Kerker Inc. of Edina, Minnesota, will soon be no more. The 58 year-old, 40-employee agency has renamed itself Preston Kelly, after its two principals: Executive Vice President and Creative Director Chris Preston and President Chuck Kelly. Additionally, the agency announced it will relocate its headquarters to the vibrant historic “NordEast” neighborhood in the architectural-preservation, award-winning Minneapolis Fire Barn building at 222 First Avenue NE.

‘‘Too much has changed for us not to change our name,” Kelly said. “Times have changed. Consumers have changed. How they get information and engage with brands has changed. Today change is what guides marketing.”

Reflective of this change is the agency’s dramatic shift in creative and strategic focus in the last five years.  Preston Kelly’s “Iconic Ideas” branding philosophy now informs everything they do. The agency’s unique iconic approach is behind successful campaigns for such clients as Taco John’s, Roundy’s Supermarkets, Inc., Piper Jaffray and Health Partners.

Why Preston Kelly? Namesake Preston said, “We considered a number of different options. But finally, we decided that a name doesn’t brand an agency; its people and its
body of work does.  We’re the people whom our clients expect that leadership and that work from today.”

“I can’t say that our new name is completely without ego,” he continued.  “After all, we are putting Chuck’s and my name on the door.  The truth is that Mr. Kerker wasn’t showing up for meetings anymore, he’d been out of the agency for 35 years.  It’s nice for our clients and the people who work for an agency to be able to look around and see the agency namesakes are sitting across the table.  But this decision is more about putting a new face on an agency that is doing different work than at any time in its considerable history.” 

Preston explained that the order of the names was the easiest decision of all. “We went with Preston Kelly because, frankly, searching ‘Kelly Preston’ on Google leads you to three pages of John Travolta’s wife.”

The Minneapolis Move
The agency, which has been in its current Centennial Lakes location in Edina since 1995, will move at the end of June to its new Minneapolis headquarters. Shea Architects is redesigning the interior of former Minneapolis Fire Barn building, which is named in the National Register of Historic Places.  “We are heading to a walking neighborhood, with a Russian Deli behind us, an Irish Pub around the corner and the city’s best liquor store across the street.  We crave the diversity and energy of this historic and re-emergent neighborhood on the river.  We see it as a metaphor for our agency’s re-emergence and vibrancy as well.”

On June 27, to commemorate the move and to celebrate Preston Kelly’s “Iconic Ideas” communications philosophy, employees will participate in a ceremonial iconic parade (featuring advertising icons from the agency’s recent past) to promenade across the Hennepin Avenue Bridge into their new neighborhood. Later in the summer, the agency will host a grand opening event at its new location.

About Preston Kelly
Preston Kelly is a full-service agency creating iconic ideas through advertising, interactive, design, direct marketing and promotion, strategy and research for a broad range of local, national and global clients.  Preston Kelly clients include Taco John’s, Roundy’s Supermarkets, Inc., Mall of America, Health Partners, Deluxe, Piper Jaffray, Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P., United Sugars, Minnesota Zoo, Venture Bank and the YMCA.  For more information about Preston Kelly, visit www.prestonkelly.com.  Preston Kelly is a member of Worldwide Partners Inc., the world’s largest network of independent marketing and communications firms.