The History of Hyperquake

(1986-Present): Evolving Brands for a Changing World

From a Cincinnati living room to a global presence, Hyperquake’s journey is one of continuous evolution, fiercely independent ownership, and a core commitment to helping brands navigate massive change.

What's in the Name? The Philosophy of Transformation

Hyperquake is a metaphor for change. It’s bigger than ourselves. It embodies our culture and purpose:

hyper

(adj.)

Stimulated, excited, over, beyond, above, and continuously active—reflecting our people, ideas, and passion.

quake

(n.)

An energetic catalyst for great change, leaving a tremendous impact; a shift, a movement—representing the impactful results we deliver.

Key Milestones in Our Evolution

This timeline highlights the moments that have defined our growth and solidified our role as a Brand Evolution Agency:

1986

The Beginning

The Beginning: Bruce Design. The firm was founded by Steve and Jeanne Bruce in Cincinnati, OH, initially focusing on print, packaging, and branding for consumer packaged goods.

2000

The Interactive Pivot

Hyperquake Forms. Recognizing the essential shift to digital, Bruce Design co-ops from the University of Cincinnati created a small interactive studio called Hyperquake. This became the foundation for our digital capabilities: interactive marketing, web, and experimental digital design.

2004

Uniting as Hyperquake

Bruce Design and Hyperquake officially merged to become Hyperquake. This established an integrated offering combining traditional design and digital capabilities.

2006- 2008

Colin Crotty joined Hyperquake

Colin bringing operational rigor and strategic growth leadership. Dan Barczak joined shortly after, strengthening design leadership. By 2008, we were recognized as “A Marketing & Design Agency” with deep expertise in: brand strategy, creative, digital and interactive marketing.

2013

Embracing: "Evolve or Fade Away."

Hyperquake crystallized its purpose, adopting the mantra "Evolve or Fade Away" as a mindset and formally positioning itself as a Brand Evolution Agency. This solidified our purpose of helping clients navigate massive change.

2016

Committed to Independence

Colin and Dan took on new ownership, establishing an aggressive vision for growth while committing to remain an independent, senior-led firm.

2018

Expanding Experiential Depth

Hyperquake joined forces with The Brand Experience, significantly boosting our expertise in creating experiential design and immersive brand environments.

2024

Strategic Acquisition for Future Growth

Hyperquake acquired Potion Design (Brooklyn, NY) and MarCore Group (Salt Lake City, UT). This expanded our mastery in Immersive Experiences, Interactive Digital Content, Storytelling, UX, and Performance Marketing.

Present

Strengthening our Future

Hyperquake continues to grow through strategic acquisitions. Today we are one team of storytellers and creators solving brand building and experience challenges. We are experts in brand building, performance marketing, immersive experiences, interactive digital content, UX, media design, and software development.

Why Clients Choose Hyperquake

Clients hire us when they are either in the midst of a shift—or when they want to create one. We are built to be the calm and steady in their storm.

We Navigate Massive Change

From purpose and innovation to brand identity, creative campaigns, performance marketing, and immersive experiences, clients turn to us when the stakes are high and the path is unclear. We guide organizations through defining shifts and help them emerge stronger, clearer, and better aligned for the future.

We are Independent and Agile

Our independence by design means we are a nimble, senior-led team that brings an entrepreneurial mindset to all of our work.

The Power of Trust

We build lasting partnerships through truth, transparency, and intentionality, knowing that trust is what we build best.

What We Actually Do

We are one team of curious storytellers and determined creators who solve brand, experience, and growth challenges. Our expertise is built on two core services:

1) Brand building

Hyperquake’s Brand Building team unites strategy, design, and performance / growth marketing to define a brand’s identity, launch campaigns, and drive measurable business results—now and into the future.

2) Experiences

Hyperquake Experiences team creates immersive destinations that unite story-led strategy, spatial design, and interactive technology. We have delivered over 150 experience centers and storytelling environments for influential organizations.

We thrive in creating divergent opportunities across varying industries, driven by values that have never wavered.