We are the most respected branding and design consultancy for organizations that want to lead culture, not follow it.
4040 is known for:
● Iconic brand transformations that move industries forward
● Bold, breakthrough creative that blends beauty with business acumen
● A new model for agency leadership—diverse, design-driven, and built to last
Our Mission
To build and evolve iconic, culturally relevant brands through design-led brand strategy, intentional collaboration, and bold creative that delivers business results. We partner with visionary clients—from ambitious startups to Fortune 100 brands—to bring clarity to their vision, creativity to their challenges, and space for the next generation of diverse leadership.
Our Values
Design-Led Excellence: We believe great design isnʼt just how something looks—itʼs how it works. Every brand, every experience, and every touchpoint should reflect both strategic insight and creative brilliance that creates emotional connection.
Strategic Clarity: We donʼt just make things beautiful—we make them meaningful. Our process begins with clear thinking, deep listening, and sharp strategy that drives impact.
Inclusive Collaboration: Diversity makes our work stronger and our culture richer. We actively seek and support a wide range of voices, backgrounds, and perspectives across every project and team.
Accountability + Agility: We move with intention. We set goals, measure outcomes, and make smart decisions fast. We own our wins and our misses, learning as we go.
Human-Centered Partnership: Weʼre not a vendor—weʼre a partner. We build trust with clients by being honest, empathetic, and deeply invested in their success.
Our clients are: Luxury and high-end brands who value refinement and originality | Visionary leaders—from well funded startups to big players—who crave deep partnership | Complex organizations and / or divisions with multiple entities under one umbrella that benefit from cohesive brand thinking |
Min project size
$50,000+
Hourly rate
$150 - $199 / hr
Employees
10 - 49
Locations
Cambridge, MA
Year founded
Founded 2001
Languages
Timezones
1 Language that we service
English
4 Timezones that we service
EST
Eastern Standard Time (EST)
CST
Central Standard Time (CST)
PST
Pacific Standard Time (PST)
MST
Mountain Standard Time (MST)
1 Locations
Cambridge , MA
No have been added yet...
Pricing Snapshot
Min. project size
$50,000+
Avg. hourly rate
$150 - $199
/hr
Rating for cost
5
/5
What Clients Have Said
4040 Agency offers good value for cost, with clients noting their pricing fits budgets well. Feedback highlights timely delivery and effective collaboration, with no specific project costs disclosed. Clients express a desire for larger budgets to engage them further.
4040 Agency helped a beauty company achieve a successful trade show by designing eye-catching booth graphics and a new catalog, resulting in opening 20+ new accounts and receiving positive feedback from attendees.
No Areas for Improvement Noted
Clients did not identify any areas for improvement in 4040 Agency's work, suggesting a high level of satisfaction with their services and outcomes.
Seamless Collaboration with Financial Services
4040 Agency delivered timely and effective branding and messaging services for a financial company, maintaining excellent collaboration and impressing with their integrity and work ethic.
Nimble and Responsive Project Management
Despite complex challenges, 4040 Agency managed a tight timeline for a video campaign, remaining nimble and responsive, and delivering a high-quality product that exceeded client expectations.
Innovative and Inspirational Design
4040 Agency's design work for a nonprofit summit was described as innovative and inspirational by sponsors and attendees. Their work was used as the centerpiece for all marketing materials, demonstrating their creative impact.
Mktg Strategy, Design & Video Prod for Financial Services Co
Featured Review
Graphic DesignMarketing StrategyVideo Production
$50,000 to $199,999
Mar. 2024 - May 2025
5.0
Quality
5.0
Schedule
5.0
Cost
5.0
Willing to Refer
5.0
"4040 Agency is always timely, thoughtful, and present when working with us on any deliverables."
May 28, 2025
Sr Manager Integrated Marketing, MassMutual
Kendra Dunn
Insurance
Boston, Massachusetts
10,001+ Employees
Online Review
4040 Agency provided digital marketing services for a financial services company. The team was responsible for creating social media assets, long and short-form videos, and B2B marketing strategies.
4040 Agency's work met the client's KPIs, and the client was pleased with the engagement and click rates. The team was timely, thoughtful, present, action-oriented, and solution-oriented throughout the engagement. 4040 Agency understood the target audience and was creative and flexible.
