Our History

For over 30 years, Gunster Strategies Worldwide has stood at the forefront of advocacy. Originating as Goddard Gunster under the visionary Ben Goddard, the ‘Godfather of Issue Advocacy Advertising’, our legacy has been instrumental in shaping some of history’s most transformative campaigns. We’ve witnessed the tides of change, and our experience has seen it all.

1993

Ben Goddard launches “Harry and Louise,” and Clinton’s health initiative fails.

2010

Gerry Gunster is appointed Partner, Goddard Claussen.

2012

Goddard Gunster is formed.

Goddard Gunster is retained to run the campaign for Amr Moussa, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt.

2013

Gunster wins Advocacy Campaign of the Year, for the defeat of the Bloomberg Soda Ban.

2016

Brexit Passes.

Gunster wins International Consultant of the Year.

Gerry Gunster addresses Oxford University in England.

2017

Goddard Gunster rebrands to Gunster Strategies Worldwide.

2018

Ben Goddard passes away in Virginia home.

GSW partners with long-time associate Matt Rodriguez, Obama Western State’s Regional Director, to form a second company: 1st Tuesday Campaigns.

GSW opens an office in Cairo, Egypt.

2019

GSW wins a Presidential campaign in West Africa.

2020

GSW launches the online platform, Issue Advocacy 101. Lectures begin at Georgetown University, American University, and George Washington University

2022

GSW partners with The University of Britain in Georgia, and opens an office in Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia.

Our Journey

Ben Goddard is often credited as the “Godfather of Issue Advocacy” after the Harry and Louise campaign to oppose Clinton Healthcare in 1993-1994.

Around the same time, then Russian President, Boris Yeltsin, realized he needed to use Western-style advertising to get his party’s referendum approved by voters. The stakes were high — if he failed, democracy in Russia might diminish. Yeltsin turned to Goddard, who crafted adverts that juxtaposed the old Soviet government with hopeful images of the Russian youth.

Understanding that 98% of Russian homes had a television, Goddard jumped at the opportunity to reach as many Russian citizens as possible. A simple message was pushed out in the ads: “They can never force us to go back to the way things were if we take the time to vote.”

Goddard was praised with “salvaging…democratic-style reforms in Russia” with this particular campaign.

Enter Gerry Gunster. Although Gerry was one of the few campaigners to beat Ben on Proposition 5 in California, Gunster became Goddard’s mentee. And in 2013, Gunster went up against New York City’s Mayor, Michael Bloomberg.

Bloomberg was trying to cap the size of sugar-sweetened beverages allowed to be sold, putting hundreds of New York beverage vendors and business owners at risk of going out of business.

Gunster launched an ad push across print, radio, social media, and TV, reaching as many New Yorkers as possible. These messages moved constituents enough to defeat it, citing an overreach of government power.

A few years later, British Prime Minister, David Cameron, announced plans for a voter referendum that questioned his country’s membership in the European Union. Recognizing the need for expert assistance, the Leave.EU campaign hired Gunster to bring the latest in issue advocacy techniques to the UK to help make their case to British voters.

As one of the lead consultants on “Brexit,” Gunster helped make a losing campaign winnable. On Election Day, history was made with nearly 52% of British voters deciding to leave the European Union.

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