Art Not War
Art Not War is a New York and Los Angeles-based, ~10-person creative agency founded in 2011 that produces data-driven cultural campaigns, video, branding, events, and digital strategy for progressive nonprofit organizations, philanthropic foundations, and political campaigns.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersIrvine, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Art Not War does
Art Not War is a New York and Los Angeles-based creative agency and cultural impact firm founded in 2011 by Laura Dawn (CEO & Chief Creative), David Ambrose (Co-Founder, Head of Production), and Daron Murphy (Co-Founder, Creative Director, COO), all former MoveOn.org creative leaders. The firm delivers an integrated service stack spanning cultural campaigns, digital strategy, video production, branding and design, events, artist outreach, digital promotion, and progressive film promotion. Operationally it functions as a small (~10-person), in-house, full-stack creative shop that handles conception through sound mixing internally and combines paid digital, organic social, influencer/celebrity activation, event broadcast, and earned-media distribution.
The firm's underlying capability is a data-driven creative methodology that pairs psychographic audience profiling, A/B testing, and microtargeting with culturally authentic messaging and a self-reported progressive distribution network reaching over 100 million self-identified progressives online. It has produced award-recognized work across progressive political and advocacy clients, including the Humanity for Hillary campaign (approximately 275 million users reached in three months, approximately 1.5 billion total exposure, $15.3 million earned-media value), Upworthy's "Pay it Forward Pizza" (50-60+ million views), and campaigns for ACLU, MoveOn.org, Emily's List, SEIU, NYCLU, NARAL, Color of Change, Avaaz, Priorities USA, House Majority PAC, and Global Zero.
The business model is a B2B professional-services agency operating on project-based engagements with no publicly disclosed pricing; revenue is quote-based and scoped to deliverable. Go-to-market is sales-led and community-led, with new clients acquired through reputation, case studies, and direct partnerships within the progressive nonprofit, philanthropic foundation, and political-campaign ecosystem. The firm has accumulated 11 Pollie Awards, 3 Reed Awards, and induction into the 2016 ABC/CLIO Political Ad Hall of Fame, and was bootstrapped without disclosed venture funding, acquisitions, or parent-company ownership.
Art Not War firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Art Not War
- Legal name
- ART NOT WAR
- Website
- https://artnotwar.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Art Not War is a New York and Los Angeles-based, ~10-person creative agency founded in 2011 that produces data-driven cultural campaigns, video, branding, events, and digital strategy for progressive nonprofit organizations, philanthropic foundations, and political campaigns.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Art Not War industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Creative Agency Services
- NAICS
- Media Buying Agencies (541830)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cause/Sustainability & Purpose-Driven Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Performance Creative & Ad Content Production (for Paid Media) (MPAAACAG), Content & Creative Studio for Creators (Concepting/Production) (MPAAAHAD), Digital Strategy & Social Media Management (Artists) (MPAIAGAH)
Keywords
Where Art Not War is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Irvine
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Art Not War business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Creative Agency Services: Project-based creative services including video production, digital strategy, branding, and campaign development for social justice organizations, foundations, and political campaigns.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Art Not War product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Art Not War is a creative agency and cultural impact firm that designs and executes data-driven cultural campaigns, digital strategy, video production, branding and design, events, artist outreach, digital promotion, and progressive film promotion for social justice organizations, philanthropic foundations, and political campaigns. The firm operates as a deeply integrated team of artists and strategists, combining 20+ years of high-impact social justice media experience with cutting-edge corporate marketing techniques such as psychographic profiling, A/B testing, and microtargeting. Since 2011, its content and campaigns have reached an online audience of over 1 billion worldwide and generated hundreds of millions of dollars of earned media for clients.
Product overview
Art Not War is a New York/Los Angeles based creative agency and cultural impact firm offering a comprehensive suite of integrated services. The company operates as a unified offering combining Cultural Campaigns, Digital Strategy, Video Production, Branding & Design, Events, Artist Outreach, Digital Promotion, and Progressive Film Promotion. These services work together to deliver data-driven creative, social justice movement building, and cutting edge digital strategy for social justice organizations, philanthropic foundations, and political campaigns. The agency handles everything from concept development through production and distribution, serving clients across digital, PR, branding, and events channels.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cultural Campaigns Big vision, multifaceted campaigns that move the dial on organizations' issues by placing them directly into the pop culture conversation. Tactics include video, digital strategy, events, artist outreach, user-generated grassroots contests, and poster sniping. Targeted at social justice organizations, philanthropic foundations, and political campaigns.