The client submitted this review online.
BACKGROUND
Please describe your company and position.
I am the Senior Manager, Integrated Marketing of MassMutual
Describe what your company does in a single sentence.
Provide financial planning and protection services to financial professionals working with an economic range of clients.
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
What specific goals or objectives did you hire 4040 Agency to accomplish?
To position a large, local sport sponsorship as an enterprise-wide and business driving solution to our advisors.
SOLUTION
How did you find 4040 Agency?
Referral
Why did you select 4040 Agency over others?
High ratings
Pricing fit our budget
Great culture fit
Good value for cost
Referred to me
Company values aligned
How many teammates from 4040 Agency were assigned to this project?
6-10 Employees
Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.
4040 helped us design and execute a B2B strategy for a largely B2C sponsorship to help prove ROI of multi-year deal. They helped us tap into key personalities that could work across our different business distributions, digging into the mind of an advisor and third party distributor to see how this sponsorship could support their business day-to-day. 4040 helped create social assets, long and short form video assets to be used across digital ecosystem and a highly-designed and thoughtful hospitality execution and pitchbook for us to leverage with our business partners.
RESULTS & FEEDBACK
What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
We primarily measured engagement and click rates for this campaign because for our B2B audience, and for such a niche program, we didn't need to measure impressions and scale. For a sports sponsorship campaign (and our first to-date created specifically for B2B) , we outperformed our KPIs.
Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?
4040 Agency is always timely, thoughtful, and present when working with us on any deliverables. They are action and solution oriented and embody what a true client + agency partnership should look like.
What was your primary form of communication with 4040 Agency?
In-Person Meeting
Virtual Meeting
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
4040 took no time in rolling their sleeves up to better understand our audiences. Our work and our different range of B2B audiences are convoluted and are unique for our industry. 4040 didn't balk at the challenge but instead embraced it and took every opportunity to learn more about the business and why certain feedback was important.
Are there any areas for improvement or something 4040 Agency could have done differently?
No, I think 4040 continues to evolve their model and bring in the right talent for the project which allows them to be nimble, continue to be creative and have the right people for the job.
RATINGS
5.0
Quality
5.0
Service & Deliverables
Schedule
5.0
On time / deadlines
Cost
5.0
Value / within estimates
Willing to Refer
5.0
NPS
"I already have to many of my friends in the advertising world.
Video Production & Marketing for Insurance Company
Video MarketingVideo Production
$200,000 to $999,999
Nov. - Dec. 2024
5.0
Quality
5.0
Schedule
5.0
Cost
5.0
Willing to Refer
5.0
"4040 works fast, travels light, and is built for speed and efficiency, which many agencies promise, but few deliver."
May 28, 2025
Creative Director, MassMutual
Larry Fahey
Verified
Insurance
Boston, Massachusetts
5,001-10,000 Employees
Online Review
Verified
4040 Agency produced a marketing video for an insurance company to announce their focus on the health and wellness of policy owners. The team's video featured an NHL player for social media campaign use.
4040 Agency delivered a high-quality video within a tight timeline, exceeding the client's expectations. The team's video resonated with the audience and significantly increased the client's reach, engagement, and impressions across social media. Moreover, 4040 Agency was nimble and responsive.
The client submitted this review online.
BACKGROUND
Please describe your company and position.
I am the Creative Director of MassMutual
Describe what your company does in a single sentence.
Insurance, investing, and financial planning
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
What specific goals or objectives did you hire 4040 Agency to accomplish?
Announce a new focus on MassMutual's health and wellness initiative through a partnership with NHL veteran Nick Foligno.
SOLUTION
How did you find 4040 Agency?
Referral
Have worked with 4040 before and since
Why did you select 4040 Agency over others?
Close to my geographic location
Great culture fit
Good value for cost
Referred to me
Company values aligned
Proven creative excellence
How many teammates from 4040 Agency were assigned to this project?
6-10 Employees
Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.
To help announce a deepening focus on the health and wellness of our policyowners, we wanted to leverage our NHL partnership and create a video that would play at the WInter Classic and live on social channels, as well as on a landing page about the initiative. The deliverables included a longform video, multiple cutdowns, and social posts.
