Beyond
The Moment INNOCEAN Made the List
Lee Maicon CSO, Steven Nishimura CDO, 류해영 CFO, Nicolette Spencer SVP, 전일수 부사장, Leslie Barrett President, Jason Sperling CCO
If film has the Oscars and the business world has the Forbes List, the advertising industry has Ad Age’s A-List. This year, INNOCEAN USA (IUS) earned a place in the A-List Top 10. In the United States— the epicenter of the global advertising market— INNOCEAN has once again proven its presence on one of the industry’s most competitive stages. It is also the first Korean advertising company operating in the U.S. to achieve this recognition, making the milestone all the more significant. INNOCEAN now stands firmly on the global stage—let’s take a closer look at this defining moment.
Proven Competitiveness on the Global Stage
Ad Age’s A-List annually recognizes agencies that have delivered the most notable achievements in the U.S. advertising market. It is not an accolade earned through a single successful campaign; rather, it reflects a comprehensive evaluation of creative excellence, business performance, organizational leadership, and industry impact.
Within this rigorous framework, INNOCEAN became the first Korean agency operating in the U.S. to be named to the A-List Top 10. Given that the U.S. accounts for more than one-third of the global advertising market, the significance of this achievement is especially profound.
The company’s business growth is equally evident. In 2025, IUS recorded approximately $460 million in revenue, marking a 7.7% year-over-year increase and ranking second among agencies in Southern California. E stablished i n 2 008, IUS operates across major cities, delivering integrated marketing services for global brands. Through Canvas Worldwide, it has built a full-service system that spans media execution. Furthermore, by embracing diverse cultural perspectives, the agency continues to strengthen its competitiveness through inclusive campaigns.
Expanded Spectrum Across Industries
Since its founding, INNOCEAN has grown through a close partnership with Hyundai Motor Company. The automotive industry is widely regarded as one of the most complex categories in advertising, requiring a sophisticated approach that integrates product engineering, brand strategy, and customer experience.
The expertise accumulated in this environment has become one of INNOCEAN’s core assets. The strategic thinking and execution capabilities honed through automotive collaborations have naturally extended into other industries, opening new opportunities.
Today, INNOCEAN continues to expand beyond automotive, broadening its client portfolio across industries such as tires, golf equipment, dining, and spirits—while Hyundai Motor Company, Kia, and Genesis remain key pillars. The addition of global brands such as El Pollo Loco and NEFT Vodka further illustrates this shift.
This cross-industry portfolio demonstrates that INNOCEAN is no longer confined to automotive advertising, but i s evolving into a global creative agency that connects markets and brands.
Redefining a Brand: El Pollo Loco
A clear example of INNOCEAN’s creative capabilities beyond automotive is its campaign for the American fast-food brand El Pollo Loco. Through a rebranding initiative, INNOCEAN introduced the new message, “Let’s Get Loco,” expressing the brand’s energy and passion in a bold and dynamic way.
While maintaining its identity centered on fire-grilled chicken, the campaign infused the brand with cultural vitality— bringing a fresh layer of meaning to its positioning.
This momentum extended into digital. The #LocoAI Challenge combined AI and social media in a participatory campaign, encouraging fans to create content inspired by the brand’s chicken. The result was 382 user-generated pieces and approximately 4.9 million organic views, demonstrating strong engagement.
By seamlessly connecting rebranding with digital participation, the project exemplifies how INNOCEAN’s creativity operates effectively across diverse brand environments, rather than being confined to a single
industry.
The Next Chapter of Global Creativity
Being named to the A-List Top 10 in the heart of the U.S. advertising market clearly reflects the trajectory of INNOCEAN’s transformation. The strategic precision and executional strength built in the automotive sector—combined with efforts to expand into diverse industries—have now converged into a meaningful outcome.
Yet this achievement marks not a destination, but a new starting point. INNOCEAN’s creativity—defined by its ability to transcend industry boundaries and redefine brands—will continue to evolve across broader markets and through more diverse approaches.
This is precisely why INNOCEAN’s next move is worth watching.
Jason Sperling
INNOCEAN USA | Chief Creative Officer
Q. Congratulations of the recent news of A-List Top 10. INNOCEAN is expanding its clientele across multiple sectors today. What made these bold moves possible?
The extensive portfolio driven by a close partnership with key clients steered us into experience in delving into businesses with intensity and complexity. The exhilarating journey has demanded creative talents to factor in all the elements, including technology, brand stories, and the global market – the complexity and challenges thus require top-notch strategy and execution. Needless to say, problem-solving skills came along. These experiences were not confined to specific industries but rather have driven expansion to different domains. Rather than relying solely on briefs, we’ve approached problem-solving through accumulated experience and intuition. Our recent collaborations with global brands like El Pollo Loco and NEFT Vodka are a continuation of that trajectory. Ultimately, our experience in automotive didn’t limit us—it became the foundation for expanding into broader territories.
Q. The El Pollo Loco campaign clearly demonstrated INNOCEAN’s capabilities.
Absolutely. “Let’s Get Loco” wasn’t just a slogan—it was a way of expressing the brand’s energy. We aimed to connect moments when people feel passion with the brand experience, and I believe that resulted in a campaign that made the brand’s identity more distinct. At the same time, as we take on increasingly complex and large-scale client projects, we are continuously working to improve our internal culture and ways of working.
Q. What does this A-List recognition mean for INNOCEAN?
It has given us a certain level of freedom—the ability to express ourselves more openly and to continue experimenting with new ideas. That sense of freedom, I believe, leads to meaningful change within a creative organization.
