Last Updated: April 2025
The global digital advertising and marketing market is projected to reach $786.2 billion by 2026, and creative agencies in New York City are playing a major role in driving that growth. Known as a global epicentre of innovation, NYC is home to some of the most forward-thinking agencies specializing in branding, design, advertising, and digital strategy.
Whether you’re a startup looking to make a bold entrance or an established brand ready for a refresh, the right creative partner can transform your vision into impact. In this article, we’ve curated a list of the Top 13 Creative Agencies in New York City that are leading the way in creativity, storytelling, and results.
What Does a Creative Agency Do?
Creative agencies work with brands to help them tell their story through strategic and visual content, often in the form of campaigns. Their services typically encompass areas such as branding, advertising, content creation, social media strategy, video production, web design, and digital marketing.
Whether a full rebrand or a one-off campaign, a creative agency offers bespoke solutions that push business objectives and increase visibility with their specialised services related to branding, advertising, and design.
Top 13 Creative Agencies in New York City
In an ever-evolving digital landscape, clever and continual branding isn’t some afterthought; it’s a necessity. In fact, a brand with creative and consistent branding earns up to 23% more in revenue than one that doesn’t.
Having that at the back of your mind, here are the top 13 creative agencies in New York City who can take your brand to the next level and make it more visible.
1. VM Groupe
Pricing: Custom Pricing
New York City-based full-service luxury branding agency VM Groupe specializes in creating forward-thinking brand identities and experiences. Their services encompass brand strategy, visual identity, and content creation, crafted to reveal a brand’s narrative, articulate its market position, and forge a sustainable emotional bond with its audience.
VM Groupe is recognized for enabling premium brands to influence perception and inspire desire through strategic, high-impact storytelling.
2. Crafted
Pricing: Custom Pricing
With offices in New York and Miami, Crafted is a brand-first creative agency that fuses strategy, storytelling, and design to create brands that matter. Their work can involve research, content, design, and development, but all anchored in top-notch narrative.
Crafted works with clients from a variety of industries and presents an impressive portfolio that includes BMW, Nike, and Pavan, while delivering award-winning work that makes a mark and evokes inspiratíon.
3. M Booth
Pricing: Custom Pricing
As an award-winning creative communications agency with teams in New York and San Francisco, M Booth loves to create confrontational brand experiences that engage across channels. They specialize in experiential marketing, earned media, creative strategy and design, all with a focus on driving real engagement and measurable impact.
M Booth has partnered with clients, from Patrón to 7-Eleven and American Express, building a reputation for disruptive ideas, smart strategy, and memorable storytelling.
4. Dentsu Creative
Pricing: Custom Pricing
Dentsu Creative is a creative digital network with offices in all major cities around the globe. The agency is known for merging creativity and cutting-edge technology, providing experience platforms, digital products and innovation, commerce solutions, and virtual experiences and gaming.
Dentsu Creative continues to work with leading industry brands, including HBO Max, Crayola, and Adobe, crafting courageous product-led stories and transformative brand experiences that foster authentic connection in a digital-first world.
5. Exposure
Pricing: Custom Pricing
Based in New York, Exposure is a multidisciplinary creative agency that combines strategy, creative direction, public relations and production services to create culturally relevant campaigns.
Exposure has been a name behind the brands for over 20 years, connecting brands to audiences in ways that are authentic and creative. Their work with brands like NYX Cosmetics, Campari, & Adidas speaks for itself. Consistently delivering impact whilst building brand affinity.
6. Praytell
Pricing: Custom Pricing
The New York-based integrated marketing and creative communications agency blends bold ideas with a strategic approach, renowned for its quality workmanship and visceral creativity. They offer solutions ranging from earned media, social media strategy, digital marketing, to influencer partnerships, all to create real conversations between brands and audiences.
Praytell has spearheaded breakout campaigns for household names including Logitech, Sally Beauty and Fender, building a reputation for creativity that connects and drives results.
7. Riot
Pricing: Custom Pricing
Riot partners with the visionary minds behind impactful brands, and through their collaborative and production efforts in New York City, they craft bold visual storytelling. The agency has provided a complete range of services, including full-service production, animation, branded content, commercials, and visual identity development, since the company’s inception in 2015.
With this pioneering approach, they have gained global brands like Tiffany & Co., Coach, and Clinique as partners, building the go-to partner for a variety of impactful, visually striking campaigns.
8. Yard NYC
Pricing: Custom Pricing
Yard NYC is an independent creative company named AdAge’s Small Agency of the Year, known for bold, culturally-relevant and conversation-driving work that generates impact.
