The decades-old, Jackson-based advertising agency GodwinGroup has closed its doors, and some of its principal team leaders are now part of a new firm. Ridgeland-based Ad5 was formed when a group of Jackson-area advertising executives partnered with Princeton Partners, a 60-year-old national agency based in Princeton, New Jersey. Philip Shirley, who was a senior partner, chairman, and CEO of GodwinGroup, is a senior partner in the new marketing and advertising agency.
“Our goal was to combine the experience and expertise of a group of senior-level ad professionals primarily from the Jackson area and nearby states with the brand marketing and digital marketing expertise of Princeton Partners,” Shirley said in a news release announcing Ad5. “We have known and worked closely with the owners and management of Princeton Partners for over 25 years, so we knew it was smart to join forces.”
Tom Sullivan, president of Princeton Partners, is chairman and a senior partner of the new firm.
Ad5’s formation and leadership
The new company will focus on offering marketing services in banking, healthcare, education, nonprofits, workforce development, tourism, government agencies, and consumer marketing. Ad5’s local management includes Jeff Russell, who was a senior partner and president at Godwin, as president and partner, and Lauren Mozingo, digital marketing specialist at Godwin, as managing director and partner. They will have local day-to-day management responsibilities for the new entity and will work with Kevin Kuchinski, managing partner of Ad5 and Princeton Partners.
Ad5 serves clients operating from Texas to Florida and up to Kentucky. GodwinGroup was the state’s oldest advertising group. It shuttered its doors on Friday.
