It was quite the season for The Pistol in 2024, defined by strong client growth, purpose-driven work and operational refinement.

Whilst the agency looked to grow and continue its momentum, it also faced notable industry and internal challenges. Though on that front, it certainly wasn’t alone.

The Pistol did take a bit of a hit during the season losing two clients, the biggest being Uniqlo as a result of global consolidation. 

But the agency said its greatest challenge came from inflationary pressure on staff salaries, managing client relations and service levels as a result of client teams being stretched and the increased frequency of pitching for reduced scopes of work.

All things considered, the team can hold its head high as it combined social impact with execution, to produce some outstanding campaigns. These included its hyper-localised ‘Food Fight’ for Cancer Council Victoria which used dynamic creativity to pressure government change on junk food advertising near schools. Other notable works include its CellAED and Headspace Mental Health Services campaigns.

Commercially, a major highlight for The Pistol was winning The Brandbank Group, taking on responsibility for all six of its retail brands. Along with Brandbank the team won six new clients of varying scopes of work.

One of the most significant indicators of success in the 2024 season was the fact that all new business came via referrals—from existing clients, partners, or team members. It speaks volumes about client satisfaction and trust. Internally, 92 per cent of new hires also came from referrals.

The Pistol is investing in its playing staff too, logging more than 2,500 hours on the training paddock of professional development in 2024, doubling-down on capability and building a team of modern marketers.