Bader Rutter Celebrates 50 Years of Independent Thinking and Bold Ideas

Bader Rutter, North America’s #1 B2B advertising agency, marked its 50th anniversary this September.

This milestone validates the strong principles behind the agency’s founding. Ron Bader and Jim Rutter opened their doors in 1973 driven by the belief that they could challenge the status quo of agricultural advertising and tell better stories with more impact. They created a bold path, setting out on their own to realize their vision. In the 50 years since, their namesake agency has stayed true to those principles. 

“On day one, we had zero clients,” said Jeff Young, chairman and CEO of Bader Rutter. “Now 50 years later, our partners have a market cap of more than $200 billion and we’ve been named the #1 agri marketing agency 27 times. How did we make that happen? It’s a steadfast commitment to the long-term growth of our clients. We think of our client relationships in decades rather than years.”

B2B Marketing has named Bader Rutter the #1 U.S. B2B marcom agency in 2020, 2022 and 2023. Supporting that are countless awards for its campaigns, including Zoetis’ “Born of the Bond,” which earned top honors at the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) Awards, and its innovative jersey patch sponsorship campaign for the Milwaukee Bucks being recognized by The Drum Awards, the Dieline Awards and the Association of National Advertisers. This year, with its newest partner McCain Foods, the agency created the EPIC Throwdown featuring James Beard award-winning chefs. That activation was recognized by the Food & Beverage (FABI) Awards, presented by the National Restaurant Association.

“Our work makes an impact because of our guiding principles as an ideas-first culture with exceptional business acumen,” said David Jordan, president of Bader Rutter. “Part of that success comes from hiring in-house industry experts. Whether it’s farmers and ranchers who bring an authentic perspective to our agriculture work, a classically trained chef who can give voice to our foodservice practice, or a veterinarian working in our pet care portfolio, our campaigns produce stronger, more resonant work.”

With headquarters in Milwaukee and an office on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue, the agency has recently parlayed its deep knowledge of agriculture and the food supply chain into a deliberate expansion into pet care, and food and beverage industries.