20 YEARS x Workhouse | #SaveNYC

Twenty years ago when the world was concerned with a malicious millennium bug called Y2k and Europe was preparing for the launch of the Euro, as SpongeBob Squarepants hit the airwaves and MySpace introduced itself to the internet, a fledgling PR think tank took residence on a wayward side street in Soho. Through old-fashioned elbow grease, a Sam Spade-dectective-style agency was born in a rented kitchen with nothing more than a telephone and a fax machine

​"In 1999 I started WORKHOUSE in a decrepit, rented kitchen of a Soho film outfit. Why did I kickstart a business? Desperation. Laid off in the middle of the economic depression of the late 1990's, jobs of any kind were scarce. I had $196 in the bank and frankly nowhere to go. My original vision was simple: I just wanted to eat everyday. I gathered a group of students, layabouts, waiters and interns to slowly build a PR agency from the ground up. The agency's namesake celebrated a history of builders who, once upon a time, went to produce honest labor. Over the years we have distinguished ourselves with successful representation of personalities like The Rolling Stone's Ronnie Wood, photographer David LaChapelle, Francis Ford Coppola and brands Virgin, CBGB, Interview Magazine, Soho House and Porsche. This year, Workhouse received the New York Small Business Excellence Award and Clutch recognized us as both a Global Leader and a member of their inaugural Clutch 1000  honoring the agency as one of New York's top marketing firms. As Workhouse celebrates its 20th anniversary, there is no greater heartbeat than recognition. We are forever grateful to our clients, staff and associates who believed small could make stardust." - Adam Nelson, Founder & CEO WORKHOUSE

First Office | Established 1999

We recognize that our work would not have been possible without the city that has sheltered us. Today, more than ever, the soul of New York is getting mugged by rising rents, suburbanization, rampant development, and a flood of chain businesses. Hyper-gentrification is destroying the cultural fabric of New York and City Hall is doing nothing to stop it. #SAVENYC (SaveNYC.Nyc) is a call to action that gathers the voices of everyday New Yorkers, celebrities, small business people, tourists —all who care about protecting the cultural fabric of the city — to send a strong message to City Hall: Save New York! Cultivated, hyper-gentrification in New York was implemented via strategically planned mass rezonings, eminent domain, and billions in tax breaks to large corporations. This has led to the ongoing eviction of countless small businesses, destroying the fabric of our streets and putting the city’s soul on life support. To save it, we need politicians, activists, and citizens to get tough and protect the city’s cultural heritage so we don’t lose anymore like CBGB’s, Cafe Edison, Colony Records, Florent, Lenox Lounge, 5Pointz, and many, many others. In celebration of our Vicennial, we ask you to join the #SaveNYC campaign and submit first-person video testimonials and stories to tell New York and its leaders why the cultural heritage of the city matters, and why it needs protecting – before it’s too late. To learn more visit savenyc.nyc

First Phone | Workhouse | 1999

W O R K H O U S E is one of the country's leading public relations and integrated creative agencies. For the seventh consecutive year, Workhouse received the "Best of Manhattan Award" by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA). The agency swept three of the industry's highest honors when it was bestowed with the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Silver Anvil Award, PR News' Platinum PR "Wow Award", Bulldog Reporter's Silver Medal Award and was also named a PR Daily/ Dow Jones Finalist for "Grand Prize: PR Campaign of the Year". Celebrating two decades of service, Workhouse is a full-service creative agency positioning emerging and established brands with celebrity craftsmanship. The agency provides forward thinking public relations, social media, brand promotion, creative consulting and modern day marketing. Clients have included Lou Reed, The Rolling Stones, Hugh Jackman, Francis Ford Coppola, David LaChapelle, CBGB, Max's Kansas City, Interview Magazine, Galleries Lafayette, Chase Contemporary, Porsche, Ford Motor Company, Virgin, Jazz at Lincoln Center, International Emmy Awards, Assouline Editions, Rizzoli International Publications, Tony Shafrazi Gallery, Versace and Avroko. Workhouse offers untraditional service across a broad spectrum of entertainment, culture, fashion and lifestyle spheres. Visit workhousepr.com