Ad Age Interviews Brantley Davis About Law Firm Marketing
Brantley Davis, President Brantley Davis Ad Agency
Says Reaching Gen Z Comes Down to Social Media, Youtube and Pushing the Creative Envelope
August 20, 2025 03:00 AM
Key Takeaways
- Law firms are shifting from traditional ads to creator-driven social media marketing to reach younger audiences
- Marketing to Gen Z is seen as a long-term investment, not immediate client acquisition
- Firms face regulatory and logistical challenges adapting to modern media
Injury law firm marketing has so much cultural relevance that it has inspired a “Saturday Night Live” skit and an entire play.
Brands continue to evoke the easily recognizable, oftentimes chaotic nature of these campaigns. Early last week, e.l.f. spoofed old Cellino & Barnes ads with a campaign that saw comedian Matt Rife and drag star Heidi N Closet defend wallets damaged by overpriced beauty products. The company also ran a fictional firm called “e.l.f.ino & Schmarnes.” (e.l.f. has since faced backlash for the campaign due to Rife’s inclusion in the ad, as the comic joked about domestic violence in his 2023 Netflix special “Natural Selection.”)
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But as these law firms age, so too do the audiences they seek. Many have realized the need to pivot from TV-centric media buys near tired courtroom shows like “Hot Bench” and “Judge Judy” and dated creative—think jingles, repeated phone numbers and cheesy “Have you been injured?” entreaties. Now, they are investing in reaching younger consumers through virality, memes and creators.
“Gen Z’s adulting era is here, and it’s playing out on social,” said Evan Horowitz, CEO of creative agency Movers+Shakers, via email. “In 2025, you’re more likely to meet your future lawyer, chiropractor, or business coach on your FYP than through a friend. Gen Z trusts creators as much (or more) than traditional institutions, and now they’re aging into the life stage where they actually need these more ‘serious’ adulting services.”
Gen Z may not need representation anytime soon, but marketing to them now is an investment in the future, said Daniel Morgan, managing partner at Morgan & Morgan.
“When we’re going after someone who’s in high school listening to a podcast on the way to school, that person might not be a client of ours until 20 years later,” he said. “It’s really about planting seeds and making sure people know about us. The next generation is crucial.”
Much of that work is being done on social media with the assistance of creators. Morgan & Morgan is preparing to multiply its influencer marketing budget by 10 next year due to the increased number of cases it’s getting from advertising on social media, often with creators, Morgan said. Firms such as Los Angeles-based Wisner Baum have also begun to position their attorneys as creators by starring them in social media posts that take viewers behind the scenes of a law practice.
A few firms stand out for their impressive social followings. Still, many have struggled to establish a social presence as they navigate an increasingly fragmented media landscape, which is further exacerbated by varying state regulations surrounding attorney advertising.
How injury law firms are reaching Gen Z
Several firms have successfully translated their sense of humor to social media, and many find it easier to be funny online than on TV. Meme culture, in particular, has been a boon for firms.
“Social media is more permissive,” said Brantley Davis, president of law firm marketing agency Brantley Davis Ad Agency, which counts among its clients The Barnes Firm and Cellino Law, among other law firms. “It’s more expected that the ads take a chance and actually entertain.”
Some of the more adept and humorous social marketing from regional firms is coming from New York-based Niamehr Law Firm (AKA Tell Daniel Law).
Morgan & Morgan has partnered with big-name comedians such as Tim Dillon, Theo Von and Andrew Schultz. As it has become easier to attribute new cases to particular ads and creators, the firm has found that business leads are increasingly coming from YouTube.
The firm has in-housed its creator marketing to avoid agency and middleman fees that can pile up when working with internet talent, Morgan said. In fact, his family takes an active approach to appearing in creator and social content. Daniel Morgan has about 10,000 followers on Instagram and is often tagged in social ads that he appears in.
His father, Morgan & Morgan founder John Morgan, has also appeared in Gen Z-focused content. In late July, he starred in a sponsored Jubilee video titled “20 People Confront a Billionaire,” where he answered tough questions about wealth disparity.
