Words by Morgan Mercer | Photos by Sarah White
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You won’t find any offices or cubicles at Fast Horse, an integrated creative agency in Minneapolis’ North Loop neighborhood. Instead, you’ll find an assortment of creative and curious people spread out at tables and comfy chairs throughout the office. Jörg Pierach stands at the helm of this inquisitive bunch, or ponies as they call themselves. He started his firm in 2001 and made a name for his company with the belief that big ideas trump big media budgets when it comes to finding solutions to clients’ business and marketing challenges. Take Fast Horse’s 2014 Super Bowl campaign for Newcastle Brown Ale, “If We Made It.” Since launching, the campaign won a Cannes Lion, four Effies (the Oscars of the marketing world) and was named the “Best Campaign of 2014” by Adweek. Fast Horse even picked up the title as one of the most effective independent agencies in North America, third to only two other agencies in the country.
POLLEN: How do you intentionally build community?
Jörg Pierach: We’re trained to make authentic connections in unexpected ways, and we bring that skill set to everything we do.
I believe the arts are one of the most powerful ways to build community.
Fast Horse dedicates a significant amount of pro-bono time to finding ways to create meaningful and lasting connections through music, art, and literature. Much of my volunteer work outside of Fast Horse focuses on making our community stronger through education, too.
POLLEN: What is the story we need to tell about our region?
Jörg Pierach: There are lot of things that work better in our region relative to the rest of the country. Much of that is because previous leaders in business, politics, and the community had the foresight to make prudent investments in areas like the arts, education, and the social safety net. But we can’t tell that story without talking about the erosion we now see in most of those areas.
The stories about this region need to highlight the successes and failures, and should spur an open and honest discussion about the kind of region we want to be.
POLLEN: What kinds of businesses do you want to see more of in this community?
Jörg Pierach: As a small business owner, I cheer loudly for the many and diverse small businesses taking root all over our community. New restaurants, shops, and professional service firms give our region a unique flavor and signal vibrancy.
POLLEN: What’s the culture of your team and how did it develop? How do you support one another?
Jörg Pierach: When I decided to open my own agency in 2001, I reflected on the things I had grown to value in my career. That reflection resulted in a vision statement for Fast Horse that provides the foundation for our culture today.
We want to be one of the most admired creative agencies in America. That will happen only if:
- We expect excellence from ourselves and each other every day.
- We continually challenge ourselves and our colleagues to grow personally and professionally.
- We encourage and celebrate creative exploration and risk-taking.
- We allow fun to be a spontaneous and central part of our culture.
- We respect a healthy balance between work and personal time.
- We ensure our people feel valued and rewarded.
I’m grateful to be surrounded by people who value and defend our culture as much as I do.
POLLEN: Where do you look for inspiration?
Jörg Pierach:
I’m an idea tourist.
My favorite way to look for inspiration is to walk the streets of the world’s great cities. Every block tells a new story and offers new perspectives. The amount of inspiration I find when I travel has a direct correlation to how much my feet hurt at the end of my visit.