People ask us all the time, “why did you name your company Aardvark?”

Well, to put it in perspective you have to go back with us more than 30 years to April 1, 1992. No fooling, we officially registered our company with the state of Texas on April Fools’ Day. But that’s a different story for another day.

In the ‘90s most Ad agencies were indistinguishable from law firms. Founded by David Alvey, a former Vice President/Creative Director of an international agency in Dallas, he could’ve named it Alvey, Alvey & Smith. Or Alvey & Associates. But he wanted to be different.

From the very beginning, we were committed to doing the best work we possibly could. And we were more concerned about building relationships than building our portfolios. So, we assembled a team of creatives to brainstorm. The Synergy Group? The Creative Shop? In the heated mix of concepting, someone suggested “Aardvark.”

Hmm. It’s different. It’s funky. But what does a hairless critter with a long snout have to do with creating great work? However, the more we said it out loud, the more it brought a smile to our founder’s face. A mischievous one, but a smile nonetheless.

So, our founder went to the Research Section at the Dallas Public Library. (Remember, in the dark ages of 1992 the internet was not public domain.) Thumbing through the stacks of books, he discovered that an Aardvark is the sole representative of the genus Orycteropus. 

“Aardvarks are truly one of a kind,” he concluded. “And we want to be different. I like it!“

 A little shirt-tail research found many people liked the creativity of the name. But what really sold us was the people who said, “You can’t name it Aardvark! Nobody will take you seriously.” What creative wants to be known for being “serious?”

So, we started as Aardvark Studios, a creative services agency. As we grew, we added public relations, web design, media planning and buying, social media, etc. Since we were no longer the cheeky creative services agency that we started as, we hired an outside branding agency to review our messaging and corporate identity and come back to us with suggestions. You can’t make this stuff up: one of the names they came back to us with was Alvey & Alvey! We incorporated as Aardvark Communications, Inc.

Now, three decades later, people still ask, “Why Aardvark?” And we let our work, our results, and our many satisfied clients answer that age-old question. And, yes, we can be serious when needed. But it’s more important to us that we deliver serious results for our clients.

“That’s What I Like About Texas” Gets A Fresh, New Sound

You know we love any opportunity to have fun!

As the public relations agency for Texas Dairy Queen, we partnered with The LOOMIS Agency on a campaign they created to reveal a fresh new sound for DQ restaurants in Texas in celebration of their 75th anniversary in the Lone Star State.

One of the most recognizable jingles in Texas will debut with a fresh new sound June 13, 2022 with a surprise country artist on vocals. The iconic jingle for DQ restaurants in Texas, “That’s What I like about Texas,” brings two icons together for the launch of this unique interpretation. The catchy jingle has captured the hearts of Texans in the Lone Star State for 20 years.

So, who is this Texas country artist? Who is bold enough to take on this memorable tune? Mark your calendars for the big reveal at 9 a.m. CST on June 13th at dqtexas.com. The announcement also will be made at 11 a.m. on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

D Magazine: Two North Texas Public Relations Firms Merge

Aardvark Communications and Miller Public Relations Announce Merger

Plano-based Aardvark Communications Inc. and Miller Public Relations of Colleyville have announced the two privately held companies have merged operations and teams. The deal was completed May 31. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The public relations and marketing firm will operate as Aardvark Communications.

Over the past three decades, Aardvark Communications has built an extraordinary reputation guiding clients through some of the most challenging events in our country’s history including 9-11, the stock market crash of 2008 and, most recently, a world-wide pandemic.

Founded and independently owned by Cyndi Miller, Miller Public Relations is a 27-year-old company that has primarily focused on serving the medical and wellness communities, including Mann Eye Institute (Houston & Austin); Carter Eye Center Dallas; and Collins Vision (Naples-Fort Myers). Miller will serve as a consultant to Aardvark Communications.

With the merger complete, Aardvark Communications has a team of experienced professionals offering clients a full range of strategic public relations and marketing capabilities, including full-service creative services; digital marketing; social media; event management; photo and video production and media services.

“This merger is a great opportunity for both our teams and clients,” said David Alvey, President and Founder of Aardvark Communications. “We have great diversity between our client mix and the services we provide. Our common goals and values and how we manage our relationships with clients, vendors, and the media made this a perfect fit. The team from Miller Public Relations is extremely talented and we’re looking forward to working with them and growing together.”

Founded in 1992, Aardvark Communications’ expertise is in real estate, restaurants, retail, attractions, automotive, consumer products, and non-profits. Aardvark’s clients include Park Place Dealerships; Hawaiian Falls Waterparks; Dee Brown, Inc.; Texas Dairy Queen Operators’ Council; Susser Bank; Urban Oil and Gas, City Center Fort Worth; City of Ennis, and Leukemia Texas among others. More information is available at aardvarktx.com.