PITTSBURGH – August 24, 2026 – Gatesman is adding two significant new partnerships to its growing client roster: Cincinnati Metro and PA Brews.

The nationally recognized independent agency has been named advertising agency of record for Cincinnati Metro, the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA), while also being selected to lead the development of PA Brews, a first-of-its-kind statewide brand initiative designed to unite and elevate Pennsylvania’s brewing industry.

The wins span two very different categories but share a common mandate: build stronger connections between brands, people and the communities they serve.

"Winning is always exciting, but these partnerships mean even more because they give us the opportunity to do the kind of work we’re built to do – take on complex challenges, rally people around a big idea and create impact you can actually see and measure,” said John Gatesman, CEO, Gatesman. “Whether it’s helping move a major region forward or putting Pennsylvania beer on a bigger national stage, there’s tremendous opportunity with both. We’re excited to get to work to show what’s possible.”

The win builds on Gatesman’s more than 20 years of transit marketing experience and long-tenured relationships with major public transportation systems, including nearly two decades as agency of record for Pace Suburban Bus and a longstanding partnership with Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT). Across those relationships, Gatesman has helped transit agencies grow ridership, strengthen reputation and deepen rider and community engagement. 

“Cincinnati is a region on the move and Metro plays an important role in where it’s going,” said Brandy Jones, Chief Communications & Marketing Officer at Cincinnati Metro. “We have an opportunity to change the way people think about public transportation: not simply as a way to get somewhere, but as a connector to opportunity, community and everything our region has to offer. Gatesman understood that bigger story from the start and we’re excited to have them helping us tell it.”

Cincinnati Metro, operated by SORTA, provides public transportation throughout Cincinnati and Hamilton County, connecting people to jobs, education, healthcare, entertainment and opportunity across the region. As AOR, Gatesman will bring its integrated agency capabilities and deep transportation experience to the partnership, helping Metro strengthen its connection with riders, communities and stakeholders as the system continues to evolve.

The win builds on Gatesman’s experience helping transportation organizations turn everyday mobility into something bigger: access, connection and community impact.

Closer to home, Gatesman is raising a glass to a different kind of challenge.

Working with the Pennsylvania Malt and Brewed Beverage Industry Promotion Board and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Gatesman will develop a unified statewide brand and go-to-market strategy designed to elevate Pennsylvania’s brewing industry and position the Commonwealth as a premier craft beer destination.

Pennsylvania boasts more than 500 breweries and a brewing culture that stretches from heritage brands to independent innovators. Yet the industry has never had one statewide brand platform capable of bringing that story together. Gatesman is setting out to change that.

“Pennsylvania doesn’t need permission to call itself a great beer state because it already is,” said Shannon Baker, President, Gatesman. “We have the history, the craftsmen and women, and the destinations but there’s not been a concentrated effort telling that story. We have the opportunity to be the brand builders who connect people, place and product in a meaningful way. Our goal is to make the people of Pennsylvania, and well beyond it, want to taste, purchase and explore more PA beer for themselves. Building something with that kind of staying power in our home state is exactly the kind of challenge we love.”

The agency’s multi-year contract includes research, measurement and analytics, brand strategy, advertising, PR, social and digital. The brand platform will celebrate what makes Pennsylvania beer distinctive while giving breweries, tourism organizations, hospitality partners and retailers a shared story and shared tools to drive visitation, discovery and long-term industry growth. The campaign will launch with a short film that honors the spirit, tradition and innovation of PA craft brewers.

“Pennsylvania has an incredible brewing story to tell, one built on generations of craftsmanship, innovation and independent makers and beer stakeholders across the Commonwealth,” said Michele Meloy Burchfield, Pennsylvania Malt and Brewed Beverage Industry Promotion Board Member. “The opportunity now is to bring those individual stories together in a way that gives Pennsylvania beer a stronger, more unified voice. Gatesman understood that this isn’t about making every brewery or beer partner look or sound the same. It’s about creating a platform big enough for all of them to be part of and giving more people a reason to discover what’s brewing right here in Pennsylvania.”

Together, the Cincinnati Metro and PA Brews partnerships add to a period of sustained growth for Gatesman as it celebrates its 20^th anniversary and continues to expand its work across transportation, consumer, retail, healthcare, higher education, nonprofit and B2B categories.

And for an agency built around the challenge of Prove You Were Here, both assignments offer plenty of room to leave a mark.

For more information, please visit gatesmanagency.com or keep up with #TeamGatesman on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook.

About Gatesman:

With offices in Pittsburgh and Chicago, Gatesman offers expertise in strategy/branding, advertising, public relations, social media, digital and analytics. Gatesman is a partner in AMIN Worldwide, an alliance of over 50 independent marketing agencies, IPREX, a global communications network and most recently the Ad Age Small Agency Network. Gatesman is also proud to be recognized as one of Ad Age’s Best Places to Work, reflecting its commitment to a strong, people-first culture. 

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