SYRACUSE, NY – Thirty years ago, LP&M Advertising became a new name in Syracuse’s competitive landscape of advertising agencies. There was nothing new about the people though, as the firm was born of a three-way merger of prominent and successful local shops: Latorra Advertising, Signet Advertising and Paul, John & Lee, Inc. 

Known today as LP&M Strategic Marketing, the company is celebrating its 30^th anniversary as one of Central New York’s oldest and longest running full-service marketing communications firms.

When the merger became official on New Year’s Day 1993, the agency was branded as “Latorra, Paul & McCann,” based on its three founding principals. It represented a fusion of skills in creative design, strategic planning, media buying and account service, uniting former rivals and immediately establishing a leader with local, national and international clients.

Three decades later, the firm’s current President, Mike Ancillotti, continues the traditions, philosophies and values of the founders while embracing the latest digital trends. LP&M offers fully integrated strategic marketing, branding and communications services, enhanced by AMPL Digital Communications, a division Ancillotti launched in 2019 to leverage and expand upon the agency’s expertise in digital marketing strategy, app development, augmented reality, website development, e-commerce, SEO/SEM and experimental technologies.  

Mike was part of the agency’s original team in 1993, became a partner in 2005 and acquired full ownership in 2011.

“Throughout our 30 years, we’ve succeeded because we recognize that it’s not about LP&M – it’s about the brands we represent and the people who entrust us with their image,” said Ancillotti. “We’ve pivoted in a changing industry, embraced new technologies and found ways to help our clients survive and thrive through all challenges. LP&M even retained our full staff throughout the pandemic because marketing communications had never been more important to our clients – which made it equally important to us.”

In addition to Ancillotti, Andy Collins, Vice President of Creative Services, is the only other person who has been with the agency since its pre-merger days. Collins leads the creative team for both LP&M and AMPL, overseeing award-winning work that is repeatedly recognized by national marketing and advertising organizations.

“There’s a long legacy of top-quality creative work at LP&M, and that’s something we strive to live up to every day,” said Collins. “Mike and I were here for those exciting days in ’93, when so many talented people were just getting to know each other. Over the past 30 years, we’ve worked with a lot of great teammates and adapted with the times to grow an agency that continues to deliver not just creativity but strategic partnering for all the brands we represent.”

Collins noted a major strength of LP&M over the years has been its flexibility in serving clients in a broad range of industries, including metals/industrial manufacturing, travel/tourism, finance/insurance, agriculture, sporting goods and many other categories.

Ancillotti said he is honored to preserve and continue the agency’s three-decade history of delivering problem-based solutions, while adding that his focus is always on the future. LP&M is continually monitoring trends, developing new skills and offering exciting new digital services. There’s also a strong internal culture of positivity: The agency was named one of Central New York’s “Best Places to Work” twice in recent years.

LP&M is located on the 6th floor of the historic University Building in downtown Syracuse.