Manifest and Aisle Rocket Merge to Launch Manifest: An Integrated Full Service Agency Built to Solve the Hardest Part of the Customer Journey

Manifest pushes beyond the war between brand and performance and stakes its advantage on solving the middle journey, where the battle for distracted and fragmented consumers is often lost

Following the March 2024 acquisition of Manifest by Aisle Rocket (ARS Advertising) the firms have merged under a single, unified brand: Manifest. Together, they’ve built an agency engineered for agility and growth, with a distinctive focus on the middle journey.

The combined agency remains fiercely independent and more competitive than ever, ready to fill the strategic and creative void left as holding company consolidation accelerates and brands seek partners built for agility, accountability, and long-term growth.

“Growth stalls in the messy middle — unless you know how to unlock it”, said Melissa Bouma, Partner and Chief Growth Officer. “The gap between brand and performance is only getting wider. By designing a multichannel approach that’s built from the middle out, we find that everything is more effective, top to bottom. We help brands turn consideration into preference and create results that ripple throughout the full funnel.”

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The new Manifest blends two deeply complementary strengths: Manifest’s deep-rooted expertise in content strategy, brand journalism, and complex B2B storytelling with Aisle Rocket’s strong capabilities in digital experience, marketing technology, and brand and product creative; while integrating the strong performance capabilities of both teams.

“Our approach is shaped by the reality of today’s complex consumer journey with the belief that solving for the middle can make a lasting impact, ” said Steve Slivka, Partner, Chief Experience Officer. “We have consistently seen an outage between great ideas and driving conversion. So, we’ve been connecting those through content and experiences that link brand purpose with customer needs and ultimately, inspire action.”

Leadership That Balances Scale, Creativity, and Capital

The agency will be led by:

• Ross Shelleman, Chief Executive Officer
• Steve Slivka, Chief Experience Officer, Partner
• Melissa Bouma, Chief Growth Officer, Partner

“There is constant conflict inside board rooms stemming from an addiction to performance media that has led to less investment in brand and the nurturing of customers. The questions being asked by non-marketing executives are often binary and discount the middle. The middle is where most consumer engagement happens and is where the most successful brands will drive education, trial, and trust,” said Ross Shelleman, Chief Executive Officer.

As global ad spend climbs past $1 trillion and marketers shift from siloed services to integrated brand ecosystems, Manifest is positioned to lead. With momentum from clients like Whirlpool Corporation, Fiserv, CDW, and Primrose Schools, a strong 2025 pipeline, and a bold new brand platform on the horizon, the agency is already gaining traction in an increasingly competitive market.

Whether helping legacy brands modernize or fast-growth companies scale smartly, Manifest is focused on delivering results that resonate – and stick.

Manifest is an independent, full-service agency built to solve the hardest part of the customer journey — the middle. Formed through the merger of Manifest and Aisle Rocket, the agency bridges the gap between brand and performance to help clients turn consideration into preference and drive results that ripple across the full funnel. With deep expertise in content strategy, brand journalism, creative, digital experience, and marketing technology, Manifest delivers integrated solutions that move consumers and markets. Clients include Whirlpool Corporation, Fiserv, CDW, and Primrose Schools.

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