For a while, our exciting news remained a secret, as our creatives, managers, and strategists began to develop and shape our new brand. Our formal launch in June 2023 was the result of a decades-long friendship, a common mission, and a team that shares our founders’ vision of a more equitable and open marketing ecosystem.
But how did Boombox come to be?
In 2000, Dustin Woehrmann founded a design agency out of his apartment in Los Angeles. That company, originally called Dustin W Design, evolved into Communify in 2010. With its new name and a relocation to New Orleans came expanded services: tourism marketing, branding, UX, and web projects. Many of Communify’s projects included a strong focus on LGBTQ+ marketing, helping brands and organizations connect authentically to the queer community without venturing into the precarious territory of rainbow washing.
Simultaneously, Los Angeles-based marketing professional Tom Whitman founded his own events and experiential agency in 2001. Tom Whitman Presents produced more than 2,000 events over its 14-year run, with much of that programming generating engagement and revenue for LGBTQ+ non-profits (and some projects bringing in longtime friend and collaborator, Woehrmann). Whitman continued his focus on inclusive marketing at advertising agency Radarworks, and again when he joined ION Marketing as Senior Vice President, where he eventually took the helm as President.
ION and Communify continued to collaborate and push boundaries. Through every new venture, they maintained a steadfast commitment to diverse storytelling that catalyzes societal progress. In 2019, ION joined the Bovitz research group umbrella, which then welcomed Communify in 2021. This integration brought ION and Communify closer to realizing a goal that Woehrmann and Whitman had long dreamed of reaching: joining forces to create an agency that would become the gold standard for cause and inclusivity marketing.
Which brings us to the here and now. To us.
So, what comes next? Our clients and audiences can look forward to continued progress and more innovative ideas. They can expect even greater experiences and stronger brands. They can count on immersive web experiences and inspiring creative content.
And those things—plus so much more—will arrive not with a bang, but with a boom.