Dagger’s Game-Changing Approach to Content Licensing with Catch+Release

Dagger is an agency built for bold storytelling. Known for crafting campaigns that resonate with audiences on a deep, cultural level, their team thrives on pushing creative boundaries.

When tasked with a campaign highlighting Southern Black culture, they faced a critical choice:

🚫 Spending weeks coordinating a traditional shoot is an expensive and time-consuming process.

✅ License real, ready-to-use content. Authentic visuals that capture the moment with impact.

Dagger chose Catch+Release, and the results speak for themselves.

A Faster Path to Authentic Storytelling

For this campaign, Dagger’s creative team needed visuals that felt real—images that captured the vibrancy of Southern Black culture without feeling staged. In the past, they had relied on exhaustive spreadsheets and slow-moving production timelines to source content.

With Catch+Release, they bypassed the inefficiencies and instead:

✨ Searched and sourced relevant and geo specific content instantly

✨ Curated and organized visuals effortlessly using an intuitive, Pinterest-like platform experience.

✨ Licensed editorial-quality content directly from creators, ready for commercial use with all model releases and indemnification.

"Why would we produce something new when the perfect content already exists?" That was the game-changing realization." ‍

- Tara Ochs, Head of Development, Dagger

From Frustrating Workflows to a Seamless Process

Before Catch+Release, Dagger’s team was accustomed to the painful process of manually tracking content approvals in spreadsheets. Licensing was slow, clearance was complex, and creative teams often had to wait on multiple layers of approval before moving forward.

This time, it was different.

With Catch+Release, they could:

✅ Find and save content in one place, eliminating back-and-forth emails and outdated tracking methods.

✅ Collaborate seamlessly, sharing selections internally and refining their vision in real time.

✅ Move from selection to licensing faster, reducing the friction that often delays campaign execution.

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The result? More time spent on creative storytelling and less on logistics.

Empowered to Move at the Speed of Culture

In advertising, timing is everything. The ability to react quickly, capture relevant moments, and execute campaigns at scale is a competitive advantage.

With Catch+Release, Dagger unlocked that speed—without compromising creative integrity.

Their campaign came together faster than a traditional production, with real visuals that resonated. By leveraging found content, they reduced costs, accelerated timelines, and delivered a high-impact creative vision.

Looking Ahead: A New Approach to Content Licensing

Dagger’s success with Catch+Release isn’t just a one-time win—it’s a new way of working.

Now, their team can:

🔹 Source, clear, and license content in real time—keeping up with the fast-moving world of advertising.

🔹 Skip unnecessary shoots—maximizing budgets without sacrificing creativity.

🔹 Tell richer, more authentic stories—powered by real-world content.

The best content doesn’t have to be created from scratch—it’s already out there, waiting to be licensed.

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Want to streamline your content workflow like Dagger? Let’s talk.