By any standards, the last 12 months have tested the Detroit advertising community. Losing one of its largest and long-standing advertisers set off a stream of layoffs and uncertainty. A town already running lean wondered if the city’s vibrant creative industry would survive. Well, that question was fully answered Thursday night as the 2025 AdCraft D Show showcased some of the freshest and most impactful thinking anywhere.

Detroit has long been a city of resilience and reinvention. Recent shifts in its advertising and creative landscape have only amplified its need for agencies like ours, as there aren’t many options remaining for clients seeking the type of integrated, strategic marketing solutions that an agency of our size and flexibility can uniquely provide.

There’s something electric about Detroit. It’s a city that wears its heart (and history) on its sleeve – equal parts ambition and raw potential. Detroit’s story isn’t one of simple reinvention; it’s one of constant innovation. This is a place where challenges spark creativity, resilience fuels progress and the result is a certain pride in the community that just isn’t possible everywhere.  

When we began considering a partnership to propel our agency into the future, we knew one thing for certain: alignment on values, vision and keeping our team here in Detroit consistent would be non-negotiables. In Hart, we found far more than a business partner. We found a kindred spirit. 

Significant investment in Detroit expands Hart’s independent, brand transformation approach to nearly 100 professionals across four office locations. 

Hart, a full-service independent brand transformation agency, is announcing its acquisition of Rebuild, an independent agency based in Detroit, Mich. An alliance built to address the growing gap between boutique agencies and those larger agencies owned by a holding company, Hart’s commitment to independence was a cornerstone to its growth plans. As Hart celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2025, this addition of a like-minded agency is a significant move in continuing its growth march into its seventh decade.