Hero Collective: Joseph Anthony Creative Agency Profile
Hero Group, now Hero Collective, is a New York creative agency launched in 2015 by Joseph Anthony, who also heads global culture at Dentsu.
Profiled
Oct 18, 2015
Desk
EPR Editorial Team
Firm summary
Originally published October 2015. Updated October 14, 2026.
What is Hero Group?
Hero Group, now called Hero Collective, is a New York creative and digital agency that Joseph Anthony launched in 2015. His Adweek biography says it helps brands bridge culture and commerce, purpose and profit, and that it formed a strategic partnership with Dentsu. It is an advertising agency rather than a PR firm.
Who founded and leads Hero Group?
Joseph Anthony founded Hero in 2015 and is its founder and CEO, according to his speaker biography and a Clark University event listing. The biography says he closed his events agency in 2014 before launching Hero, and describes him as a recognized expert in diversity and multicultural marketing. EPR's earlier profile said he led VITAL Marketing from 2000 to 2015 and landed the U.S. Army account at 29; his own biography instead says he won a piece of the Army recruiting contract at 28, so the exact details should be confirmed.
What does Hero Group do?
A company-data listing describes Hero as a full-service advertising and digital agency offering brand strategy, digital marketing, creative services, social media, data analytics and technology. In a 2016 Adweek profile summarized by its law firm, Anthony said the firm was founded on helping brands engineer purpose into everything they do. EPR's marketing and influencer marketing sections cover the adjacent categories.
Which clients has Hero Group worked with?
An Adweek profile in 2016 named Pfizer as Hero's biggest client at the time, according to the law firm that represents it, and a 2024 Clark University listing says Nike and Google are among its partners. EPR's earlier profile named the U.S. Army, Tommy Hilfiger, Nike and Coca-Cola, much of which refers to Anthony's earlier career, so only the Pfizer and Nike and Google references are repeated here.
What recognition has Hero Group received?
No awards for Hero could be verified. Adweek profiled the agency in 2016 and featured Anthony as a speaker in 2022.
How does Hero Group compare with other agencies?
Hero is a creative agency, so the closest EPR comparisons are in the marketing section and the PR agency profiles directory, with operator profiles in the PR leaders directory. EPR's earlier commentary comparing it with other independent creative shops was not sourced and has been removed.
Related: PR agency profiles, PR leaders directory, Marketing, Influencer marketing
Hero Collective: Joseph Anthony Creative Agency Profile FAQ
Who founded Hero Group?
Joseph Anthony launched Hero Group in New York in 2015 and is its founder and CEO.
What is Hero Collective?
Hero Collective is the current name used for Hero Group in recent speaker biographies and event listings.
Is Hero Group a PR firm?
No. It is a creative, advertising and digital agency that works with brands on purpose-driven marketing. Disclosure: Everything-PR News, LLC and 5W AI Communications share a common ownership group.
Editorial assessment by Everything-PR, based on public record and archive coverage. No firm-supplied marketing copy, no paid placement.
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