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Zimmerman Advertising: Fort Lauderdale Agency Since 1984

Zimmerman Advertising is a Fort Lauderdale retail agency founded in 1984 by Jordan Zimmerman and part of Omnicom, known for its brand-tailing approach.

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Full-Service Advertising & Marketing

Updated

Oct 21, 2026

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EPR Editorial Team

Firm summary

Zimmerman Advertising is a full-service retail advertising and marketing agency headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and founded in 1984 by Jordan Zimmerman, who is founder and chairman. Chain Store Age describes it as an Omnicom Group company with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Atlanta. It is a different firm from The Zimmerman Agency of Tallahassee.

Originally published June 2026. Updated October 18, 2026.

Who founded and leads Zimmerman Advertising?

Jordan Zimmerman founded Zimmerman Advertising in 1984 and is its founder and chairman, according to the University of South Florida, which also says he is a USF Board of Trustees member and created the university's Zimmerman Advertising Program. A 2024 release quotes him as Founder and Chairman. An undated Chain Store Age report said the agency named Patregnani CEO and Varga, a former Papa John's International chief marketing officer, president. Chain Store Age said Patregnani had previously been the agency's president.

NameRoleSource
Jordan ZimmermanFounder and chairmanUniversity of South Florida; 2024 release
Pat PatregnaniCEO, promoted from president (undated report)Chain Store Age
Andrew VargaPresident, formerly Papa John's International chief marketing officer (undated report)Chain Store Age

What is Zimmerman Advertising's history and timeline?

YearMilestoneSource
1984Jordan Zimmerman founds the agency in FloridaCB Insights; University of South Florida
1997Agency loses a major client; Zimmerman appoints a "Gung Ho" officer to lift moraleSmall Business Network profile
1998Papa John's becomes a clientChain Store Age
1999Zimmerman sells the agency to Omnicom and stays on as chairmanFortune
2016Fortune reports billings in excess of $3 billionFortune

What is brand-tailing?

Brand-tailing is Zimmerman's term for combining brand building with retailing. Adweek quoted Jordan Zimmerman, then chairman and chief operating officer of Zimmerman & Partners in Fort Lauderdale, calling it "the missing link, the bridge between building a brand and retailing a product." The University of South Florida says he trademarked the term as Brandtailing and describes it as a combination of long-term brand building and short-term sales boosting that delivers measurable results. A Small Business Network profile says the agency built its business plan around the idea and calls it the first metrics-driven business solutions firm that happened to do advertising. The agency now markets the idea as Brandtailing.

How big is Zimmerman Advertising?

Sources give different figures from different years. Chain Store Age's undated report says more than 1,100 full-time employees and offices across the country, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Atlanta. The Small Business Network profile, written when the agency was about 28 years old, cited more than 1,100 employees in 22 offices. The University of South Florida describes it as the 14th largest advertising agency in the world with published billings in excess of $3 billion, and Fortune reported billings in excess of $3 billion in 2016. No source checked gives a current headcount or billings figure.

Which clients has Zimmerman Advertising worked with?

Chain Store Age says Papa John's has been a client since 1998, and Varga came to the agency from Papa John's. Adweek reported that Zimmerman won the estimated $30 million Wickes Furniture account, and that it acquired the Miami agencies Ad Team and Ad Production as part of its brand-tailing plan. The Small Business Network profile names Nissan, Office Depot, Papa John's, Party City and Ashley Furniture, and Fortune's 2016 article names Papa John's, Dunkin', AutoNation, Michaels and Nissan. These items are older press reports, and no source checked gives a current roster.

SourceClients named
Chain Store AgePapa John's
AdweekWickes Furniture
Small Business Network profileNissan, Office Depot, Papa John's, Party City, Ashley Furniture
Fortune, 2016Papa John's, Dunkin', AutoNation, Michaels, Nissan

Is Zimmerman Advertising the same as The Zimmerman Agency?

No. Zimmerman Advertising is the Fort Lauderdale retail advertising agency founded by Jordan Zimmerman. The Zimmerman Agency is a separate Tallahassee hospitality and travel PR firm founded by Curtis and Carrie Zimmerman.

How does Zimmerman Advertising compare with other Omnicom agencies?

Zimmerman is a retail-focused agency inside a large holding company, so compare it with BBDO Worldwide and Omnicom's PR agencies such as FleishmanHillard and Weber Shandwick. EPR's Florida PR Hub covers the state market.

AgencyFocusOwnership
Zimmerman AdvertisingRetail and performance advertisingOmnicom Group
BBDO WorldwideAdvertising networkOmnicom Group
FleishmanHillardGlobal PROmnicom PR Group

Related: Florida PR Hub · PR agency profiles directory · The Zimmerman Agency · Automotive and mobility · 5W Public Relations

Zimmerman Advertising: Fort Lauderdale Agency Since 1984 FAQ

Who founded Zimmerman Advertising?

Jordan Zimmerman founded it in 1984 and is founder and chairman.

Who owns Zimmerman Advertising?

Chain Store Age describes it as an Omnicom Group company, and Fortune reported that Zimmerman sold it to Omnicom in 1999.

Where is Zimmerman Advertising headquartered?

At 600 N. Andrews Avenue in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, per CB Insights.

Is Zimmerman Advertising the same as The Zimmerman Agency?

No. The Zimmerman Agency is a separate Tallahassee PR firm founded by Curtis and Carrie Zimmerman.

What is Brandtailing?

It is Jordan Zimmerman's trademarked term for combining long-term brand building with short-term sales boosting, per the University of South Florida.

How big is Zimmerman Advertising?

An undated Chain Store Age report cites more than 1,100 full-time employees, and the University of South Florida cites published billings in excess of $3 billion. No source checked gives a current figure.

Which clients has Zimmerman Advertising worked with?

Papa John's has been a client since 1998, per Chain Store Age. Other reported clients include Nissan, Office Depot, Party City, Ashley Furniture, Dunkin', AutoNation and Michaels.

Who is the CEO of Zimmerman Advertising?

An undated Chain Store Age report named Pat Patregnani CEO and Andrew Varga president. Jordan Zimmerman remains founder and chairman.

Editorial assessment by Everything-PR, based on public record and archive coverage. No firm-supplied marketing copy, no paid placement.

Tagsai-advertisingnissanOmnicom