We brought Chicago Backhawks left wing Nick Foligno to 4040 after identifying him as a good subject for the campaign, and they concepted agians his story, personality, and career. They presented three very strong video/campaign concepts and we moved ahead with "Live Every Minute."
RESULTS & FEEDBACK
What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
First and foremost, the video gave us a powerful in-game presence for the 40,000-plus-person crowd at the 2025 Winter Classic at Wrigley Field. Across organic social, where the video was launched following the game, it outperformed 2024 social benchmarks across LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram. It resonated with our audience with +62.99% in LinkedIn Reach, +35.21% in LinkedIn Engagements, +221.33 in YouTube Reach and +147.58% in YouTube engagements compared to 2024 benchmarks across MassMutual's content.
Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?
Despite the deliverables being fairly straightforward, the project was deceptively tricky and complex. Elements included negotiating the schedule of a busy NHL starter, finding a suitable filming location that worked geographically, and navigating the demands and requirements of not only the NHL but its union, the NHLPA. Additionally, the timeline was rushed, with no more than three weeks from kick-off to final cut. But 4040 hit every mark. Goals shifted, complications arose, and the clock never stopped ticking, but they were nimble, responsive to our needs, concerns and feedback, and cool under pressure.
What was your primary form of communication with 4040 Agency?
In-Person Meeting
Virtual Meeting
Email or Messaging App
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
4040 works fast, travels light, and is built for speed and efficiency, which many agencies promise, but few deliver. But there's no compromise on creative quality of strategic thinking. They're uniquely able to hold both the small and big pictures in their colelctive head at all times. This is a hell of a thing to be able to do, honestly.
Are there any areas for improvement or something 4040 Agency could have done differently?
Sincerely, nothing.
RATINGS
5.0
"4040 is an exceptional agency made up of exceptional people."
Quality
5.0
Service & Deliverables
Schedule
5.0
On time / deadlines
Cost
5.0
Value / within estimates
Willing to Refer
5.0
NPS
Branding, Content Writing & Logo for Sports Technology Co
BrandingContent Writing ServicesLogo
Confidential
Jan. 2025 - Ongoing
5.0
Quality
5.0
Schedule
5.0
Cost
5.0
Willing to Refer
5.0
"I have never worked with a more on-time, better communicator, and receptive partner."
May 28, 2025
VP of Business Development, Fortress
Steve Goodman
Verified
Sports
Washington, District of Columbia
51-200 Employees
Online Review
Verified
A sports technology company has hired 4040 Agency for a brand refresh. The team has created a brand visual toolkit, written a brand positioning copy, and designed a presentation deck and a mock-up logo.
The client is highly pleased with 4040 Agency's work. The team is receptive, delivers on time, and communicates excellently via virtual meetings, showcasing solid project management. Their fantastic leadership, staff, and work culture have impressed the client, resulting in a positive engagement.
The client submitted this review online.
BACKGROUND
Please describe your company and position.
I am the VP of Business Development of Fortress
Describe what your company does in a single sentence.
Fortress is a sports technology company that leads the market by connecting 4 key team benefits: access, loyalty, payments and sponsorship. Ultimately, we have the technology that increases team and venue revenue.
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
What specific goals or objectives did you hire 4040 Agency to accomplish?
Brand Refresh
Updated positioning
Brand visual toolkit
SOLUTION
How did you find 4040 Agency?
Previous engagements
Why did you select 4040 Agency over others?
High ratings
Great culture fit
Good value for cost
Company values aligned
Proof of Work, results
How many teammates from 4040 Agency were assigned to this project?
2-5 Employees
Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.
Create a Consolidated Brand Visual Toolkit using Fortress’s existing brand identity, color palette and visual tools, but refreshed brand positioning copy created by 4040, create a unified set of assets for company-wide use, including a standardized email signature, a presentation deck template featuring 4–6 introductory pages that highlight Fortress’s positioning and value proposition, a consistent branded footer for decks and presentations, and a lockup of the Fortress logo with the “Count Every Fan, Every Fan Counts” tagline and with the new tagline “The Standard You Count On
RESULTS & FEEDBACK
What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
N/A Project Ongoing
Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?
