Independent media and performance agency
Acadia
Independent US media agency, Ad Age's 2026 Media Agency of the Year.
Acadia is an independent US media agency led by its chief executive and co-founder, Jared Belsky. It was named Ad Age's 2026 Media Agency of the Year and was shortlisted for Campaign US Agency of the Year 2026; MediaPost, naming it its independent agency of the year, highlighted a model in which clients own their own media accounts.
Standing in the Report's landscape
No. 2 in North America agencies, 2026
5 points: Ad Age's 2026 Media Agency of the Year; tied with UWG and placed ahead alphabetically.
See the list and how it was made
The rankings behind it
A place in a list is read from published rankings and award tables by a points rule set out with the list; nobody pays to be on it. Size and fame are not fit: check what this agency does against your brief.
Where it shines
- Ad Age's 2026 Media Agency of the Year, a category open to every media agency.
- A model in which the client owns its media accounts, as described by MediaPost.
Check before signing
- Its office list was not checked: ask where the team is based and which markets it buys in.
- Ask how account ownership works in practice: who holds access and data if you leave.
What it offers
- Markets
- United States
How it is classified
- Category
- Media planning and buyingDigital and performance
Something is listed only when it can be checked. A connection we could not confirm is left off, and Find your stack then credits a public API at half weight.
Our six checks
- Ownership is public: not known yet
- Services are published: not known yet
- Offices are listed: not known yet
- Privacy is published: not known yet
- Effectiveness is evidenced: not known yet
- Work is shown: not known yet
- Ownership is publicNot assessed
It names its owner (the holding group) or states that it is independent, and names its leadership.
Described as independent by MediaPost and its leader is named; its own ownership page was not checked.
- Services are publishedNot assessed
A services or capabilities page says what it does.
Its services page was not checked for this listing.
- Offices are listedNot assessed
It publishes where it operates: its offices or markets.
Its own office list was not checked; the cited sources name only some offices.
- Privacy is publishedNot assessed
Its site has a privacy notice, and a code of conduct where one was seen.
Its privacy notice was not checked for this listing.
- Effectiveness is evidencedNot assessed
An independent effectiveness ranking or award from 2023 to 2026 names it (the Effie Index, the IPA Effectiveness Awards, the WARC Effective 100).
No effectiveness ranking or award for 2023–2026 was found in the sources read for this listing.
- Work is shownNot assessed
It publishes case studies or named client work.
Its own case-study pages were not checked for this listing.
Not assessed is not a failure — it means we have not checked yet. Methodology
Evidence
Sources
- Acadia: A-List 2026To re-check
- Acadia named 2026 Ad Age A-List Media Agency of the YearTo re-check
- Independent Agency of the Year: AcadiaTo re-check
- Revealed: The Campaign 2026 Agency of the Year awards shortlistTo re-check
Every attribute
The same attributes, measured by the same rules, for every listing. "Not recorded" means we have not checked yet — never a "no". Spot something missing or wrong? Suggest an edit.
Identity
| Type | Agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Categories | Media planning and buying, Digital and performance | |
| Founded | Not recorded | |
| Headquarters | United States | |
| Ownership | Privately held | |
| Added by | IMC Report team |
Fit
| Objectives | Not recorded | |
|---|---|---|
| Disciplines | Not recorded | |
| Number of disciplines | Not recorded | |
| Suits | None | |
| Company sizes | Not recorded | |
| Industries | Not recorded | |
| Markets | United States | |
| Reach | 45/100 | |
| Support languages | Not recorded |
Trust
The community
| "Looks right" confirmations | 0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Community experiences | 0 |
Experiences and ratings
Share your experienceNo experiences with Acadia yet. Used it? Yours could be the first.
Experiences are read by a moderator before they appear, are shown beside the facts, and never feed a score or a ranking. You may not share an experience of a product you work for, sell, compete with or are paid to promote.