pyper paul + kenney UNITE AND TAKE OVER

Tampa ad agency Pyper Paul + Kenney Inc. is known for its award-winning creative and edgy style. But rock ’n’ roll?

The Tape Delay, a band comprised of four of the agency’s musically inclined staffers, has made it into the finals of the National Battle of the Ad Bands, a contest organized by trade publication Advertising Week. The band will be competing against four other finalists, all large national agencies, including defending champions The Subliminals representing Grey Advertising from New York.

"The bigger shops from New York and Chicago have a huge advantage," said Art Director Dustin Tamilio, Tape Delay’s guitarist, "everyone knows the agencies the bands are representing which puts us at a bit of a disadvantage, but in similar scenarios we’ve overcome the big dogs in agency reviews so there’s no reason we can’t rock the house on them in this competition."

Agencies entered the contest from across the country, leaving just five finalists to vie for the actual “Battle of the Ad Bands” winner which will take place on Sept. 24 at the Nokia Theater in New York, an event that runs in conjunction with National Advertising Week.