To know the story of Aardvark Communications is to know the story of David Alvey. For without David’s vision and desire to do something new and different, Aardvark Communications would not exist. 

David’s professional journey started on the high seas as a U.S. Navy journalist onboard the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga, where he honed his storytelling skills in print and broadcast media. In 1983, David transitioned to advertising, starting as a copywriter and working his way up to VP/Creative Director before taking a leap of faith and founding Aardvark in 1992. 

“When I started Aardvark (originally Aardvark Studios, a Creative Services agency), most of the agencies were named after their owners or partners (Alvey, Alvey & Smith) and were indistinguishable from law firms. I wanted Aardvark to be different,” explained David. 

As all good marketers do, David concepted with a group of creatives to brainstorm branding for his agency. “I loved the name Aardvark, so I did a little research,” he said. David discovered that the Aardvark is the sole representative of the genus Orycteropus. “I did a little shirt-tail research and found many people liked the creativity of the name. But what really sold me on it was the people who said, ‘You can’t name it Aardvark! Nobody will take you seriously.’ I’d rather be known for creativity than my seriousness. We’ve proven over the years you can be both.” 

“Aardvarks are truly one of a kind,” he continued. “And I’ve always considered our agency and our team to be one of a kind. We’re a distinctly different breed. We’re more interested in developing relationships than making a quick buck. I’m incredibly proud of the many long-term relationships we’ve developed over the years…with clients, creatives and even other agencies.”

David has guided the agency to thrive for more than three decades, surviving the uncertainties after 9/11, the financial turmoil in 2008, and the unique challenges of a world-wide pandemic. All while maintaining his passion for the work. “I love what I do,” said David. “Every day we face new challenges – even with clients we’ve had for decades. This industry is constantly evolving and changing. We don’t do business the same way we did 10 years ago, much less 30 years ago. I look forward to each day and the new challenges ahead.”

How does he maintain his professional enthusiasm? “Stay curious,” he shared. “Never stop learning and growing. If you ever reach the point that you think you have this industry all figured out, then it’s time to do something else.”

When he’s not working, David explores his passion for photography, art and live music.

An adventurer at heart, you’ll often find him with a camera in hand, capturing nature, car shows, outings with family and friends, and live music events.

Four fast and final questions…

Coffee or tea? 

Coffee. Not even a comparison.

Introvert or extrovert? 

Introvert by nature but an extrovert by trade. Having to make many presentations and lead a group of creative people has caused me to become more of an extrovert. Now, I’m very comfortable in social situations. But I still value my “alone time.”

Morning person or night owl? 

Night owl. 

Messy or tidy? 

Messy. I’ve tried all the fads in filing and organizational systems. But I’m more of a “piles over files” guy. I can find something I worked on 10 years ago very quickly and confidently. My desk may look a mess, but I’m meticulous in cataloging digital files.

The book or the movie? 

I love a good book, but I can devour a movie in much less time. I tend to read more for research and knowledge than pleasure. 

Take Your Business to New Heights with Aardvark

Aardvark Communications provides a full array of services including advertising, public relations, digital marketing, creative, media planning & buying, social media, and web design/SEO. We deliver everything from ideation and strategy to development and execution.

 “Our mission is to partner with clients, fostering personal and professional growth as we bring their vision to life,” said David. “Our success is reflected in the success of our clients, built on long-standing partnerships and industry-leading innovation.”

If you’re looking for a marketing partner, I’d love to hear from you! Reach out today.

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.

When Jesuit Dallas kicker Noah McGough chose to use his platform to shine a light on Men of Nehemiah, a faith-based, residential addiction recovery program in Dallas, Aardvark amplified this amazing story through a strategic PR campaign.

Great advertising agencies are known for their memorable ad campaigns; and the art directors and copywriters who create these funny, moving, heart-warming campaigns are the rock stars of the ad world.

Hawaiian Falls Waterparks in Mansfield, Roanoke and Waco, Texas hosted their Annual Ice Dump

Aardvark Communications is proud to introduce Rob Sumner as Vice President, Director of Client Services.

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.

Plano-based Aardvark Communications and Colleyville-based Miller Public Relations have merged. The two firms, which will operate as Aardvark Communications, were engaged in merger discussions for several months, Aardvark President David Alvey told D CEO.

“For the past 30 years, Aardvark Communications has been very successful in marketing and public relations,” Alvey said. “With advances in technology, the industry continues to change and evolve. We have been exploring opportunities to add services for our clients. The timing of this opportunity was perfect for both entities. We are excited about the expanded creative services, digital marketing, and social media expertise our new team members bring to our agency.”

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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.

Caleb Hernandez with Park Place Dealerships talked to Ben Russell at NBC 5 regarding the North Texas Auto Show as well as Electric Vehicles and how Park Place will take care of every client in this challenging market. Click here to see the full interview.