In over 25 years in marketing, branding, media, and tech, I have never worked with a more on-time, better communicator, and receptive partner.
What was your primary form of communication with 4040 Agency?
Virtual Meeting
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
I worked with them previously, and the work product and team are even better 20 years after our first engagement. They have fantastic leadership, staff, and a culture that is envied by all. I would never work with anyone else.
Are there any areas for improvement or something 4040 Agency could have done differently?
They say, "There is no such thing as perfect," so I guess they could do some things differently, but I am hard pressed to find them. Keep doing what you are doing; it is great work, and it is appreciated and valued.
RATINGS
5.0
Quality
5.0
Service & Deliverables
Schedule
5.0
On time / deadlines
Cost
5.0
Value / within estimates
Willing to Refer
5.0
NPS
Branding & Presentation for Nonprofit
Graphic Design
Confidential
Feb. - Mar. 2025
5.0
Quality
5.0
Schedule
5.0
Cost
5.0
Willing to Refer
5.0
"4040 Agency's kindness, willingness to do whatever it takes, and teamwork were impressive."
Dec 3, 2025
CEO, WOC Retail Alliance
Kimberly Lee Minor
Verified
Other industries
New Albany, Ohio
1-10 Employees
Online Review
Verified
4040 Agency created a brand and presentation for a nonprofit community-building organization. They designed the main icon for the summit and the initial deck.
4040 Agency's design was used as the centerpiece for all summit marketing. The client received positive feedback from sponsors and attendees, who described the icon as innovative and inspirational. The team delivered on time and was kind, willing to do whatever it takes, and collaborative.
BACKGROUND
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the CEO of WOC Retail Alliance, a community-building nonprofit that advocates for meaningful, inclusive pathways for women in retail — from entry-level roles to leadership — through mentorship, coaching, networking, and education.
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
What challenge were you trying to address with 4040 Agency?
I hired 4040 Agency to help us create a brand and deck for our inaugural industry summit.
SOLUTION
What was the scope of their involvement?
4040 Agency designed the main icon for the WOCRA B.I.G. Summit. They also created an initial deck, but in the end, we used the icon design as the centerpiece for all summit marketing.
What is the team composition?
We worked with 2–5 teammates from 4040 Agency.
How did you come to work with 4040 Agency?
They were referred to me, and their company values aligned with ours.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together in February–March 2025
RESULTS & FEEDBACK
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The fact that we used the icon and included 4040 Agency in the summit brand review was a success. Sponsors and attendees alike described the icon as innovative and inspirational.
How did 4040 Agency perform from a project management standpoint?
I enjoyed working with 4040 Agency. They delivered on time, even though it was evident that they were swamped.
What did you find most impressive about them?
4040 Agency’s kindness, willingness to do whatever it takes, and teamwork were impressive.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, there weren’t any.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
I wish we had more budget to pay 4040 Agency.
RATINGS
5.0
Quality
5.0
Service & Deliverables
Schedule
5.0
On time / deadlines
Cost
5.0
Value / within estimates
Willing to Refer
5.0
NPS
Branding Strategy & Booth Design for Beauty & Cosmetics Co
BrandingEvent MarketingPrint Design
Confidential
Apr. - July 2025
5.0
Quality
5.0
Schedule
5.0
Cost
5.0
Willing to Refer
5.0
"We worked with some of the smartest and most talented people in the industry."
Dec 3, 2025
President, Formulary 55
Gene Benneth
Verified
Other industries
Colorado, United States
11-50 Employees
Online Review
Verified
4040 Agency provided strategies and designs for a beauty and cosmetics company's trade show booth, branding, and marketing materials. The team designed the catalog and printed wall graphics for the booth.
4040 Agency's work contributed to a successful trade show where the client opened 20+ new accounts and received positive feedback on the booth and the new catalog. The team showed an impressive ability to deliver high-quality work on time, as well as organizational and industry expertise.
BACKGROUND
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the president of a company that offers luxurious bath, body, and home products, thoughtfully formulated and carefully crafted for a premium self-care experience.
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
What challenge were you trying to address with 4040 Agency?
We needed help with our show presence and marketing materials for the largest trade show of the year, which was a major investment for us. We needed to articulate our brand values and propositions effectively to be successful.We needed people we trusted to evaluate our brand and tell us what was missing, what we needed to do better, and how we needed to change to reach our financial goals.
