Fear Less. Love More. Catching Up with Happylucky

If you grabbed a free grilled cheese outside Providence Park this summer or lost an afternoon in a giant ball pit on SE 6th Street, you've already experienced the work of Happylucky. The Portland agency, led by Co-Owner and CEO Emily Stutzman, just shared its latest Field Notes, and it reads like a highlight reel of national brands, hometown favorites, and some of the best parties in the city.

Big Brands, Big Kickoffs

Happylucky's newest client is a big one: Abercrombie & Fitch, for its NFL partnership, starting with a Dallas Cowboys activation this November. As Emily put it, "high school us would be freaking out. Actually, 2026 us is freaking out, too."

The sports streak continues with Apple TV and F1, bringing fitness creators to Austin to run the Circuit of the Americas track ahead of the U.S. Grand Prix, and with adidas, celebrating women's softball all summer from the pros to the Little League Softball World Series. For Stanley, the team brought the "Show Up Like You" back-to-school campaign to life from big idea through final rollout.

Close to Home

Some of Happylucky's most fun work happens right here in Portland. Salt & Straw brought the ice cream to Olivia Rodrigo's first Daisy Chain Festival, with Happylucky as its ongoing creative partner, and Tillamook's Melty Hour handed out free grilled cheese to Timbers and Thorns fans outside Providence Park, complete with a giant cheese photo op.

Then there's Pride. Happylucky's third annual party drew more than 1,400 people to SE 6th Street for DJs, drag, tarot, and that giant ball pit, while supporting more than 15 queer performers, creators, and businesses and raising money for Basic Rights Oregon. See what you missed.

The People Behind the Work

None of it happens without a producer who can find anything, from custom cow udders for a ring toss to hundreds of gallons of water for a dunk tank. After 25 flights in four months, Annie Stutzman is now Happylucky's Executive Producer.

The team has been taking the stage, too, with Emily on a panel at Pacific Northwest College of Art and Account Director Bryanna Emmerling speaking at Deschutes' Women in Business panel on "Slowing Down to Speed Up."

A familiar face to NextNW

Owner extraordinaire Emily is no stranger to our NextNW members either. Emily rocked it this year as the emcee of the Cascadia Creative Awards (and took home some hardware to boot!). Emily also sits on the NextNW Advisory Committee and has been a champion of NextNW, even offering up her space for a Happy Hour in 2026! 

Learn More

Follow Happylucky on Instagram to catch the next activation, and connect with Emily and the team on LinkedIn. Thanks for sharing your world with us, Happylucky. Fear less, love more, and save us a grilled cheese.

‍