Founded November 21, 2000
In our 25th year as an advertising agency, we rebranded. From Frederick Swanston to Bosun. From founder-led to fully crew-powered, the new brand better reflects who we are today. A strategically focused agency with a passion for courageous ideas, sharp thinking, a caring client approach and an eight-armed, multi-tasking mascot.
As we celebrate this milestone, we’re deeply grateful to everyone who helped us get here. For believing in the work we do and the way we do it.
MILESTONES
2000
I think we just started an agency.
NOVEMBER 21, 2000
“Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth,” said Mike Tyson. So, when Scott Frederick and Bill Swanston got sucker-punch fired by their agency, they took the hit and turned a bad day into a better company.
2000-03
“May I speak with Fred Swanston please?”
NOVEMBER 21, 2000
The creative directors flipped coins to decide whose name went first. After several failed attempts to best his new business partner, Bill caved and not-so-happily agreed to Frederick Swanston. The name did help screen spam calls.
2000-03
The ‘Little Big’ positioning that landed a domestic whale.
Our initial positioning focused on a core truth: clients would love a firm that combines big-agency brains with small-shop hustle. That’s Scott and Bill in a nutshell. The Little Big message hit home, scoring us a few agency-of-record accounts, including Bassett, the nation’s oldest furniture maker. A nice win for two guys running a company out of their basements.
2001
Where were you when it happened?
We were in our client’s conference room at Andretti Speed Lab when the second plane hit Tower 2. The meeting stopped. The world stopped. As clients pulled back and budgets vanished, we learned our first lesson in resilience and the need to pivot when the world shifts beneath you.
2004-08
Adding clients, hiring crew, building culture.
Sometimes the dog catches the car. Sometimes a few. After hiring a new business lead, we added accounts, got an office and recruited terrific talent. We played Xbox, went to Braves games and hosted epic parties at Château Élan.
2008
When the market tanked, we triumphed.
Great ad campaigns deserve accolades, especially given how hard they are to get across the finish line. But there should also be a special Cannes Lion for agency grit. When the financial crisis of 2008 tanked budgets and took out thousands of agencies, we persevered and ultimately thrived. No trophy needed.
2009
We’re humbly awesome and getting awesomer.
In an award-obsessed industry overrun by divas, we have always enforced a simple rule: No Assholes. We love working with people we like. Apparently, so do clients. Shocker. So in 2009, when we added healthcare expertise to our mix, we made several new client friends. Take that, suckers! (respectfully).
2009-19
Branding is our love language.
After asking clients why they stayed, we uncovered a theme. It wasn’t just what we did, but how. We put leaders out front, so direction never gets lost. The branded approach resonated, and the agency grew. Hey, branding works!
2020
Standing apart, together. And other clichés.
MARCH 13, 2020
COVID-19 tested us all. We headed home with our plants, not knowing we’d never be back. Some of us are still trying to reschedule that Saint Patrick’s Day party. It became the most stressful period in our history, but we endured. No layoffs. No losses. And a deeper appreciation for our culture of caring.
2020
Curling is fun, but charitying is funner.
From hot sauce contests to speakeasies, we find creative ways to connect off the clock. But when a coworker suggested we dedicate some of our outings to good causes, we wholeheartedly agreed and launched LOVE FS. Over the years, we’ve worked with:
2025
Frederick Swanston sets sail as Bosun.
MAY 20, 2025
What began as a two-man boutique has evolved into a crew-powered agency. Still fiercely independent. Still an extremely talented crew who adhere to our maiden philosophy: help our client friends cut through and connect with impact and clarity.
