In another example, Quaker City Mercantile, a boutique agency in Philadelphia, has entrepreneurial operations that include marketing apparel and rum under the Sailor Jerry brand (sailorjerry.com). In August, Quaker City Mercantile (formerly known as Gyro Worldwide) signed a licensing agreement with the Converse division of Nike to sell Chuck Taylor All Star sneakers in four Sailor Jerry designs.

"It's about advertising as product and product as advertising," Steven Grasse, chief executive of Quaker City Mercantile, wrote in a letter. "And it's about an agency transcending its traditional role to become both brand and marketer."