Meet the Spiciest Creative Agency in Gaming

The emergence of SUMMONER, a specialized creative agency founded by industry veterans Matthew Manarino, Kal Nguyen, and Jordan Schmidt, highlights a growing demand for marketing partners that possess deep, authentic expertise in the gaming sector. The agency’s primary thesis is that traditional advertising firms often fail to grasp the nuances of gaming culture, resulting in generic or disconnected marketing campaigns that do not resonate with players. By positioning themselves as "chief creative officers for hire," the founders aim to bridge the gap between game developers and the marketing assets required for successful product launches.

The agency’s methodology centers on translating complex, often abstract developer visions into effective creative assets, such as trailers, logos, and promotional materials. This approach addresses a common industry pain point where internal teams, while technically proficient in game development, struggle to articulate their product's core value to external creative partners. By acting as a translator between developers and production teams, the agency seeks to streamline the creative process and ensure that marketing output remains faithful to the game's identity.

The industry context for this development is characterized by a recurring dissatisfaction with traditional agencies that rely on superficial knowledge of gaming. The founders argue that many agencies treat diverse gaming communities as a monolithic group, leading to uninspired, "saccharine" advertising that ignores the sophisticated expectations of modern players. By leveraging their background in high-profile projects—including experience on titles like Fortnite and League of Legends—the founders offer a specialized alternative for studios that require high-quality marketing support without the disconnect often found in broader advertising firms. Currently, the agency is focusing its efforts on collaborative partnerships with studios like Theorycraft Games, emphasizing a commitment to authenticity and creative integrity.