Dagger Announces Spin-Off of In-House Media Company BUTTER.ATL

Award-winning, full-service creative agency Dagger announced today the strategic spin-off and expanded partnership structure of its in-house media company, BUTTER.ATL. Launched in 2018, Butter quickly became the voice of Atlanta culture and a sought-after stage for the city's cultural icons. The new ownership structure will include the addition of Atlanta legends Big Boi and Killer Mike, as well as veteran Atlanta-based journalist, Michael Jordan. The new partnership group will be led by majority owner Brandon Butler, who was formerly the executive director but now becomes CEO of Butter. Dagger remains a minority owner with plans to support the brand and its future growth. 

“We’re thrilled to see Butter enter this next phase of its evolution,” says Dagger CEO Mike Popowski. “We started Butter to prove Dagger's ideology that when brands behave more like media companies and capture attention with culturally relevant content, they thrive. The success of the platform to date delivered it to a critical point where it became clear that a higher level of independence would unlock Butter’s full growth potential. We couldn’t be more excited about our new partners and the future of this brand.”

More than 120,000 followers turn to Butter daily for stackable content on all things ATL, from sports and food to music, memes and original programming, including Atlannapedia: “The A” from A-to-Z. Butter’s work is Emmy nominated and its Webby Award-winning 2021 collaboration to transform Krystal's flagship fast-food store in West Midtown into a co-branded immersive experience, KrystalxButter, reflects its place as part of Atlanta’s cultural fabric. 

“Butter is synonymous with all things Atlanta culture,” said Brandon Butler, CEO of BUTTER.ATL “The shift from an internal idea launched and grown within Dagger to an external brand led by the team that helped build it is unprecedented. This move aims to unlock the true potential of Butter in service to the Atlanta community. I’m honored that cultural legends Big Boi and Killer Mike see the vision and can’t wait to share what Butter has in store next.”