Independent list · re-checked September 28, 2026 · published by Primortul LLC

branding agencies in Des Moines, IA

9 of the 14 branding agencies on this list are based in Des Moines, Iowa. The other 5 are based elsewhere on the list. Who leads them, the work they can show, a published price if they posted one, and why each one made the list. Nobody pays to be ranked.

01 on the list · Des Moines, IA
Lessing-Flynn
Since 1907 · 11–50 people
Lessing-Flynn is an independent advertising and marketing agency at 220 SE 6th Street in Des Moines, founded in 1907 by Paul Lessing. Its services page lists branding and storytelling, customer and brand experiences, audience profiling, paid, earned and owned media, product launches and technical communication, with a client base weighted toward manufacturing, agriculture, education and financial services. DesignRush lists it with fewer than 49 staff and names Conterra Ag Capital, Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas and IMT Insurance as clients.
Why it’s hereFounded in 1907, it describes itself as the longest-standing independent advertising agency west of the Mississippi and has been named an Iowa Top Workplace seven years running, per its own site.
Who leads itTom Flynn, President & CEO.
Work they can showChampion Seed. Brand positioning and messaging built around the company's commitment to independent seed dealers. Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas. Trade show, facility opening, product launch, media, social and dealer marketing programs.
Estimated cost
Estimated: $8,000–$25,000, typical for Des Moines branding projects; not a quote.
Typical industry estimate, not a quote from any firm on this list.
branding and storytelling · B2B and agriculture marketing · advertising · media strategy · video production
03 on the list · Des Moines, IA
J. Sayles Design Co.
Since 1985 · 11–50 people
J. Sayles Design Co. is a visual communications firm at 3701 Beaver Avenue in Des Moines led by principal designer John Sayles, with co-owner Sheree Clark. It handles graphic design, branding, identity, packaging, direct mail, marketing campaigns and environmental design for clients ranging from local start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, and its site says its work is held in the Library of Congress, the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in Toyama, Japan. Clutch records the firm as founded in 1985 with 10-49 staff and branding as 40 percent of its work.
Why it’s hereA Des Moines identity studio operating since 1985 whose site reports more than a thousand design awards and work held in the Cooper-Hewitt and Library of Congress collections.
Who leads itJohn Sayles, Graphic Designer.
Estimated cost
Estimated: $8,000–$25,000, typical for Des Moines branding projects; not a quote.
Typical industry estimate, not a quote from any firm on this list.
brand identity · logo design · packaging · direct mail · environmental graphics
04 on the list · Des Moines, IA
ZLR Ignition
Since 1987 · 11–50 people
ZLR Ignition is a full-service branding and marketing agency at 303 Watson Powell Jr. Way in downtown Des Moines, founded in 1987 as Zimmerman, Laurent & Richardson. Its services span brand planning, design, copywriting, media strategy, PR, content, social media and web development, and its site shows work for Cemen Tech, the Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau and The Iowa Clinic. Clutch lists it with 10-49 employees and records brand strategy, corporate identity, product branding and naming among its branding services.
Why it’s hereA research-based Des Moines agency that has operated since 1987 and holds Google Premier Partner status for 2026 and an AICPA SOC certification, per its site.
Who leads itXan McNelly, CEO and President.
Work they can showGovernor's Traffic Safety Bureau (Iowa). Behavior-change safety campaign built on personal consequences; the case study reports impaired-driving fatalities down 33%. Cemen Tech. Brand strategy and public relations engagement. The Iowa Clinic. Marketing campaign for the clinic's vasectomy service.
Estimated cost
Estimated: $8,000–$25,000, typical for Des Moines branding projects; not a quote.
Typical industry estimate, not a quote from any firm on this list.
brand strategy · naming and identity · research and insights · media strategy · web development
05 on the list · Des Moines, IA
Cooper Smith & Company
Since 1993 · 11–50 people
Cooper Smith & Company is a creative marketing agency at 2820 Bell Avenue in Des Moines, founded in 1993, that describes its work as strategic marketing, brand-based communications and identity development. Its portfolio includes Graham Construction, the Des Moines Playhouse, IPERS, Wright Service Corp. and Terra Spectrum Technologies. Clutch and The Manifest both record the 1993 founding and 10-49 employees.
Why it’s hereMore than three decades of identity development work for Des Moines institutions including IPERS and the Des Moines Playhouse.
Who leads itSally Cooper Smith, Principal, Creative Director.
Work they can showGraham Construction. Designed and produced the company's annual report. Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System (IPERS). Produced a video explaining the IPERS My Account platform. Des Moines Playhouse. Marketing and design for the Playhouse's drive-in theatre program.
Estimated cost
Estimated: $8,000–$25,000, typical for Des Moines branding projects; not a quote.
Typical industry estimate, not a quote from any firm on this list.
identity development · brand-based communications · marketing strategy · graphic design
08 on the list · Des Moines, IA
Flying Hippo Brand + Digital
Since 2003 · 11–50 people
