‘Gr8 Comeback’: Matinee Creative

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Matinee Creative studio is willing to help anyone’s brand whether it’s big or small, but the founders, Amy McAdams-Gonzales and Matt Gonzales, have a special place in their hearts for the businesses in the Fletcher Place neighborhood.

“It’s just the two of us,” Amy said. “I’m the designer, he’s the writer.”

Together they’ve formed an advertisement agency and creative team.

“I think the thing that we love doing the most is helping small local businesses tell their story both through words and through design,” Matt said.

As residents of Fletcher Place, they’ve focused a lot of their attention on homegrown businesses; many of which their family has supported for years. Sometimes the businesses have even paid in gift cards.

“We got these gift cards at like $500 a piece on them, and we would go in and the people are always like, ‘Whoa who gave you this gift card?’” they recalled. In 2020, they watched as the COVID-19 pandemic put enormous pressure on their friends and partners. Some went out of business while others had to find creative ways to stay alive.

Now they’re inspired by the chance to use their marketing expertise to help these businesses thrive in life after the pandemic.

“I think there’s going to be a phoenix, I hope, situation where people rise out of the ashes and we’re able to be here to support those teams,” Amy said.