- Digital Strategy Data-driven content creation combining cutting-edge corporate marketing practices with psychographic audience profiles, ad hoc influencer networks, and microtargeting, with a commitment to lifting up authentic and marginalized voices. The methodology is described as data + authenticity = impact, with results routinely growing clients' online presence by over 600%. Targeted at social justice organizations, foundations, and political campaigns.
- Video Production Full-service in-house video production covering conception, writing, directing, producing, shooting, editing, original music composition, color correction, and sound mixing. Built on 20+ years of high-impact, social justice film and video production experience as early innovators of data-driven content. Saves clients time and money while developing consistent campaign branding.
- Branding and Design Branding expertise including naming, graphic identity, narratives, messaging, taglines, and mnemonics to elevate or refresh an organization's look and feel. Also produces cutting-edge graphics and motion graphics for all campaigns, including digital ads, banner ads, yard signs, flatbed trucks, logos, microsites, memes, and visual messaging and identity markers.
- Events Full-service event production from multi-artist stadium events to fundraising galas and small-scale gatherings, with broadcast capabilities across multiple platforms including Facebook, Livestream, Fora.Tv, and Periscope. Targeted at social justice organizations, foundations, and political campaigns needing live event amplification.
- Artist Outreach
Quantifiable outcome
- Clients routinely see 600%+ growth in online presence
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Art Not War
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Art Not War technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Art Not War partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- UpworthyminorPartnership for viral video content distribution. Art Not War produced 'Pay it Forward Pizza' which became Upworthy's most successful original content at 60+ million views.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Art Not War competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GMMB: Democratic political media, advertising, and direct response firm that runs campaigns for progressive causes, ballot initiatives, and labor unions with comparable persuasion focus.
- Fenton Communications: Social impact communications firm working with NGOs, foundations, and progressive causes on PR, brand storytelling and campaigns, sharing ANW's nonprofit foundation and advocacy client base.
- OBERLAND: Purpose-driven independent creative agency combining brand storytelling, content production and digital promotion for impact-driven clients, comparable in full-service model.
- SKDKnickerbocker: Democratic political consulting and communications firm serving candidates, party committees, and progressive causes with paid media, crisis communications and campaign work.
- MissionWired: Progressive digital fundraising and advocacy agency with similar donor-growth, A/B testing and digital persuasion playbooks to ANW's progressive campaign work.
- Bully Pulpit Interactive: Progressive digital advocacy agency serving nonprofits and Democratic campaigns on cultural campaigns, paid media and digital strategy, with a similarly integrated creative + persuasion model and overlapping client list with ANW.
- Authentic (formerly Purpose): Brand and creative agency focused on social impact and purpose-driven marketing for nonprofits and values-led brands, similar in mission-driven creative positioning to ANW.
- BerlinRosen: Progressive public relations and strategic communications firm serving advocacy organizations, labor unions, and political campaigns on media strategy and earned media.
Broad incumbents
- Edelman: Global PR/communications firm with a large Purpose practice serving NGOs and social-justice causes, comparable on client type and campaign work but at much larger scale.
- 72andSunny: Global creative agency that has built purpose and activism campaigns for brands, offering a comparable full-service creative model but operating at significantly larger scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Art Not War social profiles
Digital presenceArt Not War financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Art Not War leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Art Not War funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Art Not War M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Art Not War
What does Art Not War do?
Art Not War is a creative agency and cultural impact firm that designs and executes data-driven cultural campaigns, digital strategy, video production, branding and design, events, artist outreach, digital promotion, and progressive film promotion for social justice organizations, philanthropic foundations, and political campaigns. The firm operates as a deeply integrated team of artists and strategists, combining 20+ years of high-impact social justice media experience with cutting-edge corporate marketing techniques such as psychographic profiling, A/B testing, and microtargeting. Since 2011, its content and campaigns have reached an online audience of over 1 billion worldwide and generated hundreds of millions of dollars of earned media for clients.
Is Art Not War a public or private company?
Art Not War is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Art Not War founded?
Art Not War was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Art Not War based?
Art Not War is headquartered in Irvine, United States, in the North America region.
How does Art Not War make money?
One revenue line is on record: creative Agency Services.
Who are Art Not War's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GMMB, Fenton Communications, OBERLAND, SKDKnickerbocker, MissionWired, Bully Pulpit Interactive, Authentic (formerly Purpose) and BerlinRosen. Broad incumbents are Edelman and 72andSunny.
Does Art Not War have an API?
No public API is recorded for Art Not War.
What industry is Art Not War in?
Art Not War's product category is Creative Agency Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAAAL, Cause/Sustainability & Purpose-Driven Creative Agencies, with a secondary code of MPAAACAG, Performance Creative & Ad Content Production (for Paid Media). Its NAICS code is 541830 and its SIC code is 7311.