IDEAS UNLEASHED®
Let’s just say we’ve been there and toured that. As a matter of fact, BlackDog has collaborated with tour and attraction brands across the US and internationally for over three-and-a-half decades to develop successful marketing strategies. Simply put, we are a full-service marketing and advertising agency with the experience, talent and resources to unleash data-driven results for your brand.
OUR VALUES
The words we work by
1. Never stop learning, never stop innovating
2. Serve as diligent stewards of our clients' trust
3. Be positive, be kind, stay hungry, be brave, be humble
4. Create as if no task is too small to be important
WHO WE SERVE
Whether you pronounce it “niche” or “nitch”...we’ve got one
We help tour, attraction, adventure and leisure brands reach guests before the competition with an intentional brand strategy focused on increasing direct sales, collecting first-person data and improving brand trust through well-crafted, consistent communications.
TESTIMONIALS
Aww, you're making us blush
We love working with the best
BlackDog Advertising has been taking our marketing to new levels for nearly 30 years. Professional, knowledgeable, responsive, and so much creativity! They are everything you wish for in an advertising agency and then some. They don’t treat us like a client, they treat us like family.
They were essential in our unprecedented growth
We began our partnership with BlackDog Advertising in 2005. They helped take us from an unknown watersports company to one of the nation’s largest and most successful companies in our segment.
Instrumental in the growth and success of our business
Working with the BlackDog team for over 20 years has been an amazing experience. Their creativity and knowledge of today’s ever-changing technology have helped propel Yankee Freedom to our success today. They are not just an agency; they are our trusted partner.
Beyond our expectations
They have ABSOLUTELY delivered! They have an incredible team at BD and I truly feel like each team member on our project cares about our success. THANK YOU for showing us that there is a shining star in the advertising industry!
Unique, nimble, creative and innovative
They will faithfully execute your vision in the most professional manner available anywhere. Simply put, BlackDog Advertising is the most unique, nimble, creative and innovative company in their field.
They're professional, friendly, and fun
The entire team at BlackDog Advertising always exercises steadfast commitment to not only the projects we request of them, but also dreaming up new ways to innovate our marketing reach. They’re genuinely invested in watching our tours and attractions exceed our wildest dreams.
I am amazed at the incredible jumps in online sales of our museum
BlackDog’s efforts in positioning our museum properly are a big reason we continue to grow by leaps and bounds. Spanning the range from small items to larger, more comprehensive projects and everywhere in between, BlackDog is responsive, friendly, committed, quick to act and enjoyable people to work with.
I'm so impressed with BlackDog!
Being a part of big projects in our company, I often have high demands and need quick resolutions. The expertise and expedient attention to detail, is why I will never use another company! I consider the team to be friends as well as business collegues.
OUR STORY
Back to the future
Ever heard of a t-square? Well, that was one of the many now antiquated tools used for centuries by designers to create advertising. When our founder, John Penney, began his career way back in the late 80’s at CPB Advertising, the agency had only one computer exclusively for accounting. All other tasks were performed by hand.
Why, you ask? Because back then, WYSIWYG desktop computers like the Macintosh were just being introduced and, for the most part, the creative and technical worlds were separated into two camps.
The left-brained people were thought to be the only folks qualified to use a computer…and if you’ve ever used a computer run by DOS you would understand why. The challenge for John was that he grew up in both camps. As a teenager, when he wasn’t coding simple programs on his VIC-20 computer, he was painting, sculpting, filming and drawing. And as much as he appreciated the artistry of the t-square, John saw the potential for leveraging the emerging technologies of the day to facilitate his creative ideas. So, in late 1989, he combined computing with creativity and opened up BlackDog Advertising.
Fueled by a passion for travel and tourism marketing and a commitment to innovative results for our clients, BlackDog quickly grew from a one-man (and one dog) shop, adding talented staff members to support our growing client base.
In 1997, John convinced his wife, Kathy, to join the company. With her business acumen, she helped the agency and our team grow, and our clients see record profits, all while putting up with John.
The Next Chapter
In 2025, BlackDog Advertising embarks on an exciting new chapter as ownership transitions from John and Kathy Penney to Luis Busquets and Jason Carbonell. After 36 years, this leadership change honors the agency’s rich history while positioning it for future growth.
Jason and Luis bring a combined 25 years of experience at BlackDog, demonstrating their commitment to clients and deep understanding of the agency’s culture. Over the past several years, they have worked closely with John and Kathy to ensure a smooth transition, empowering them to lead BlackDog Advertising into a successful future.
Moving forward, BlackDog will continue to uphold its core values while focusing on growth-oriented clients in the Tour, Attraction, Adventure, and Leisure sectors, driving direct bookings, and building brand trust.
As the new owner & CTO, Jason offers extensive expertise in technology and innovation, crucial for enhancing Digital capabilities and keeping BlackDog at the industry forefront. Meanwhile, Luis, as the incoming owner & CMO, is a strategic marketing leader with a vision to deliver exceptional marketing strategies that exceed client expectations.
As we celebrate our 35th anniversary in 2025, this transition heralds a pivotal moment for BlackDog Advertising, poised for continued success in showcasing travel brands to the world.
There is much more to the BlackDog story…you’ll have to wait for the book. But the CliffsNotes are this: mix a great philosophy with a lot of hard work, dedicated team members and loyal clients and the results are an agency at the forefront of our industry for over three decades.
OUR NAME
🐶
What’s in a name?
You may be thinking our name came from the Led Zeppelin song of the same name. However, the original black dog, Dinky, was a 110-pound Labrador Retriever who belonged to our founder, John Penney.
Born in 1987, Dinky attended many college classes with John and was his lovingly loyal companion and family pet for over 16 years. Today, we honor our favorite black dog through our agency’s name and icon, created in his silhouette. 🎶 Oh yeah, oh yeah!