Firms have also relied on social media to support their billboards and radio ads. TopDog Law, known for its over-the-top radio commercials where a man tirades about his injuries to overly dramatic music, has inspired reaction content that sometimes gets hundreds of thousands of views. Those ads have directed listeners to its Instagram account, which has nearly 500,000 followers.
TopDog Law declined an interview.
Why some firms have struggled to adapt
Despite a few standouts, many firms have struggled to adapt to a modern media landscape, Davis said. Most have yet to develop a proper creator marketing strategy.
“They’re burnt out,” he said. “They’ve got broadcast TV, CTV, OTT, social media and billboards, and they’re trying to practice law … and there’s legwork involved. There are services that find and identify creators, but a lot of law firms are just not doing that right now.”
Many, including Morgan & Morgan, are also contending with getting AI models to refer them to potential clients.
Also read: AEO drawbacks—why marketers are pouring cold water on the AI search strategy
Attorneys also face strict advertising regulations that vary among states. Some require disclosures about fees, costs, or the type of services offered, while others require that advertisements be submitted for review and approval, said Linda Goldstein, partner at law firm BakerHostetler.
“The biggest challenge is that the state laws vary, so getting to the lowest common denominator is generally the approach, and then you have to make sure all content creators adhere to that,” she said in an email exchange.
Creators, especially comedians, can be challenging to work with given all of these rules. “Tim Dillon is a good example of that,” Daniel Morgan said. “He’s been great, but he’s definitely had some moments in the past where he’s just gone off … we’re a law firm, and we have to have some standards here.”
Tim Dillon Morgan & Morgan Ad (Morgan & Morgan)
Despite these challenges, it’s essential that firms step out of their comfort zones and begin to ingratiate themselves with Gen Z in new ways, Davis said.
“These law firms have to push the creative envelope,” he said. “I don’t see many still pushing … and that’s the only way to break through.”
Bandas Law Firm Goes Big, Hires Brantley Davis Ad Agency
Texas Law Firm with Big Case Results Wants Big Marketing Results Too
Attorney Chris Bandas has been in the legal profession for over thirty years. He spent the first half of his career practicing defense litigation for some of Texas’s largest, most prestigious law firms, giving him insight into the tactics of big corporations and insurance companies. Through his work for these huge corporations, Chris realized that accident victims need a law firm that can match the strength of these massive corporations. So, he founded Bandas Law Firm to level the playing field for his fellow Texans. Nearly 20 years later, Chris has been recognized by his peers as having an “exemplary reputation” in Martindale-Hubbell. He’s been named Super Lawyer numerous times. More importantly, his firm has secured some of the largest legal settlements and judgments in the United States: an $80 million verdict, a $72 million judgment, a $55 million settlement, and a $38 million judgment. However, despite his firm’s big success, Chris’ marketing program was having little impact. So he began searching for an advertising firm with extensive experience in law firm marketing and a reputation for taking mature brands to a higher level.
“My firm was looking for an ad agency to help David fight Goliath,” recalled Chris Bandas, Managing Partner of Bandas Law Firm. “I spoke on the phone with Brantley and learned that his agency has over 30 years of experience marketing high-profile personal injury attorneys and producing groundbreaking results. I hired him shortly after our call.”
Brantley Davis Ad Agency (BDAA) works with top personal injury law firms from New York to Seattle. The agency’s work is well regarded throughout the industry and has been the subject of comedic sketches on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Saturday Night Live. BDAA was founded in 2021 by Brantley Davis, an award-winning writer and ad agency veteran. Davis has been marketing law firms since 1993. Davis and his team are credited with introducing marketing tactics that have changed law firm marketing, including the use of fifteen-second bookend commercials, competitive frequency benchmarking, and creative hooks like “What’s Your Case Worth?”
“We’re delighted to be working with Texas’ top personal injury law firm,” commented Brantley Davis, President of BDAA. “Attorney Chris Bandas has built a fantastic law firm that has delivered some of the largest case results in the nation. We intend to deliver big marketing results for Chris too!”
Chris Bandas knows how difficult it can be for ordinary people to stand up against well-funded corporations and insurance companies when it comes to legal disputes. He saw accident victims get bullied and settle cases for far less than they were worth. Big corporations have nearly unlimited resources and an army of lawyers whereas average Americans don’t have more than a couple thousand dollars in their bank accounts. They don’t have the money to stand up to a giant corporation or insurance company. That’s why Chris’ Corpus Christi firm represents all plaintiffs on a contingency fee basis. In other words, the Bandas Law Firm represents clients with no money down and only charges a fee if a client wins their case.
