How AOR keeps collaboration, culture, and creativity thriving — even when we’re not all in the same room.
In March 2020, AOR, much like the rest of the world, packed up laptops, plants, and a questionable number of office snacks and went fully remote. And while we eventually reopened our doors, we didn’t snap back to a traditional schedule. Instead, we built a hybrid model that’s flexible, organic, and rooted in trust.
No mandatory days. No exact hours. Just people coming in when it makes sense, whether that’s creatively, collaboratively, or socially. Because our hybrid model isn’t about choosing between remote and in-office, it’s about choosing connection and knowing when being together elevates the work.
Our approach is simple: people do their best work when they have the autonomy to design their day around how they work best. Some tasks need quiet focus at home. Some moments need a whiteboard, a room full of energy, or the collective nervous excitement of pitch prep.
We still show up in person for the moments that matter (client workshops, presentations, strategy sessions), but otherwise, the structure is flexible. Hybrid work at AOR isn’t a policy; it’s a practice. One built on trust, accountability, and the belief that creativity requires both collaboration and space.
‘The Long Story Short’ is our monthly newsletter highlighting everything from our agency’s latest work to industry happenings at large. Don’t miss out, sign up in the form below!
Connection doesn’t happen by accident, especially in a hybrid world. So we create just enough structure to bring people together without ever forcing it.
Every two weeks, teams usually choose a day to overlap in the office. It’s predictable enough to plan for, and flexible enough not to feel like a mandate. It’s perfect for brainstorming, workshopping, and remembering how tall your coworkers actually are.
From holiday celebrations to baseball games to escape rooms to our creatively chaotic client parties, these in-person moments help reinforce culture and celebrate together. They’re energizing reminders that agency life is, at its core, a team sport.
When we’ve got a pitch or a big presentation, everyone comes in. The collective buzz always results in sharper thinking — and many, many empty Diet Coke cans.
When the office fills up, the energy is unmistakable. Ideas come faster. Feedback loops get shorter. Someone inevitably starts sketching on a whiteboard even if no one asked.
We treat in-office days as creative accelerators, not administrative ones. It’s where collaboration happens, where spontaneous ideas spark, and where we reconnect as people, not profile photos.
Remote days have their own rhythm, and we’ve learned how to keep the culture warm even through screens.
We’ve played games over Zoom. We’ve had casual coffee chats and check-ins. Our Slack channels (#pets, #spookymovies, #plantpeople) do more community-building than any corporate memo ever could. And our shared digital tools like Figma and collaborative docs make it easy to ideate across ZIP codes and even state lines.
Hybrid connection doesn’t need to mimic the office. It just needs to feel human.
We also meet up across the city in coffee shops, breweries, hotel lobbies, and parks because creativity doesn’t only happen under fluorescent lights. Denver becomes part of our workplace, and sometimes the most productive meeting happens over a warm latte or cold beer.
Hybrid works for us because we show up intentionally. For the work, for each other, and for the moments where collaboration matters. We don’t measure presence by proximity. We measure it by impact.