Our purpose is to help our clients win.

Our adopted forefather at boatBurner is Alexander the Great. His strategic leadership and legendary order to “burn the boats” when his army was overwhelmingly outnumbered was epic. His brave philosophy helped everyone visualize and commit to only one option: Win.

Brave Idea Company

boatBurner aligns with visionaries
to conquer the competition with brave ideas.

Strategy first.

We don't use creative to sell strategy.
We use creative directors to shape the strategy.


Grizzly

Mini Documentary

Grizzly Coolers

Rebrand

Apollo Endosurgery

Rebrand

Surly

Strategic Rebrand & Launch

FR!SKA

Brand Campaign

ARGO

MY24 Model Launch

Bachman’s

Rebrand

CVRx

Strategic Rebrand & Launch

Dunn Brothers Coffee

Rebrand

Roy Farms

Brand Launch

Argo

The Argo Anywhere Tiny Lodge

Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP

Crush it campaign.

Brave by Design

This is how we approach every challenge.

curious

fearless

committed

We’re not order takers. We are explorers of the unknown. We take our own deep dive to unearth insights that will position your brand differently so it stands out.

We’re comfortable with being uncomfortable. Too many brands play it safe. This comfort zone leads brands straight into the sea of sameness. To drive engagement we create ideas people talk about.

Our purpose is to help our clients win. With brave ideas. No matter the problem or opportunity, our focus is on the idea. Ideas that perform.

curious

We’re not order takers. We are explorers of the unknown. We take our own deep dive to unearth insights that will position your brand differently so it stands out.

fearless

We’re comfortable with being uncomfortable. Too many brands play it safe. This comfort zone leads brands straight into the sea of sameness. To drive engagement we create ideas people talk about.

committed

Our purpose is to help our clients win. With brave ideas. No matter the problem or opportunity, our focus is on the idea. Ideas that perform.

A BRAVE IDEA IGNITES THE SOUL OF A GROWING BRAND.

Brave ideas are strategically designed to be exciting, empowering and entertaining. They start conversations with consumers to build brand engagement, loyalty and advocacy. Brave ideas connect brands with culture.

At boatBurner, we grow winning brands with a brave idea first, and flawlessly execute branding, advertising and the digital channel du jour second.

In that order.

  • Analytics & Data Mining
  • Art Direction
  • Global Brand Strategy
  • Branded Content
  • Branding & Identity
  • Brave Ideas
  • Concept Development
  • Consulting
  • Copywriting
  • Design System
  • Environmental Design
  • Event Design
  • Exhibition Design
  • Experiential
  • Film/Video
  • Media Planning & Buying
  • Media Strategy
  • Naming
  • New Brand Development
  • New Product Development
  • Packaging
  • Radio
  • Research
  • Retail Design
  • Social Media & Content
  • Website Design

Chemistry wins.

With the right people in the boat, you win. Clients believe in us because our chemistry is genuine. They choose to work with us because they believe our team will help them succeed. Our collaborative approach allows everyone to respectfully push each other hard every day for only great.

That’s our bar. We will not under deliver.

Teddy Hobbins
CEO/Partner

Teddy built his career on growing brands through comprehensive launch and relaunch initiatives for a range of companies, from automotive and retail giants to med-tech and CPG startups. His diverse industry background has only fueled his constant pursuit of solving business problems. Teddy knows there is no way to build a powerful and cohesive brand without an intimate understanding of the business, the marketplace and the customer.

Teddy is our brand strategist and account director, overseeing every step of the branding process. He works directly with clients to identify the best opportunities to market themselves and align their brand essence with culture. Prior to boatBurner, Teddy was in senior account management and leadership roles at Periscope, Carmichael Lynch and Fallon.

Email Teddy

Doug Mickschl
Creative Director/Partner

As one of the founders of boatBurner, Doug has lived boatBurner’s winning purpose for over 24 years in the ever-changing world of advertising. The driving force behind his successful creative career has been his brave ideas and desire and willingness to push creativity where others don’t go.

Doug’s award-winning work spans a broad spectrum of clients like DreamWorks, Andersen Windows, Toro, Minnesota Twins, Bridgestone, Arctic Cat, MasterCraft and Buffalo Wild Wings. His work has been honored in many industry award shows, including The One Show, Communication Arts, AIGA and Effies.

Email Doug

Brandon Van Liere
Design Director/Partner

Dynamic. Intuitive. Imaginative. Brandon brings a wealth of design acumen to boatBurner as partner and design director. His brave perspective and simplistic approach complements his high visual standards for design and consistency. His client experience spans a broad range of companies, including DreamWorks, Arizona Diamondbacks, Best Buy, Target, Great Clips, Hormel, Sun Country Airlines, Miss Mary’s, Life Time Fitness and Formica.

Prior to boatBurner, Brandon was an associate design director at Periscope and BBDO in Minneapolis. He has received international acclaim from the design community, including Communication Arts, Luerzer’s Archive, Graphis and AIGA.

Email Brandon

Kenzie Loftness
Social Media Director

Kenzie has built her career by creating impactful social media strategies for both emerging brands and established giants across the outdoor, CPG, and lifestyle industries. Her deep understanding of social trends, paired with her knack for fostering authentic brand communities, has been key in driving measurable growth and brand loyalty for clients. With a background spanning influencer campaigns, paid media, and content creation, Mackenzie knows that successful social strategies are grounded in data, creativity, and a genuine connection with the audience.

As our Social Media Director, Kenzie leads the charge in crafting and executing high-performing social campaigns, managing everything from strategy development to influencer partnerships and community engagement. Before joining boatBurner, Mackenzie held senior roles at The Social Lights, where she led social media initiatives for brands like Pillsbury, Annie’s, and Betty Crocker, strengthening each brand’s presence in the digital space.


OUR BRAND EXPERIENCES

ARE BEST SHARED OVER A BEER.

If you’re curious about what we’ve been up to for the last two decades, our past brand experiences will give you a good idea.

If you’re interested in one of our case studies, let us know. We’d be happy to share our clients’ success stories with you.

PAST EXPERIENCES

News

boatBurner and Desert Plunge Collaborate to Elevate Cold Therapy

boatBurner is thrilled to announce a new collaboration with Desert Plunge, a company dedicated to harnessing the healing power of cold therapy to rejuvenate the...

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BoatBurner has hired MacKenzie Loftness as its Social Media Director to further enhance the company's expanding capabilities.

We are excited to announce that MacKenzie Loftness has joined boatBurner as a Social Media Director. She comes to us with deep industry experience, having...

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Always on the hunt boatBurner lands Grizzly Coolers & Iowa Rotocast Plastics B2B business

We are proud to officially announce our partnership with Grizzly Coolers and Iowa Rotocast Plastics, one of the most respected brands in the outdoor gear...

Read More