to AttivoM&A

  Background

  Hill Holliday had been owned by Interpublic Group since its 1998 acquisition.

  Action taken

  Interpublic Group sold Hill Holliday to Attivo.

  Aftermath

  Attivo became the agency's owner; further operational details are not established in the supplied sources.

  Source

• 1998

  Join the Interpublic Group networkM&A

  Background

  Hill Holliday had operated as an independent Boston advertising agency since its founding.

  Action taken

  Interpublic Group acquired the agency.

  Aftermath

  Hill Holliday continued operating under its established name within IPG's broader advertising and marketing-services structure.

  Source

1. 1Hill Hollidayen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Hill Holliday official websitehhcc.com