Matt Owens, partner at Owens Harkey Advertising, was awarded the highly sought-after J. Terry Groener “Ad Person of the Year” award by the American Advertising Federation’s Phoenix Chapter. Owens Harkey Advertising is a full-service advertising agency in Phoenix. Owens was recognized with the 47th annual award for his many years of providing advertising industry excellence and his ongoing dedication to making a positive impact throughout our local community.
“It was an incredible experience to look at the list of names and see his. It blew me away.”
To be eligible for the “Ad Person of the Year” award, recipients must contribute to the betterment of the advertising industry, be active participants in philanthropic involvement in the community, and be currently active in advertising, marketing and communications.
Matt Owens’ late father, Bill Owens, received the award in 1982.
“This has moved me deeply as my father won the same award thirty years ago,” said Matt Owens. “It was an incredible experience to look at the list of names and see his. It blew me away.”
Owens grew up in the advertising industry and has been in the business for over 25 years. Owens knew from a young age that he wanted to follow in his father Bill Owens’ footsteps, who founded the long-time Valley advertising agency Owens & Associates. Owens & Associates touted a range of clients including the Phoenix Suns, Arizona Cardinals and Tropicana.
After graduating from Woodbury University in Los Angeles with a degree in marketing, Matt Owens worked for Owens & Associates for many years, including a stint as general manager of the firm’s Albuquerque office. He then moved to the Pacific Northwest to work in the e-commerce and dot-com industries.
In 2001, Owens inherited Owens & Associates from his father. He has since partnered with long-time friend and media expert, Scott Harkey, to build Owens Harkey Advertising – the kind of agency he’s always envisioned. As partner, Owens’ core responsibilities lie in marketing strategy and advertising planning, media services, account supervision and creative direction.
In 2011, Owens Harkey Advertising grew by over 500 percent, with the help of Owens’ revolutionary branding strategy system. Owens has also made a commitment to working with nonprofits and currently sits on marketing committees and boards of directors for many local organizations and charities.
