Flynn Brothers Receive Lifetime Achievement Honor

ROCHESTER, N.Y., March 1, 2024 — Brothers Chris and Kevin Flynn have been named co-recipients of the prestigious Silver Award by the American Advertising Federation of Greater Rochester (AAFGR) in acknowledgment of their career achievements during a combined 75 years at the helm of Flynn, a full-service, independent advertising agency.

The AAFGR awards the Silver Award to an individual who has had a significant impact on the Rochester advertising community. According to the AAFGR: “This is someone who’s pushed our ad community forward, been a mentor you’ve turned to for guidance, and earned the utmost respect from their colleagues and compatriots.”

“We’re deeply touched to receive this recognition from our peers,” says Chris Flynn, CEO. “Kevin and I are grateful to all our client partners and incredible staff who’ve built and shaped this agency through the years.”

“What makes this award extra special is the fact that our father Jerry Flynn received this same honor in 2004,” says Kevin Flynn, now Executive Advisor. “It’s another part of his legacy that we’re proud to continue.”

The brothers grew up in and around “The Flynn Agency” that their father founded in 1967. In fact, Chris began his Flynn career at age nine when he recorded a voiceover for then-client Ralph Honda.

Chris and Kevin have grown the small independent firm into a pillar of the local ad community with national reach and impact—along the way becoming Rochester’s longest continuously operating ad agency.

The agency was known as Martino Flynn from 1997 to 2019, then rebranded after the departure of longtime partner and PR executive Ray Martino. As the firm embarked on its next chapter as simply “Flynn,” Chris and Kevin expanded its services and expertise across three core capabilities: Customer Experience Management (CXM), Performance Marketing, and Creative and Content Development—including an in-house video production studio.

Flynn’s clients today include national accounts such as DICK’S Sporting Goods—a relationship that’s lasted more than 30 years—Pfizer, Longbridge Financial, Bausch + Lomb, and Quest Diagnostics, in addition to regional brands such as Rochester Colonial and Canandaigua National Bank & Trust—a 25+ year partnership. Overall, Flynn boasts an average client tenure of eight years, more than double the industry average.

The Flynns have always believed that putting the people you work with first is the quickest route to success. It’s in this area—supporting people—that they’ve had the biggest impact. Flynn has launched or helped build the careers of hundreds of Rochester ad professionals through the years.

Another of the brothers’ proudest achievements is transitioning to a third generation of Flynn leadership, with Katie Flynn named President in 2022. “They’ve both been great examples as leaders and mentors,” says Katie. “They’ve shared their many learning experiences—both good and bad—and now I’m able to use those as guardrails for my own leadership journey.”

In 2023, just a year into Katie’s tenure as President, Flynn was named one of Ad Age’s Best Places to Work in Marketing & Media—an honor bestowed on the top agency workplaces in the country.