Independent creative agency
Special US
The US arm of the independent Special group, Ad Age's 2026 Independent Agency of the Year.
Special US is the American arm of Special, an independent agency group that began in Auckland and also runs offices in Wellington, Sydney, Melbourne, London and Tokyo; in the US it works from Los Angeles and New York. It was Ad Age's 2026 Independent Agency of the Year, with much of its US profile built on work for Uber Eats.
Standing in the Report's landscape
No. 5 in North America agencies, 2026
3 points: Ad Age's 2026 Independent Agency of the Year (independents only); tied with Bob's Your Uncle and placed after it 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 Independent Agency of the Year.
- Independent, with access to its group's offices in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Japan.
Check before signing
- Part of a group headquartered outside North America: ask which decisions are made in the US.
- Much of its US profile comes from one client (Uber Eats): ask for work in your category.
What it offers
- Markets
- United States
How it is classified
- Category
- Creative
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.
The press names the Special group as its parent and describes it as independent; its own pages were 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.
The press names its Los Angeles and New York offices and the group's other offices; its own office page was not checked.
- 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
- Special US: A-List 2026To re-check
- Special US named AdAge's Independent Agency of the YearTo re-check
- Special's U.S. office lands top AdAge titleTo 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 | Creative | |
| Founded | Not recorded | |
| Headquarters | United States | |
| Ownership | Part of a larger group | |
| Parent company | Special Group | |
| 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 Special US 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.
Alternatives