Flying Hippo is a creative agency at 130 E 3rd Street in Des Moines with additional offices in Fort Myers and Tampa, Florida following its merger with Celsius Marketing. Its services are branding and environmental branding, digital marketing and advertising, web design and development, and video production, with case studies for Iowa State University, Nike, Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and Holmes Murphy. The Manifest records the firm as founded in 2003 with 10-49 employees.
Why it’s hereA Des Moines brand-and-digital agency founded in 2003 whose published client list includes Nike, Pepsi, Fox Sports and Iowa State University.
Who leads itEric Groves, Principal.
Work they can showIowa State University. More than 6,000 design and marketing projects over 20+ years, from websites to Iowa State Fair displays and campus wayfinding. Nike Golf. Branding work for Nike's golf division. McDaniel College. Branding work for the college.
Estimated cost
Estimated: $8,000–$25,000, typical for Des Moines branding projects; not a quote.
Typical industry estimate, not a quote from any firm on this list.
branding · environmental branding · web design and development · video production · digital marketing
09 on the list · Des Moines, IA
Trilix
Since 2004
Trilix is a full-service marketing agency founded in 2004 and based in the Crescent Chevrolet building on Ingersoll Avenue in Des Moines' Sherman Hill neighborhood. It positions brand storytelling and brand creation as its core work alongside digital and social marketing, PR and video, and its site shows work for Stine Seed Company, UnityPoint Health and Iowa One Call. Expertise.com lists it among Des Moines advertising agencies with brand development and creative strategy among its services.
Why it’s hereA mid-sized Des Moines agency operating since 2004 whose video work received an Upper Midwest Regional Emmy in 2023, per its site.
Who leads itBrett Adams, President & CMO.
Work they can showStine Seed Company. "Driven by Yield" brand work marking the seed company's 45 years. UnityPoint Health. "The Not-So-Late Show with Austin" video content. Iowa One Call. Safe-digging awareness campaign featuring the character Risky Ronnie the raccoon.
Estimated cost
Estimated: $8,000–$25,000, typical for Des Moines branding projects; not a quote.
Typical industry estimate, not a quote from any firm on this list.
brand development · brand storytelling · creative strategy · video · public relations
12 on the list · Des Moines, IA
One Branding
Since 2014 · 11–50 people
One Branding is a creative studio at 900 Keo Way in Des Moines that offers brand identity, naming, brand voice, guidelines and assets alongside Webflow web design, UI/UX, motion and video. Its site lists roughly 15 team members and clients including IGN, Yelp, GoGuardian, Posh AI and Scout House, with work for game titles such as Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. DesignRush records the studio as founded in 2014 with fewer than 49 staff.
Why it’s hereA Des Moines studio with a national tech and gaming client list that was a Webflow Professional Partner of the Year finalist in 2025, per its site.
Who leads itDanny Begnoche, Partner, Strategist.
Work they can showKingdom Come: Deliverance II. Website for the video game, which earned a 2025 Awwwards Honorable Mention. IGN x McDonald's. Web project for the McDonald's x Kerwin Frost box collaboration. Scout House. Website that won a CSS Design Awards UI/UX honor in 2025.
Published pricing
- Its inquiry options list project budgets of $2-10K, $10-30K and $30K+.
brand identity and naming · Webflow development · UI/UX design · motion graphics
13 on the list · Des Moines, IA
818
1–10 people
818 is a design studio at 440 E Grand Avenue in downtown Des Moines co-founded by Rachel Abel and Melissa Carlson, with eight staff listed on its about page. It focuses on brand development, packaging design, digital design and environmental and experiential graphics, and its site shows work for GuideOne Insurance, Farm Bureau Financial Services, Confluence Brewing Company and Iowa Great Lakes. Web Tonic's Des Moines design-studio roundup lists the firm.
Why it’s hereA woman-led Des Moines design studio with a brand, packaging and environmental graphics specialism and named insurance and craft-beverage clients.
Who leads itRachel Abel, Co-Founder (with co-founder Melissa Carlson).
Work they can showIowa Great Lakes. Experiential and wayfinding design for the lakes region. Farm Bureau Financial Services. Experiential graphics for an office renovation that honor the company's history. Confluence Brewing Company. Ongoing branding, marketing and label design for the Des Moines brewery.
Estimated cost
Estimated: $8,000–$25,000, typical for Des Moines branding projects; not a quote.
Typical industry estimate, not a quote from any firm on this list.
brand development · packaging design · environmental graphics · digital design
14 on the list · Des Moines, IA
Precious
Precious is a studio at 1201 Keosauqua Way in Des Moines that specializes in art direction, brand identity and design, with naming, packaging, book and album design, web design and photography also listed. Its work page shows projects for Bellewood Farms, the 80/35 Music Festival, Hyer Boots, Signal Advisors and Long Hollow Ranch, and its about page describes a six-phase process from discovery to asset delivery supported by a vetted network of collaborators. Web Tonic's Des Moines design-studio roundup lists the firm.
Why it’s hereA Des Moines studio whose practice is defined around brand identity and art direction, with no full-service marketing arm.
Work they can show80/35 Music Festival. Built a truck-stop-inspired design system covering identity, illustration, merch, print and signage. Hyer Boots. Brand identity and design project. Bellewood Farms. Brand identity and design project.
Estimated cost
Estimated: $8,000–$25,000, typical for Des Moines branding projects; not a quote.
Typical industry estimate, not a quote from any firm on this list.
brand identity · art direction · naming · packaging · web design

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