The Midsize Match Up - Little Hands of Stone

In this week’s Midsize Match Up interview, we get to hear from Matt McCain , Co-Founder of Little Hands of Stone .? Matt will share some inside info about what makes them a great partner.? And I hope he shares the story behind the agency name.

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Julia:? Matt, can you start off by giving us some of the foundational details about Little Hands of Stone?

?Matt:? Little Hands of Stone is an independent creative agency based in Seattle and founded in 2019. Our name was inspired by a 108-pound boxer in the 1980’s who punched way above his weight. We maintain a tight core of veteran, non-a**hole full-timers who bring big experience from boutiques, the world’s largest agency, and the executive ranks of Amazon’s global in-house creative group. We also draw from a diverse pool of A-list collaborators to build custom teams for each stage of each challenge. Our core services are research + strategy, 360 creative and production. We make creative that moves the rock.

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Julia: What’s Little Hands of Stone Secret Sauce when it comes to working with Midsize companies?

?Matt: Our Secret Sauce is a blend of two ingredients (is that cheating?). First, our work is driven by radical empathy. Not a soft-handed, blushing-emoji empathy. An honest, ask uncomfortable questions to find out where people are and meet them there with gritty, vulnerable, warts-and-all empathy. Our best work hits people in the feels and makes them cry or laugh or both because they feel seen. And when people feel seen, they connect. In our experience, midsize companies are small enough to have a challenger mindset and embrace these bold ideas, but large enough to help them get seen.

?Second, we think layers are effectiveness killers. Our co-founders prefer to keep their hands filthy dirty with the work and maintain direct lines of communication with client leadership. While we have a full-team approach (our people are too damn good not to), this leaders-to-leaders exchange helps us get to the gritty core of our clients’ business challenges faster and work through tougher knots if/when they come up. Midsize companies have teams big enough to facilitate larger initiatives but aren’t too layered to allow direct access to senior leadership. We like that.

?Julia:? Can you share a case study or example of a successful campaign you have created with a Midsize client?

?Matt:? We have an ongoing relationship with Rover, the online pet-sitting platform.? Coming out of the pandemic, we humans developed an undeniably codependent relationship with our pets. In fact, 64% of pet owners report feeling guilty being away from their pet. Our happiness (and anxiety) is inextricably intertwined with theirs. And the reality is, the only opinion that will help calm pet parents’ anxiety is that of their beloved pet (remember the radical empathy thing?). In the “To My Hooman” campaign, we had pets reach out to their hoomans to let them know that it’s totally okay to “go do hooman thing” and not worry while they’re away.

The animation style reflects our pets’ simplistic, rudimentary world, as if it’s coming from the emotionally intelligent mind of the pet. And since we’re seeing the world through the eyes and hearts of our pets, spelling isn’t really a thing, hooman legs look 12ft long, and drool is a love language. In addition to the main brand film, we produced 10 short-form videos that communicated Rover’s other specific selling points (e.g. meeting sitters before you book, 97% 5-star sitters).

Within six weeks of launch, the campaign drove a +17% in brand awareness and +52% improved efficiency (CaC) on Linear TV. Conversions are up 150% YoY on YouTube. Best of all, overall bookings were up 20% YoY in Q3, based on Rover’s Q3 earnings report. It has been Rover’s most effective campaign to date.

More importantly, the comment section of the “To My Hooman” YouTube video (with 10 million+ views and counting), is oozing with emotional responses. Here’s a sample: “Man, Rover went STRAIGHT for the feels on this one!!! and boy did they hit gold!!. I picked up my Frenchie and we watched it together :) and no, I didn't tear up at all, who said that!!! please pfft... You did!!”

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Julia:? I love that!? I had a sneak peek at some of your upcoming creative for Aegis and found myself crying like that person’s Frenchie!? Finally, what advice would you give to Midsize companies looking to choose an agency partner?

?Matt:? First, make sure the agency you choose has the creative to back up its positioning. There are lots and lots of agencies out there that are great at positioning themselves as different/innovative/category-busting, but their work doesn’t deliver on those adjectives. Their work should excite, inspire and scare you. If the majority of their work doesn’t do that, the work they’ll make with you won’t either.?

?Second, and this is wildly self-serving, but there are advantages to working with a smaller agency that will treat your “midsize” company like an invaluable behemoth. Just sayin.

?Julia: Well, let me say that I always love finding marketers who swear more than I do. ?And I’ve also enjoyed discovering the deeply empathetic and powerful work from Little Hands of Stone.? Matt, you failed to mention that LHoS was named Ad Age’s Small Agency Newcomer of the year in 2020.? And as if that were not honor enough, I can also officially certify Little Hands of Stone as a Midsize Match.? Double congrats.

?For those wanting to connect with Matt, you can reach him at matt.mccain@lhos.com or check out the agency at www.lhos.com

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