Porter Pipe & Supply – Welcome To The Family Campaign

Concept 1: Share a Beer

Famous for its vibrant bar scene, breweries and storied beer culture, Milwaukee was the perfect place for Porter Pipe to team up with a local neighbor on something special: their very own beer. Porter Pale Ale and Porter Pilsner? Now that had a nice ring to it.

DELIVERABLES:
Billboard With a Picture of the Porter Family, a T-shirt Highlighting the Generations and a Family-Themed Launch Party or Community Paint Day to Create a Mural on the Building, All Topped Off with a Philanthropic Donation to a Local School or Church

Concept 2: The Family’s in Town

Leaning into Porter Pipe’s roots as a family-owned, family-focused business, we knew that centering the campaign around “family” would resonate deeply. Our next concept aimed to rally the Milwaukee community around the idea of joining a new branch of the Porter family. With three generations, six locations and counting, Porter’s values aligned perfectly with Milwaukee’s strong, family-oriented spirit.

Deliverables: Billboard With a Picture of the Porter Family, a T-shirt Highlighting the Generations and a Family-Themed Launch Party or Community Paint Day to Create a Mural on the Building, All Topped Off with a Philanthropic Donation to a Local School or Church

Concept 3: Hey Neighbor

We wanted to lean into the prominent neighborhood culture in Milwaukee for our next concept. With Porter Pipe spreading across the Midwest into another neighboring state, we decided to capitalize on the neighborly disposition of Midwesterners with a friendly outreach to locals.

DELIVERABLES:
Billboard Leaning on the Neighborly Vibe, a ‘Midwest Is Best’ T-Shirt, a Block Party for All the Neighborhood Businesses and a Philanthropic Initiative to Donate Playground Equipment or Sponsor a Local Park

Concept 4: Making an Entrance

With Milwaukee’s rich legacy of artistic architecture, we saw an opportunity to create a bold visual statement for the launch. Known for bringing energy and creativity to the industrial supply space, Porter Pipe set out to add a splash of personality to Milwaukee’s warehouse district. The idea: A custom art installation crafted by a local artisan, inspired by one of Milwaukee’s most iconic landmarks—the Clock Tower. It was a perfect fusion of local pride and Porter personality.

DELIVERABLES:
Billboard with Architectural Elements, a Large Outdoor Piping Art Installation Done by Local Craftsmen, a Smaller Indoor Installation in the Same Style as Outdoor Installation and a Shirt Featuring a Custom Illustration

Concept 5: A New Homebase

Everyone loves baseball, especially at Milwaukee’s infamous Miller Park Stadium (newly named American Family Field…but it’s truly a Sears/Willis Tower type of situation). From Porter Pipe jerseys to collector cards, we knew we could carry out this idea in a lot of fun ways.

DELIVERABLES:
Baseball Themed Billboard, Porter Pipe Jerseys, Wheatpasted Posters, Signed Baseballs and a Photobooth that Would Print Baseball Card-Style Photos at the Launch Party

Concept 6: The Family is Coming

Since Porter Pipe was expanding to a completely new state, we knew we had to give Milwaukeeans something to talk about. We did this with a comically threatening, mafia-inspired campaign—perfectly connected to Milwaukee’s history of The Godfather-esque families. After all, everyone knows to never go against the family…

DELIVERABLES:
The Godfather Themed Billboard, Fake Tuxedo T-Shirt, Wine Bottles with Custom Labels, Gift Certificates to Local Italian Restaurants and a Community Pasta Dinner

Theme, Executed

To bring the Mafia-themed launch to life, we went big (and a little bold) in Milwaukee—starting with a billboard and bumper sticker campaign that leaned all the way in. We reimagined the iconic logo from The Godfather to resemble Bud Porter himself, and used it across key pieces, from out-of-home to merch.

The first billboard featured classic Godfather-style theming, while the second went full throttle with a “Bada Bing, Bada Boom” nod—spotlighting Porter’s signature boom truck.

Making the Move to Madison

Following the success of their Milwaukee launch, Porter Pipe announced plans to open their next Wisconsin location—Madison. They turned to us once again to develop creative themes and promotional ideas to build excitement around the opening. Much like our work in Milwaukee, the goal was to craft a campaign that could live seamlessly across both social media and physical marketing channels.

Building Forward

Inspired by the state motto of Wisconsin, the “Forward” theme was a futuristic, modern and positive way to introduce Porter Pipe’s new Madison location. Blueprints and high-tech illustrations were utilized to show that Porter Pipe to be the cutting-edge partner Madison needs.

Mad City’s New MVP

A nod to Madison’s college football traditions, the “Team Porter” theme worked to position Porter Pipe as the perfect cultural fit for the city’s needs. With imagery and swag inspired by football, this concept was poised to be a touchdown in the making.

Fixing What Wasn’t Broken? Fuhgeddaboudit.

Building on the successful Mafia theme from the Milwaukee launch, we opted to bring back the values of trust and loyalty with a rejuvenated campaign for The Family. With bold billboards, clever teasers and strategic partnerships with local businesses, it made Madison feel like they weren’t just getting a new location—they were being welcomed into the family.

We explored a bold “ransom letter” style for billboards and social media posts to tie into the Mafia theme. The eye-catching, mismatched lettering created intrigue and urgency, grabbing attention across Madison. On social, cryptic teaser posts built suspense and encouraged engagement.

We also revived the iconic Godfather-style billboard for a powerful return.