The agency, acclaimed for its strategic creativity and crafting signature stories, has partnered with some of the most iconic brands, including Wrangler, Tanqueray and Walmart.
They deliver campaigns that consistently break through the noise to connect with audiences in meaningful and innovative ways.
9. Lustre
Pricing: Custom Pricing
Lustre is a Brooklyn, New York-based women-owned branding and design agency. Since its foundation six years ago, Lustre has designed over 70 brands, from packaging to Shopify eCommerce design.
The clients they’ve worked with include Monday Swimwear, Saratoga Water, and Bodega. Lustre is known for its editorial voice and conversion-oriented design, providing high-end creative solutions for modern, digitally native brands.
10. The Social Shepherd
Pricing: Custom Pricing
The Social Shepherd is a global social-first agency with New York and Miami offices. They focus on all the most important specific strategies by platform, from organic social media to paid media to influencer marketing and creative production.
Among its clients are Uniqlo, easyJet holidays, and Premier Inn. They take a data-driven and performance-led approach to deliver measurable ROI whilst building culturally relevant and community-driven brand experiences.
Creative Production Agencies
With 90% of information directed to the brain being visual, high-quality content production is an essential component of your brand that should be prioritized. In today’s digital world, it’s no longer about simply what you say; rather, how visually inviting you can make what you say.
That’s where creative production agencies come in, from compelling visuals to engaging storytelling, brands need to work with the ones that can bring their ideas to life.
11. Cult
Pricing: Custom Pricing
Cult is a creative agency based in London with a resolute presence in New York, delivering provocative, future-facing campaigns grounded by strategic insight. They focus on bold brands that want to push boundaries and re-imagine legacy approaches with cutting-edge creative solutions.
Cult provides full-service for branding, strategy, and campaign execution, with a speciality in beauty, fashion, wellness, and luxury.
12. Wild Factory
Pricing: Custom Pricing
From dynamic video production to a creative agency, Wild Factory is a media company that tells stories. They create well-crafted branded content that allows them to speak to audiences and customers to resonate.
International commercial directors with diverse and multicultural backgrounds provide a global perspective on every project they are involved in. They provide strategy through creative planning and production to live-action shooting, branded narratives, and more that make them your visual campaign partner from the ground up.
13. Ezra Productions
Pricing: Custom Pricing
Ezra Productions is a woman-owned creative agency and video production company, with offices in Los Angeles and New York, merging purpose-driven storytelling with refined design. Providing visually stunning and emotionally impactful content, their work covers video production, web design, and graphic design.
Working with the likes of JCPenney, Umami Burger, and Herbivore Botanicals, Ezra Productions has cultivated a reputation for creating stories that resonate with today’s modern audience.
How Much Do Creative Agencies Charge
Before seeking a creative agency or asking them for a pitch, it makes sense to understand their common pricing structures and the factors that will affect your marketing budget.
1. Flat Project Fees
Many creative agencies have a fixed fee per project, which is great for one-off campaigns. But most come with a minimum spend requirement. Minimum campaign costs average $8,178, varying from $5,199 to $12,000 based on specifics of the scope and complexity.
2. Hourly Rates
Less common, but some agencies bill hourly. The rate is usually starting at $88/hour (the average is slightly above $100/hour), which is at a match with Clutch’s estimation of $100–$149/hour for the US-based creative agencies.
3. Retainers
For continued services, retainer agreements are common. Agencies will consistently manage your campaigns for a monthly fee. The average annual retainers for SMBs (not including media spend) range from $12,000 to $24,000.
Helplama: The Best Customer Service Outsourcing Company
Helplama stands out as a top-tier customer service outsourcing company trusted by startups and established brands alike. Based in the U.S., Helplama offers 24/7 omnichannel support, including live chat, email, phone, and social media, customized to match your brand’s voice.
They ensure quality and peace of mind with flexible pricing, trained agents, and seamless integration with tools. Helplama is a reliable partner for scaling customer experience without the overhead.
Conclusion
With 80.5% of brand-side marketers agreeing that creative effectiveness is key to campaign success, it’s clear that the right creative partner can make a measurable difference. The creative agencies in New York City featured in this article are known for turning bold ideas into powerful brand experiences, helping businesses stand out in a competitive market.
For a well-rounded approach, consider pairing your creative strategy with exceptional customer service. Helplama, a trusted outsourcing partner, ensures your brand delivers consistency not just in visuals, but in every customer interaction.
