The Variable

At The Variable, we don't just create ads—we create different. Last night, our Serious Foreplay campaign with Fuck Cancer took home the Shorty Impact Award for awareness campaigns, proving that being bold can have a huge impact. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S., but it's almost 100% curable if caught early. Inspired by a team member who discovered a cancerous mole during an intimate moment, we partnered with Fuck Cancer to turn foreplay into a lifesaving act. To bring the campaign to life, we created cheeky, inclusive guides like "Reverse the Risk Cowgirl" to make skin scans fun and educational; bold videos that taught the ABCDEs of mole-checking in unforgettable ways; strategic media placements with lifestyle and adult-related content; and partnerships with sex-positive influencers and physicians. The results? ✔ Website traffic tripled ✔ Ads saw an 800% higher CTR ✔ And most importantly, lives were saved—including one of our own team members, who caught a potentially dangerous mole thanks to the campaign's message. This campaign isn't just an ad—it's a movement to make partner-aided skin checks a lifesaving routine. Huge thanks to Fuck Cancer for trusting us to help make a real difference. #wearethevariable

🤔 What do brands really need from their agency partners? Setup® is hosting a live dive into the data to help brand marketers, and our CMO, Courtney Lewis, will join to share what we’re seeing firsthand. Join the virtual event on Thursday, November 14th at 12 PM EST for a look at SetUp’s 6th annual Marketing Relationship Survey—your chance to get ahead of what’s driving the best agency-brand partnerships today. Courtney will be joined by Joe Koufman, CEO of SetUp, and Elicia Azali, CMO of Beazer Homes to explore new insights, evolving needs, and where agency-brand dynamics are headed next. Be sure to RSVP below 👇

There's still time to RSVP for our event with The One Club for Creativity this Thursday.

Last week, we were honored to receive a MediaPost OMMA Award for our work with Fuck Cancer. 🏆 But 'Serious Foreplay' wasn’t just about being bold—it was about saving lives. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S., but if detected early, the five-year survival rate can be 98% or higher. While the risk of getting skin cancer is high, the chances of surviving are also high—and we found that studies show that partner-aided skin scans increase early detection of melanomas. 🔍 So our charge was to get partners involved in checking each other for early signs of skin cancer. Our approach? We turned an intimate, real-life moment into a campaign that encourages couples to check each other’s skin while they’re... you know… getting close. 😉 From cheeky Karmole Sutra cards to unfiltered influencer content, we made skin checks fun, memorable, and—most importantly—life-saving. The results? 🔥 Traffic to Fuck Cancer’s site nearly tripled, video ads achieved an 800% higher CTR than industry benchmarks, and our influencer partnerships reached over 1 million people. But the biggest success? One of our own team members discovered a mole that needed to be biopsied, underscoring the real-life impact of this campaign. ❤️ Learn more about the campaign at https://lnkd.in/eMf5FKrN

We invite you to join us and The One Club for Creativity on October 17th for an in-person event on harnessing AI to fuel creativity and drive innovation. Featuring real-world insights from senior creatives and AI specialists including Joe Parrish and Christopher Vernon, this is your chance to learn how to stay ahead of the curve by embracing the power of AI. Our experts will show you how to collaborate with AI—not compete with it—and unlock unexpected breakthroughs in your work. Whether you're just curious about AI or looking to be inspired by others, we’ll give you the tools to turn potential into possibility. And if that wasn’t enough, you’ll get to enjoy drinks and bites from The Board Babe and Holiday while networking with fellow creatives. 🔗 Space is limited—RSVP now to join us for an evening of bold ideas and fresh perspectives.

🚀 More Moves at The Variable! 🚀 🎨 Matt Cook has been promoted to SVP, Group Creative Director. Matt’s relentless creativity and vision have been instrumental in driving differentiating, innovative work that challenges the norm and sets our clients apart. 🎯 McCabe Galloway has been promoted to Group Strategy Director. McCabe’s strategic brilliance continues to shape the future of our campaigns, driving growth and delivering meaningful impact for our partners. Together, they’ll keep raising the stakes and pushing us and our clients to think even bigger, bolder, and braver. #wearethevariable

Take a little tour of the place we’re proud to call home.

From Day One, we have been fueled by creative freedom and a relentless commitment to doing things differently. So we'd like to thank Lindsay Rittenhouse for this piece at Ad Age discussing how indie agencies stay true to their culture and values while growing in an ever-changing industry. For us, independence isn’t just a business model—it’s a creative advantage. It allows us to say no to the ordinary and yes to the bold and the unexpected. Check out Lindsay's story at the link below. #wearethevariable

With new team members come even more possibilities, and we’re thrilled to welcome Caroline Moncure as Chief Client Officer. With a proven history of differentiating brands, teams, and businesses of all sizes and categories, Caroline joins our team with a reputation that speaks volumes. Through her previous work at agencies including The Martin Agency, Huge, and Mekanism, she’s created meaningful impact for globally recognized names like PepsiCo, United Airlines, Ben & Jerry's, GEICO, MillerCoors, CNN, and more. As CCO, Caroline will work closely with The Variable’s Executive Leadership Team—Jodi Heelan, Joe Parrish, and Courtney Lewis—to supercharge the client experience for both our current partners and those yet to come. Welcome to the team, Caroline! #wearethevariable

We’re thrilled to announce that Courtney Lewis has been promoted to Chief Marketing Officer at The Variable! 🎉 Courtney has been a driving force in shaping our agency’s success, strategy, and innovative approach to creating meaningful impact for our clients. As CMO, she will lead all marketing and communications efforts for the agency, continue driving growth and new business development, and oversee our Strategy and Integrated Communications departments. From building deep strategic partnerships with agency partners and search consultants to redefining how we deliver better value to our clients, Courtney's vision and leadership have been integral to our success—and will remain key pillars in shaping the future of our agency. #wearethevariable