Close-up of colorful bowling balls at a bowling alley, with a red ball in focus featuring the logo 'Go Bowling'.

Poke The Bear Highlights Go Bowling's Mass Appeal

The campaign rolls out across TV, print, digital, and social. It highlights the fun of the game — not an individual's skill set. Or as the spot notes: “It's mischief for the masses.” Additional major media placements across Nascar and other sports and entertainment events are scheduled in 2026.

Full article HERE


A newspaper article titled 'GOBOWLING embraces the joy of not being good,' featuring images of a young girl and a man, both holding green bowling balls.

GOBOWLING Embraces The Joy of Not Being Good

In a marketing landscape obsessed with optimization, offers, and calls to action, a new campaign from Dallas indie agency Poke The Bear and GOBOWLING takes a refreshingly different approach. Titled “Don’t Go Boring, GO BOWLING,” the work leans into one undeniable truth: you can be terrible at bowling and still have an incredible time doing it.

Full article HERE


A table filled with various chocolates and candies in a modern kitchen setting, with people in the background at a social gathering.

See's Candies Breaks Out 'The Good Stuff' For A New Generation

The San Francisco brand is rolling out the platform out for the second year in a row, again working with Dallas agency Poke The Bear. Seven new spots anchor the push across paid social, TV and streaming, mixing holiday ads with fresh evergreen work about classic See’s moments: the get-well box, the overachiever’s hostess gift, the family drowning out life’s noise with peanut brittle crunching

Full article HERE


Photo of two men, identified as Bill Milkereit and Todd Tucker, in front of a green background with large, overlapping question marks. The image is part of an article about a learning program and visualized illustration.

We spent two minutes with Bill and Todd to learn more about their backgrounds, their creative inspirations and recent work they’ve admired.

Full article HERE

Bill Milkereit and Todd Tucker of Poke the Bear on Learning to Read the Room


A Christmas-themed magazine article with a headline about a campaign involving a boy, Santa, and candy treats, featuring a photo of a young boy with ginger hair, wearing a plaid shirt, in front of a decorated Christmas tree.

A lad realizes he’s been a bit more naughty than nice, which isn’t a great position to be in come Xmas time. To help persuade Santa that he’s deserving of some holiday cheer despite a “rough year,” our youngster taps into the heavy artillery – a treat from See’s.

Full article HERE

Poke The Bear, Director Jorn Threlfall Help Put A Lad In Santa’s Good Graces With Sweet Treats From See’s


A man with short hair and a beard gazes at a purple bowling ball in his hand.

New Work: Poke The Bear & GOBOWLING Say “Don’t Go Boring, GO BOWLING”

Dallas indie agency Poke The Bear has teamed up with GOBOWLING, the national marketing arm of the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America (BPAA), to launch a new national campaign that debuted December 27 during the GOBOWLING Military Bowl. Titled “Don’t Go Boring, GO BOWLING,” the work leans into a simple, sticky truth: you can be terrible at bowling and still have an amazing time doing it.

Full article HERE


A glass of milk, a plate of chocolate chip cookies, and a handwritten note that says 'for Santa' on a table.

See’s Candies measures nostalgia with modern sensibilities in holiday campaign

The Break Out the Good Stuff campaign, now in its second year, features work developed by Poke The Bear.

Full article HERE


A brown bowling ball with the logo 'GO BOWLING' placed on a wooden bowling lane.

Strike! Poke the Bear Wins Go Bowling Creative AOR Account

Dallas agency Poke the Bear has a new account. It's been named creative AOR for Go Bowling, the national marketing arm of the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America. BPAA estimates 67 million people hit the lanes each year.

Full article HERE


A young boy with short brown hair wearing a plaid shirt, standing in front of blurred Christmas lights, smiling at the camera.

The confectionery brand’s holiday campaign features a wily little scamp who realises he's going to have to bribe the big guy on the sleigh if he wants any gifts this year.

Full article HERE

Sucking Up To Santa with See's Candies


Image with the text 'Bourbon so we've made four' on a wooden background

Recently named #1 in Kentucky on Inc. 5000 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies, RD 1 Spirits partnered with Dallas Independent Agency Poke The Bear for its first campaign showing off its award-winning bourbon for September’s Bourbon Heritage Month.

Full article HERE

Another Bourbon


KFC fried chicken in a red and white striped box on a map, with pens nearby.

In today’s creative news, we have new holiday ads from Crayola, Home Depot and See’s Candies. We also have an artful tattoo project from Fuck Cancer and a splashy “Stranger Things” campaign from KFC U.K.

Full article HERE

12 Creative Campaigns To Know About Today


Screenshot of a webpage titled "Ads of the World" showing a section called "See's Candies" with a promotional message "Break Out The Good Stuff" and an agency named "Poke The Bear." The webpage includes a video thumbnail of a young boy with red hair and a serious expression, sitting in front of a Christmas tree with blurred lights, and a partial view of assorted chocolates at the bottom.

Developed in collaboration with creative agency Poke The Bear, this year’s campaign expands on its debut with an even more robust approach—telling stories through the eyes of See’s fans, young and old, who have made See’s a part of their most cherished holiday — and everyday — traditions.

Full article HERE

Break Out The Good Stuff


Screenshot of a virtual panel with four people. Doug Zanger, Bill Milkereit, Todd Tucker, and Hayley Tarazewich, with backgrounds related to the company 'Poke The Bear' and a logo for 'INDIE Agency News' in the bottom right corner.

Meet The Independent Agency: Poke The Bear


Screenshot of a webpage with the title 'AdChad dfw' and an article titled 'Noah's Ark? Babe's Bat? POKE THE BEAR Crafts Wordplay for RD One Campaign'. Below is an image with the text 'THE LAST THING THE WORLD NEEDS IS ONE MORE POPCORN' in bold, stylized letters.

Noah’s Ark? Babe’s Bat? POKE THE BEAR Crafts Wordplay for RD One Campaign

Known for their innovation in the bourbon space, RD One takes exotic woods from all over the world to create wooden staves that are then inserted in their bourbon barrel and aged for months to create the unique taste of their crafted bourbon.

Full article HERE


Advertisement for Kentucky Bourbon highlighting wood-finished craft bourbon and a quote about Noah's Ark and Babe's Bat.

Kentucky Bourbon Brand RD One Showcases What Makes Their Wood Finished Craft Bourbon Different in New Campaign from Poke The Bear

For the print campaign, each letter, that tells the story of the bourbon, is handcrafted – similar to the product.

Full article HERE