Senior Partner and Chief Creative Officer Alyssa Toro has worn many hats throughout her life—designer, creative, pro athlete, entrepreneur, health coach, and mom. As a part owner of Connelly Partners, Alyssa has been at CP since day one, helping to build the agency from the ground up. Joining Christy Hiler on the Own It podcast, Alyssa shares her journey to leadership with honesty, warmth, and a few surprises.
Listen here.
To celebrate its brand refresh, we partnered with Flair Airlines, transforming a vacant Gastown space into Flair/FWD, an immersive photography exhibition that brought the art and emotion of air travel to ground level. The two-week installation featured the work of National Geographic Explorer and photographer Mackenzie Calle.
Through her lens, the exhibit explored both the wonder of flight and the behind-the-scenes choreography of aviation, reflecting how Flair is charting a new course and disrupting the air travel space with their mission to provide affordable air travel that connects Canadians to the people and experiences they love.
Highlights included:
The activation was a fresh take on airline marketing and a signal that Flair isn’t just refreshing its look, but making a deeper shift in how the airline connects with its community.
“Flair FWD was designed to signal a new era for Flair—one defined by confidence, clarity, and momentum,” said Patrick Smith, Creative Director at Flair Airlines. “Using award-winning photographer Mackenzie Calle’s distinct and beautiful imagery, we captured the essence of a brand on the rise. This was a Flair-led creative vision, brought to life with the support of Connelly Partners and Wildfire Events, who helped execute and implement the initiative with precision and energy.”
Nadine Cole, Co-Managing Director, Connelly Partners West also commented on the project, sharing that “the most fulfilling work happens when clients are clear on their mission and brave enough to break the mold. That’s what we’ve found with Flair. We believe in what they’re building, and we’re proud to travel alongside them as partners on what we know is an important journey.”
Connelly Partners has bolstered its creative team, appointing Sam Moorhead and Mikey Fleming as Co-Creative Directors. This follows a strong start to 2025 as the agency has won competitive pitches including Waterways Ireland, University of Galway, The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth (DCEDIY), and been added to The Health Service Executive (HSE) agency framework.
With a 50 person team in Dublin, the independent advertising agency provides an end-to-end, full-service offering for clients, within both the Irish and global markets.
Moorhead and Fleming have been a creative team since 2011, partnering at TBWA/Ireland, Boys + Girls, and later founding Verve’s in-house agency, Showrunner. Their work for brands like Three Mobile, Aldi, SKODA, Lyons Tea, Tayto, VHI, and LEGO have earned multiple awards.
They join legendary Executive Creative Director (ECD) Mike Garner and digital specialist and Creative Director, Chris Preston. This powerhouse creative team makes up part of Connelly Partners’ global offering (with other hubs in Boston and Vancouver) overseen by Chief Creative Officer (CCO) Alyssa Toro and Dublin’s Managing Director (MD) Vaunnie McDermott. This expansion marks the beginning of a period of growth for the agency with more creative roles planned for the coming months.
“Connelly Partners is on a roll, strengthening our end-to-end offering across strategy, creative, production, social and digital. Our integrated approach based on really understanding the customer journey has powered our momentum, driving strong business results for our clients,” said McDermott. “Sam and Mikey’s long-standing partnership has earned them a reputation for crafting campaigns that are anything but ordinary and built on solid strategy. Their creativity combined with the power of AI is exactly what we need to continue driving commercial success.”
Connelly Partners has been appointed as the creative agency for Waterways Ireland, the organisation responsible for managing and promoting Ireland’s inland waterways across the island of Ireland. Connelly Partners will be responsible for developing a new corporate identity and advertising communications to build the tourism and recreation credentials of the brand, in order to encourage greater use of and participation in everything that the waterways of Ireland have to offer.
In addition, the agency has been selected to work with University of Galway, one of Ireland’s leading higher education institutions, to strengthen its brand communications with the goal of increasing CAO applications.
Connelly Partners has also recently been appointed the creative agency for The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth (DCEDIY), which plays a crucial role in shaping policies and programs that support children, families, and social inclusion across Ireland.
