NL ad agency adds partner, changes name

Peter Hary, the creative director for the Quinn & Gellar agency, has been named a partner in the New London-based advertising firm that is now known as Quinn & Hary.

Hary has served as the eight-year-old agency's creative director since 2005. The firm provides a host of marketing, Web and design services and is based in downtown New London.

In his new role as partner, Hary will oversee all creative Web-related and design services for a broad group of clients, which includes the Groton-based Charter Oak Federal Credit Union, the St. Thomas More School in Oakdale, L&M Physicians in New London and the Norwich-based Eastern Connecticut Association of Realtors.

Hary is a graduate of the fine arts program at the University of Connecticut and was elected art director at UConn's Design Center in 1995. He began his career as a graphic designer and illustrator at Island Design.

Dave Quinn said his New London agency also has been retained by Smith Insurance of Niantic for new marketing initiatives, including rebranding, Web development and advertising services. Smith Insurance, which has been in business for 72 years, is one of the state's largest independent insurance agencies.

Quinn & Hary has redesigned and overseen the strategic revamping of many company websites. Quinn said the firm recently redeveloped Charter Oak credit union's website and received a Diamond Award from the Marketing and Business Council of the Credit Union National Association, the trade group for this nation's credit union industry.

Quinn & Hary, which is a full-service agency, has a roster of clients from Rhode Island to Pennsylvania, said Quinn. The firm started in 2002 when Quinn and Dave Gellar, who both worked in local radio broadcasting, acquired the former Island Design, a successful graphic design firm based in New London.

For more information, call Quinn & Hary at (860) 444-0448 or visit its website at www.quinnandhary.com.

a.cronin@theday.com