GH: A Brand Influence Agency.

In case you missed the news, there’s a new kind of agency in town.

We have merged with ASSEMBLE to form GH, A Brand Influence Agency. The new GH will be a unique partner who can engage audiences and stakeholders at all points of influence and leverage relationships to drive meaningful results.

We call ourselves a brand influence agency because of the unique way we look at clients’ problems and for the unique collection of professionals we unite to solve them. Our team is reshaping how businesses communicate and connect with their audiences and helping them to find their wins. This includes expanding our services to now offer full-suite communications, issue advocacy, and fundraising.

We’re excited for how this merger will help us and our clients continue to grow — though we may also need to buy a few more chairs for the office first.

Trends4Friends.

Field of Streams — Advertising in the Era of Streaming Sports.

4 Context

The era of “only on broadcast” for sports is officially over. This year, the NFL and NBA have fully embraced streaming, with live games available on ESPN+, Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Fubo. And fans have followed. The NFL’s Christmas Day tripleheader became the most streamed day in history. In fact, streaming accounted for 47.5% of all TV viewing in December — another record.

70% of U.S. sports fans watch via streaming platforms (Interdigital, 2025)

Younger fans are driving the change. Raised on instant highlights, second-screen scrolling, and social-first engagement, their preference for condensed highlights over full games will continue pressuring advertisers to capture shorter attention spans in smaller windows.

2 Simplify

The contrast is generational. Younger fans are willing to pay for access through subscriptions (though bouncing between apps is a growing frustration). Meanwhile, older fans — many still loyal to broadcast — remain essential for advertisers targeting affluent demographics.

46% of Gen Z

15% of Boomers

prefer streaming sports (Nielsen, 2022)

For marketers, this fragmentation creates both pressure and possibilities. NFL streaming ads are already outperforming linear benchmarks, delivering stronger recall and higher intent. In short, sports streaming’s inflection point isn’t just about rights or ratings. It’s about rethinking audience, format, and trust — because in live sports, attention is currency.

66% more effective

streaming-exclusive NFL game ads vs. broadcast and cable averages (EDO, 2025)

What’s It All 4?

The opportunity goes beyond price efficiency — it’s about engagement. Marketers should focus on capturing attention in high-engagement environments, where innovative formats can enhance traditional buys.

From augmented graphics and dynamic in-game units to highlight-driven sponsorships, streaming and social open the door to more impactful ad experiences. Brands that balance streaming-first younger fans with high-spending, broadcast-loyal audiences will maximize reach — and stay well positioned for what’s next.

At home in Ireland.

UPMC welcomed Steeler Nation.

When the Steelers headed to Ireland last year, it was the perfect opportunity for another Pittsburgh institution, UPMC, to speak about how they have been on Irish turf since 2006. We collaborated with both organizations to create welcome signs at the Dublin airport that celebrated this momentous occasion.

The creative blended UPMC Ireland’s brand with Steeler Nation and the beautiful scenery of Ireland — even using an Irish greeting to help imbue the sense of place. Fans coming for the game were met at the airport with these little pieces of home. And a heavy dose of Steelers spirit.

graphic by UPMC welcoming Steeler fans to Ireland

Hall of Achievement: Mike Giunta

The man, the myth, the former accountant.

In a proud agency moment, our very own Mike Giunta was welcomed into the Hall of Achievement for the American Advertising Federation Pittsburgh in 2025. There was even a gala and everything.

And if you don’t know Mike, here’s a bit about our favorite Chief Creative Officer. He actually started his career as the worst kind of public accountant — the kind who pined to abandon numbers for words. When he finally got his big break as a writer, he never looked back.

At GH, he has led the creative team to become one of the most awarded in the city, with numerous local, regional, and national awards including Addys, Obies, and Communication Arts. Mike’s work has been featured in Ad Week and Creativity magazines, and he’s received five Best of Show honors, a few Judges Awards of Excellence, and four Mosaic Awards.

But it’s about more than the shiny stuff. The Hall of Achievement recognizes talented individuals who are making an impact in the advertising community and demonstrating qualities that motivate others to excel by mentoring, inspiring, and training.

Mike is the first to compliment his team and say, “it’s all about the people you work with” — so it’s about time we turned the tables and let him know that working with him has been our greatest honor.

Health + Wellness Awards.

There’s nothing healthier than some well-deserved recognition.

We’re proud to announce that we were recently recognized as national winners in the GDUSA 2025 Health + Wellness Awards. And we’ve never felt better about how creativity, collaboration, and commitment came together to create some great work.

These annual awards honor graphic excellence in the health care space, from traditional medicine to insurance to fitness and nutrition to beauty and self-care and so much more. We are honored to have so much of our work for UPMC included in their 2025 showcase, including a Donate Life video, brand guidelines, a cardiac surgery brochure, an annual report, and a campaign.

And did we mention they used one of our award-winning projects on the landing page? Talk about a flex.