This growth follows additional wins and campaign launches for brands including Birra Moretti, Coors, ESB & Electric Ireland, Expressway, Epilepsy Ireland and My Milkman, in what looks set to be an exciting 2025 for Connelly Partners in Ireland.
Read more here.
Additional coverage:
AdWorld: Sam Moorehead and Mikey Fleming Join Connelly Partners
Business & Finance: New and notable appointments at Mercer Ireland, Neotas Limited, McGill and Partners, Forvis Mazars, Connelly Partners, BDO Ireland and Deloitte Ireland
Business Plus: Moorhead and Fleming join Connelly Partners
This year, on International Epilepsy Day, Epilepsy Ireland and Connelly Partners joined forces once again to launch a powerful nationwide campaign focused on one clear message: Time. Safe. Stay. It’s a simple mantra — but one that could make all the difference if you ever witness someone having a seizure.
Turning Stats Into Stories
How do you take a public health message and make people really care? You make it personal.
Backed by robust research from Amárach, the campaign centred around the lived experiences of people with epilepsy. Research showed that 88% of people in Ireland believe there’s a lack of understanding of epilepsy amongst the general public. So we got to work – putting real voices, real faces, and real emotions front and centre. These weren’t just testimonials. These were open, honest conversations about life with epilepsy. Fear. Frustration. Strength. Hope.
By showcasing these stories, we aimed to create empathy, spark curiosity, and ultimately, leave a lasting impression about the importance of seizure first aid — Time. Safe. Stay.
A Multi-Platform Approach That Hit Home
To maximise impact, we launched a multi-channel campaign — from powerful digital storytelling to social media, DOOH and more – ensuring visibility at both national and regional levels. Media volunteers bravely stepped up to share their experiences with press. Interviews delivered a deeply human look at epilepsy’s daily challenges.
Listen to the full Supercharged (RTE Radio 1) interview here.
A video campaign, voiced by legendary Radio DJ Rick O’Shea, was broadcast on Sky Television.
Digital out-of-home adverts brought the message into busy shopping centres and high-footfall areas throughout the Capital and regionally, as well as in Galway’s Eyre Square.
Digital Display ads featuring our media volunteers ran across various digital platforms, providing lots of touch points for the Irish public to engage with this important message.
Social media lit up – and were amongst the most successful strands of this multi-faceted campaign. TikTok alone delivered 1M+ impressions, reaching 538k accounts with an exceptional 17.36% engagement rate — well above platform norms.
Across META (Facebook and Instagram), the campaign reached 570K users, blowing past the original goal of 157K, with an impressive 2.78% engagement rate, significantly above the 0.20% industry benchmark.
Our Digital Audio campaign over-delivered – achieving a 90% Listen Through Rate (LTR) and reaching 40K+ unique users.
The results proved that human connection is still at the heart of effective storytelling.
Read The Irish Times feature here.
The photography-led campaign offers an intimate glimpse into the world of air travel.
Who: Flair Airlines for strategy and creative; Connelly Partners for creative and execution; Wildfire for event production and logistics; Fladgate Brand Management for print production and installation; National Geographic explorer, and photographer, Mackenzie Calle for photography.
What: “FlairFWD,” a two-week photography exhibit that intimately showcases the behind-the-scenes choreography of aviation. The intention is to renew and remind consumers of Flair’s mission to provide affordable air travel that connects Canadians to the people and experiences they love.
When & Where: The exhibit ran April 12–13 for the public in a vacant Gastown space in Vancouver, following a private event for stakeholders and staff. FlairFWD is set to travel to other Canadian cities where the airline has major hubs.
Why: The activation is intended to demonstrate a shift towards a more emotional way of connecting the airline with potential passengers.
“FlairFWD was designed to signal a new era for Flair—one defined by confidence, clarity, and momentum,” said Patrick Smith, creative director at Flair Airlines. “Using award-winning photographer Mackenzie Calle’s distinct and beautiful imagery, we captured the essence of a brand on the rise. This was a Flair-led creative vision, brought to life with the support of Connelly Partners and Wildfire Events, who helped execute and implement the initiative with precision and energy.”
How: The campaign was anchored by the work of National Geographic explorer and photographer Mackenzie Calle, whose exhibit aims to highlight the dual beauty and complexity of air travel, from sweeping aerial vistas to candid moments behind the scenes.
