Zulu Alpha Kilo NY: Innovation through independence
At Z.A.K. NY, independence is more than just a business model; it’s the secret to producing bold, boundary-pushing work that stands out in today’s saturated market. In conversation with AdForum, the team discusses the advantages of their independent structure, the evolving media landscape, and the future of creative advertising.
Can you give us a top line overview of your structure and some of the clients with whom you work?
TIM GORDON: Z.A.K. NY is built differently. We’re an independent agency, but independence alone isn’t what makes us stand out. It’s what we do with it. We’re on a mission to fight sameness, helping brands punch above their weight by constantly challenging what advertising can be.
That mentality has been built into how we work from day one. Independence isn’t new; we’re fortunate to have a 16-year history with our Canadian roots – and currently 185 people strong across New York, Toronto, and Vancouver offices. This lets us work smarter. Fast, friendly, intentionally lean. And while the majority of our team is NY-based, we share talent across offices to build the right winning team or scale quickly, based on client and project needs.
Our in-house production studio Zulubot brings new ideas to life at speed, especially those that have never been done, and Zulumatic brings bespoke media solutions that actually make media dollars go farther. We’re seeing more and more integrated opportunities to allow creative and media to work in service of one another, and the real value that drives for our clients.
And we believe making great work should be enjoyable – made possible by our great client partners.
We have a great roster of clients spanning categories – including Booking.com, Harry’s, Global Action on Gun Violence, and lots more that we’re excited to start talking about in the near future.
What are the key advantages and strengths of being an independent agency versus being part of a larger network and / or holding company?
MEGHAN MULLEN: For us, independence is about better work – full stop. Nothing kills creativity or its ability to solve business problems more than mind-numbing bureaucracy. It why Z.A.K. was founded. That said, independence has become somewhat table stakes. We’re more interested in becoming a creative company, which means translating independence into every aspect of how we operate and passing that along to clients.
Without red tape, we are able to maintain a flat and nimble structure to mobilize quickly.
- Ability to be selective and invest in client initiatives we believe in
- Less time spent doing internal stakeholder management, meaning more time to dedicate to our clients, the work, as well as mentorship + growth opps for team
- Flexibility to maintain our hybrid work and talent-sharing model, key to talent retention
Amid a wave of industry consolidation and contraction, we’re excited about growth and expansion through our offices in New York, Toronto and Vancouver. And as others revert to rigid, office-first policies and downsizing, we’re taking a different path – one that puts collaboration, flexibility and talent above all else.
How has the media landscape changed to make independent models more viable or appealing?
EMILY GARVEY: It’s almost become cliche to talk about how fast media is changing. But a lot of agencies, both networks and indies, still just chase the latest channels. Brands today need partners who can out-think, not out-spend, and that’s exactly where Z.A.K. NY shines. We think about how to break the algorithm, not just play within its limits.
One way we’ve been doing this is by leaning into a truly integrated approach between creative and media for more breakthrough. Whether it's with our in-house team, Zulumatic, or our other IAT partners, we’re focused on creativity that goes farther.
Has the trend towards project work vs the AOR model been a catalyst for change, or will it be, in terms of agency structure? Has it created new expectations from the client POV?
MEGHAN MULLEN: The shift to project work has forced agencies to prove their value every single time. On the one hand, we love that. Complacency is the enemy of great work, and too many old school relationships lead to exactly that – agencies getting comfortable. That said, we aren’t just creative vendors; we are true brand and business partners to our clients.
We also stand behind the thought that the right creative solutions will work hard for your bottom line … and as a reflection of that, we’ve adapted our pricing model to reflect the value of our work on our clients’ business with fixed-fee, deliverables-based pricing vs. the outdated hours model. This has many advantages to both clients and agencies – notably our ability to invest more time and energy when needed to take something from good to great – with less time focused on hours tracking + reconciliation. This has been implemented with much success – and we look forward to seeing the whole industry galvanize around this to make hours a real thing of the past.
Turning to creativity, media and tech, where do you see the most opportunity for brands?
STEPHANIE YUNG: Work that is truly fresh and different. That is increasingly rare. And let’s be honest – even work from independent shops is starting to feel similar, following the same playbook of one-off stunts. We saw this coming when we opened Z.A.K. NY two years ago. We’ve always believed the world needs more creativity – and that the real opportunity lies in brands not being afraid to stand out from everyone else.
For us, there’s huge potential to draw inspiration not just from media and tech, but the worlds of entertainment, art, design, and AI to discover new ways of building iconic brands. It’s about using these as tools to unlock fresh strategic and creative possibilities that come to life in unexpected ways.