“We work on a contingency fee basis to give ordinary people who’ve been injured a fighting chance against big insurance companies,” explained Bandas. “Too often, insurance companies reject personal injury claims or pay out an amount far below what victims are entitled to, to save the company money and pad shareholders bottom lines.”
BDAA will handle TV negotiations for Bandas Law Firm in all Texas markets and nationally for mass torts. The ad agency is currently developing its proven TV commercials, eye-catching billboards, digital and bus kings for Bandas along with a few innovative tactics the Texas market may not expect. Stay tuned. It looks like Bandas is on its way to more big time results.
Top Florida Law Firm, Clayton Trial Lawyers, Hires Brantley Davis Ad Agency
Ad Agency to Handle Search Engine Marketing, TV Production and Media Placement
One of the top law firm marketing ad agencies in America has been hired by one of America’s best law firms. Clayton Trial Lawyers, based in Ft. Lauderdale Florida, has named Brantley Davis Ad Agency (BDAA) their Agency of Record. William Clayton, Founder of Clayton Trial Lawyers, said his firm had been searching for the right ad agency for a year. He finally found Brantley Davis Ad Agency through a close friend who manages a St. Louis law firm known for its unique advertising.
“Brantley’s track record of delivering results for law firms is what impressed us initially,” observed William Clayton, President of Clayton Trial Lawyers. “But the more we talked, the more I realized we shared a common vision for the Clayton Trial Lawyers brand. And now that we’re on the precipice of bringing that vision to life, I couldn’t be more pleased.”
Brantley Davis Ad Agency works with top personal injury law firms from New York to Los Angeles. The agency’s polished product is well regarded throughout the industry and has been the subject of humorous skits on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Saturday Night Live. BDAA was founded in 2021 by Brantley Davis, an award winning writer and ad agency veteran of thirty years. He has been marketing law firms since 1993. Davis and his team are credited with introducing revolutionary marketing tactics that changed law firm marketing, including the use of fifteen second bookend commercials, competitive frequency benchmarking and creative hooks like “What’s Your Case Worth?”
“We’re thrilled to be working with one of Florida’s top personal injury law firms,” commented Brantley Davis, President of Brantley Davis Ad Agency. “Attorney William Clayton has a brilliant legal mind and clever wit that lends itself to break through marketing. An ad agency can’t ask for much more.”
The attorneys at Clayton Trial Lawyers are known throughout the country as elite trial attorneys and are regularly listed in the Best Lawyers in America. William Clayton, founder of Clayton Trial Lawyers, was a top shareholder at one of the nation’s largest law firms for fifteen years before launching his own firm. He has served as a national chair in litigation and tried more than 100 cases in state and federal courts, winning more than $150 million in jury verdicts. Mr. Clayton has received numerous accolades for his work in Florida and around the U.S., including Ft. Lauderdale “Trial Lawyer of the Year,” “Legal Elite” in Florida, “Best Lawyers in America,” “Best Law Firms in America,” “Legal Elite” in New York City, “Top Lawyers” in Vegas, “Super Lawyer” in Florida and “Top Lawyers” in Southern Nevada. The firm also was recently named one of the best in the region by U.S. News & World Report. But Clayton says his work isn’t about the awards or necessarily the money.
Clayton explained, “A lot of people say personal injury law is just about money. But the fact is, the money personal injury attorneys convince insurance companies pay to accident victims is a means to a just end. The money helps rebuild people’s lives. And that is an immensely rewarding payoff for me as an attorney and a person.”
Brantley Davis Ad Agency will handle Search Engine Marketing (SEM), and TV negotiations on behalf of Clayton Trial Lawyers in the West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami markets. The agency is also developing its proven TV spots and adding a twist the staid Florida market is not expecting.
When asked about the twist, Brantley Davis was circumspect, “In the interest of discretion, we never reveal an ad campaign before launch but I will tell you this. These ads will have Clayton Trial Lawyers humming.”