Where most brands are told to play it safe and follow the rules, Steven Le Vine has built his career—and his latest venture, Rogue—on the premise of defying them.
With the launch of his new agency, the veteran media strategist is reshaping the way brands engage with audiences by blending bold storytelling, boundary-pushing creativity and results-driven growth strategy.
As a premier Creative Communications Agency specializing in media and brand strategy, Rogue partners with market mavericks, first movers, and renegade brands redefining their industries and reshaping our culture.
“Rogue is all about challenging the status quo and breaking the rules,” Le Vine says. “The most iconic brands and personalities we’ve come to know are those that once changed the game entirely and defied once-held norms.”
Le Vine cites the hit 90s sitcom “Seinfeld” as an example. “Seinfeld was almost canceled shortly into its run, because nothing had ever been done like it. And because it broke the mold, studio execs were concerned it would fail. But they gave it a chance, and shortly after it found its footing and ended up becoming one of the most successful series of all time, for that very reason.”
The same lesson can be applied to brands.
Rogue’s tagline “winning brands escape the gravity of the expected,” encapsulates its mission to elevate brands beyond convention.
“Great brands are like rockets,” he says. “They have to generate enough momentum to escape the gravitational pull of what’s known and expected. That’s where real breakthroughs happen.”
And its name ‘Rogue’ isn’t just a catchy moniker—it’s a guiding philosophy. From the start, Le Vine envisioned an agency that would encourage both its clients and team to embrace audacious, unconventional strategies.
“At Rogue, it’s not just about being bold—it’s about being smart. Every idea, no matter how daring, needs to be tied to measurable outcomes. Creativity should always move the needle.”
This balance between audacity and accountability is what sets Rogue apart. The agency’s work consistently challenges norms while delivering tangible results.
At Rogue, this philosophy is evident in every campaign. By combining deep market insights with creative storytelling, the agency campaigns strategies designed to disrupt, surprise, and engage.
Rogue’s mission is to deploy bold campaigns that synchronize messaging, media, and marketing strategy across every modern touchpoint, empowering brands to forge unbreakable connections and influence.
As Le Vine observed during the last 20 years while running his prior company, Grapevine PR, an award-winning public relations and digital marketing agency, focusing solely on traditional media or PR no longer cuts it.
Today’s consumers engage with a constellation of touchpoints, and success lies in developing and executing a unified strategy that cohesively integrates a brand’s narrative across every channel.
Says Le Vine, “From PR, content marketing, and social media to website, sales enablement, and marketing copy, every element of one’s brand story should work harmoniously to captivate and drive results.”
By aligning messaging, media, and marketing strategy, the agency enables brands to establish a powerful presence that commands attention and ignites its influence to leap off the streets, shelves, and screens.
A Career of Evolution and Reinvention
Le Vine’s approach to branding is rooted in more than two decades of experience, a journey that began when he founded Grapevine straight out of college. For nearly 20 years, the firm flourished, building a sterling reputation as a leader in brand storytelling and elevation across tech, consumer goods, and even for entertainment icons.
Le Vine and his team orchestrated award-winning campaigns for clients that have delivered significant media moments, including sit-down interviews on Oprah, The View, Access Hollywood, and CNN, as well as countless placements in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Men’s Journal, WIRED, Inc., Fast Company, USA Today, People, Variety, and more.
In 2022, he released the bestselling book, Stories That F-ing Matter: Three Pillars of Epic Storytelling to Dominate Media Headlines, Win Clients, and Grow Your Business, featuring a foreword by longtime client William Shatner. The book provides a powerful framework for brands to craft narratives that cut through the noise.
“When I first cut my teeth in the industry, traditional PR was the focal point,” he recalls. “The goal was to secure as many media placements as possible. Ironically, clients shunned digital placements and podcasts. They only wanted print. But a few years later, something shifted, and they began instead only wanting digital placements, not print!”
“Since that time, alternative media has begun to overtake mainstream media in many ways as well. Consumers have become inundated with information from all sides. Everywhere we look, we are being fed news stories, opinion pieces, social media content, and ads. And the algorithm has it so that we’re often fed the same information we seek out, creating a feedback loop.”
This realization led to the creation of Rogue, which is designed to meet the demands of such a digital-first, hyperconnected world. For Le Vine, it was a bold move—leaving behind a thriving business at its pinnacle to build something entirely new. Rogue represents the culmination of his vision: an integrated, 360-degree approach to branding that connects with audiences on a deeper level.
A Tale of Two Cities: Austin and Los Angeles
Rogue’s dual presence in Austin and Los Angeles provides the agency with a unique edge, blending the entrepreneurial energy of the Texas capital with the storytelling prowess of Hollywood.
“Austin is a hub for innovation, and it’s home to some of the most forward-thinking entrepreneurs in the world,” says Le Vine. “LA, on the other hand, is the epicenter of entertainment. Together, these cities fuel the kind of creativity and disruption that defines Rogue.”
The Future of Branding
Looking ahead, Le Vine sees even greater opportunities for Rogue to push the boundaries of what’s possible. Emerging technologies like AI and VR are opening new doors for even more immersive storytelling, engagement with audiences, and consumer experience, and Rogue is poised to help its clients lead the way.
“We’re just scratching the surface of what’s possible,” he says. “The future of communications and branding isn’t just about keeping up—it’s about staying ahead, at least five years into the future.”
And for Le Vine, the mission remains the same: to continue to partner with visionary entrepreneurs and brands that don’t follow trends, but set them.
In an industry that often rewards conformity, Steven Le Vine and Rogue Agency are proving that ‘fortune favors the bold… storytellers.’
Written in partnership with Tom White