SOLUTION
What was the scope of their involvement?
4040 Agency provided strategies and design for our trade show booth, branding, and strategy and design for our catalog and marketing materials. They designed the catalog and printed wall graphics for the booth.
What is the team composition?
We worked with 2–5 teammates from 4040 Agency.
How did you come to work with 4040 Agency?
We’ve known and worked with John and Michelle for years. We chose 4040 Agency because their pricing fit our budget, they were a great culture fit, and our company values aligned. Since we had worked with them in the past, we knew the level of work and guidance they could provide our small but growing brand.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together from April–July 2025.
RESULTS & FEEDBACK
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We had a very successful show where we opened 20+ new accounts. We also got lots of feedback from trade show attendees about how much they loved our booth and the graphics. They were eye-catching and drew people in, which was very important in a very crowded show space with lots of other brands.We also got rave reviews on our new catalog.
How did 4040 Agency perform from a project management standpoint?
They set a schedule for a very tight delivery window and delivered on time, even dealing with some production issues that had to be worked around. We communicated via virtual meetings, email, and messaging apps.
What did you find most impressive about them?
The level and quality of their work were impressive. We worked with some of the smartest and most talented people in the industry. Their organization was impressive; they put together a plan and delivered on it.
Are there any areas they could improve?
There’s nothing they could have done better or differently.
RATINGS
5.0
Quality
5.0
Service & Deliverables
Schedule
5.0
On time / deadlines
Cost
5.0
Value / within estimates
Willing to Refer
5.0
NPS
Branding & Messaging Services for Financial Services Company
AdvertisingGraphic DesignVideo Production
$200,000 to $999,999
Jan. 2024 - Ongoing
5.0
Quality
5.0
Schedule
5.0
Cost
5.0
Willing to Refer
5.0
"The integrity, worth ethic, talent, and tenacity of the people at 4040 Agency are impressive."
Jun 9, 2025
Head of Creative/ECD, MassMutual
Spencer Deadrick
Verified
Financial services
Boston, Massachusetts
5,001-10,000 Employees
Online Review
Verified
4040 Agency provides branding and messaging services for a financial services company. The team works on the client's brand and product messaging for their partnership with the Boston Red Sox.
4040 Agency's work has received positive feedback from the client. The team ensures excellent and seamless collaboration by delivering work on time and responding quickly to the client's needs. Moreover, 4040 Agency has impressed the client with their integrity, work ethic, talent, and tenacity.
The client submitted this review online.
BACKGROUND
Please describe your company and position.
I am the Head of Creative/ECD of MassMutual
Describe what your company does in a single sentence.
Financial Services.
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
What specific goals or objectives did you hire 4040 Agency to accomplish?
Helping us articulate our messaging.
SOLUTION
How did you find 4040 Agency?
Referred
Why did you select 4040 Agency over others?
Great culture fit
Referred to me
Company values aligned
How many teammates from 4040 Agency were assigned to this project?
2-5 Employees
Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.
Brand and product work for our partnership with the Boston Red Sox as well as our communications to our field.
RESULTS & FEEDBACK
What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
Overall satisfaction with the work.
Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?
Excellent and seamless collaboration. Everything on time and great.
What was your primary form of communication with 4040 Agency?
In-Person Meeting
Virtual Meeting
Email or Messaging App
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
The integrity, worth ethic, talent, and tenacity of the people at 4040 Agency are impressive.
Are there any areas for improvement or something 4040 Agency could have done differently?
None that I can think of.
RATINGS
5.0
Quality
5.0
Service & Deliverables
Schedule
5.0
On time / deadlines
Cost
5.0
Value / within estimates
Willing to Refer
5.0
NPS
"I'd recommend 4040 to anyone. They're amazing.
Showing 1-6 of
6 Reviews
Our Story
4040 Agency is owned and led by two rare leaders who unite creative excellence with business rigor. Michelle brings decades of strategic, operational, and boardroom experience across top global brands. John brings world class creative leadership shaped by the best design school and the most iconic branding agency. Together, they deliver brand strategy with precision, insight, and imagination that few agencies can match.
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