The photos feature a mix of layered textures, lighting, large-scale prints, and experimental print techniques, to facilitate a multi-sensory experience for viewers. They will also be used across all of Flair’s paid and owned channels.
The public opening subsequently turned the exhibit into an interactive brand story, offering consumers an intimate glimpse at Flair’s evolution and the people who contribute to its success.
And we quote: “The most fulfilling work happens when clients are clear on their mission and brave enough to break the mold. That’s what we’ve found with Flair. We believe in what they’re building, and we’re proud to travel alongside them as partners on what we know is an important journey.”–Nadine Cole, co-managing director, Connelly Partners West.
Read article on Campaign Canada.
With the looming TikTok ban in the US, local communication executives at an event hosted by the Boston Interactive Media Association noted a trend of online advertisers testing alternative platforms like YouTube Shorts. At the event, Kiley McMahon, Paid Social Media Manager at Connelly Partners shared that some clients have experimented with YouTube Shorts as a potential replacement for TikTok; however, it has yet to replicate the latter’s viral reach and perceived authenticity. Despite many clients not yet migrating to YouTube, contingency plans are in place for their clients in case TikTok does go dark, even momentarily.
Read more Here.
AdAge is highlighting the voices of women who are making waves in advertising this Women’s History Month. CP’s own Alyssa Toro, Senior Partner and Chief Creative Officer, shares her insights on driving change in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
To connect with consumers, brands must lead with empathy and a deep understanding of their lives. Women’s superpower is emotional intelligence. We know the value of understanding the nuances of human experience to align product benefits with real consumer needs. As consumers demand more authenticity, having women in leadership isn’t just valuable—it’s essential.
Not to mention, In just four years, it’s estimated that women will control three-quarters of all discretionary spending. So having women at the table is a must. We are able to relate better to the complicated fabric of a female consumer’s life. That consumer has a lot on her plate and even more on her mind.
We saw this in action at SXSW, where our client & agency teams, including so many powerhouse women, ideated and brought to life one of the most successful brand activations for Gorton’s Seafood. Women’s ability to collaborate, problem solve, get their hands dirty, emphasize diverse perspectives; made the work stronger. This goes a long way in cultivating a healthy team that will work tirelessly together to develop interesting ideas and find the most exciting ways to execute them. Ideas thrive on builds, and you need a strong communicative network to get there.
Ultimately, the best leaders in advertising—male or female—are those who inspire creativity, drive innovation, and foster collaboration. The unique traits that many women bring to leadership positions in advertising make them particularly well-suited to navigate the challenges brands face and solve them with ideas that build brand loyalty.
Read more here.
Steve Connelly is taking the stage at the 2025 MISSION Hubs Forum in London, England as a featured speaker. This year’s Forum will focus on industry challenges and leadership development for building flexible, resilient businesses.
In his talk, Steve will share why it’s time for leaders to embrace honesty. Having built a creative business that reaches from Boston to Dublin to Vancouver, Steve believes that great leaders, like good coaches, need to be more demanding, honest, and challenge their teams. Is it time for more “Connelly Realism” in our agencies? See what you think.
No stranger to evolving with consumer habits, Gorton’s Seafood made a splash at SXSW, infusing Austin with New England charm. Their iconic yellow transformed the venue, which featured a giant ship wheel arch at the entrance and a specially painted exterior. This landmark event, their largest activation yet, was a full-fledged celebration of their new shrimp products.
“There were times where I would just look around and see all these people gather with a drink in their hand and food in the other, and they were bopping to the music. And I was thinking, this is exactly what we wanted,” says Susie Siegel, Senior Integrated Marketing Manager at Gorton’s.
Read more here.
Additional coverage:
BizBash: SXSW 2025: See Inside Top Events and Activations
AdAge: The Top 5 SXSW 2025 Brand Activations to Know About
Making their SXSW debut this year, Gorton’s Seafood held a shrimp and cocktail party at the Rainey Street Historic District’s Parlor Room. Complete with Gorton’s many shrimp products, the two-day event saw 3,500 attendees and dozens of influencers and included cooking demos, a merch wheel, and live music performances.
Read more here.