Agencies bring PR, digital media, brand strategy, award-winning creative and cinematic storytelling to elite roster in Western lifestyle
FWV, one of the nation’s largest independently held PR, advertising and digital media agencies, recently announced a strategic alliance with Dallas-based Baker & Bonner Creative Emporium, forming a marketing services partnership that counts some of the biggest brands in the Western lifestyle industry among its current and former clients.
Together the agencies offer an unprecedented level of experience, expertise and accomplishment in the Western industry for consumer, lifestyle and commercial brands seeking market share in a category that values authenticity and respect for cowboy heritage. FWV will introduce the new alliance at its hospitality and gifting suite for media, brands, influencers and VIPs at Resorts World in Las Vegas during the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Dec. 5-14. The partnership has established a digital outpost at WaysoftheWest.com.
“Any brands operating in the Western industry space should be excited about this partnership,” said FWV President David Gwyn. “There is no substitute for the credibility and consumer understanding acquired over 30 years of immersion in the culture of the American West, and with the added horsepower of Baker & Bonner, we’ve taken it to the next level.”
The partnership combines Baker & Bonner’s portfolio of cinema-worthy creative achievements in Western marketing with FWV’s 30-year history as the industry’s preeminent PR and consumer agency, representing a collective client roster that includes global Western wear leader Wrangler, ProRodeo sponsor Pendleton Whisky and Luckenbach Texas, among others. Previous campaigns include work for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, Professional Bull Riders, Jack Daniels, Justin Boots, RAM Trucks, and the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
“Our connection with FWV gives us an even bigger foothold to work with brands that want to operate memorably in the Western landscape,” said Baker & Bonner co-founder and Chief Creative Officer Rob Baker. “We’ve built great relationships with terrific people in these communities which goes a long way in creating the kind of work that gets people stirred up and excited to talk about. That becomes a big advantage for brands looking to make an impact with their audience.”
During their 24-year partnership, Baker and co-founder Jimmy Bonner have developed campaigns for Spalding, PGA TOUR Superstore, Jeep, Home Depot, Biltmore, and Pegasus Bank. The creative shop also worked with Ultralite Films on the Four Sixes Ranch brand film and served as consultants and marketing partners for Bud Force and John Langmore’s feature documentary, “Cowboys.” The film depicted working life on eight of the nation’s largest ranches and earned numerous accolades including the Audience Award at the Austin Film Festival and Best Documentary from Cowboys & Indians magazine.
FWV, headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., with offices in New York, Tampa, Detroit and Los Angeles, has represented Western stalwart Wrangler Jeans, title sponsor of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, since the agency was founded by Chairman & CEO Rick French in 1997. Winner of 35 Global or National Agency of the Year awards, FWV continues to be the leading consumer marketing firm in the Western lifestyle, offering full-service PR, branding, special event, digital media, social media and influencer services.
About FWV
French/West/Vaughan (FWV) is one of the nation’s leading public relations, public affairs, advertising and digital media agencies. Headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., and founded in April 1997, FWV has received 35 Global or National Agency of the Year honors over the past quarter century, along with more than 1,700 PR, advertising and digital marketing awards on behalf of its global roster of blue-chip clients, which include Wrangler, ABB, Proximo, Melitta, Teen Cancer America, Mitsubishi Electric, N.A. and the N.C. Department of Transportation, among others. FWV is the parent company of fashion and lifestyle PR firm AMP3 (New York City); mobility and transportation-focused agency TMG (Detroit); pet and animal health practice FWV Fetching and feature film development imprint Prix Productions. FWV is a partner in IPREX, a $380 million network of communication agencies with 1,600 staff and 110 offices worldwide. For more information, visit fwv-us.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Vimeo or Instagram.
