Imagine a Place – The Magical Zizzo Group Headquarters
Imagine a place where creativity flows like the river nearby. Envision a place as vibrant and electric as the city that surrounds it. That place is our headquarters at 131 S. 1st Street in Milwaukee. The striking white building on the corner radiates strength, stability, and inspiration. This magical space was acquired by Zizzo Group, entirely reimagined, redeveloped, and renovated, and has been our home for the past two of our 30 years in business. Both our building and our company have a rich, storied past. Now, we’re raising a toast to three decades of bold ideas, fearless storytelling, and the incredible people who make it all possible.
The enchanted ZG Headquarters was built in 1866 by liquor merchant Emil Schneider, and it has housed various businesses over the years, including Brass Light Gallery and Seeds of Health High School. In the late 80s, when Brass Light Gallery operated its manufacturing and retail store out of our space, a disgruntled employee set the building on fire. Luckily, thanks to pallets of inventory stored on the second floor in the building, and the swift response of the Milwaukee Fire Department, the building was saved. As a tribute to its storied past, we retained two of the charred black walls and all of the original charred structural posts and incorporated them into our motif as historic design elements. For the full, colorful history of the building, check out the urban spelunking article by Bobby Tanzilo.
White House Club Lives on with Us
Before we painted the building its current white, Tanzilo delved into the building’s history and discovered that one of the spirits created here at the previous distillery was called “White House Club.” We knew then that we had to bring this back, reviving the name in a bold new way for our Zizzo Group “white house”. All it took was a quick call and a couple of tastings with our friend, Jim Kanter at Central Standard Distillery, and we decided to create a ZG house bourbon whiskey. We collaborated to produce a private label single-barrel whiskey to celebrate the storied history of the distillery, saloon, and boarding house from the 1800s into our new offices. The entire story is featured on the label of our bourbon whiskey, which we fittingly named White House Club.
In just six months, architect Matt Rinka and his team at RINKA+ along with the talented team at general contractor Gardner Builders turned our building into a cutting-edge headquarters buzzing with energy and creativity. One of the coolest features is our 1870s elevator, which is the third-oldest functioning elevator of its kind in the state. It’s a bit noisy with its ropes and pulleys, but the ride is smooth, and when you’re riding in it, you can’t help but feel like you are in a 19th-century time machine. Plus, we love hanging out around the fire pit on our new rooftop terrace and waving to passengers on the Amtrak and cargo trains that pass by on the always busy two tracks, five feet behind the building.
Reimagining Our Business
Transforming this space wasn’t merely about bricks and beams— it was about creating a vibrant reflection of who ZG is and where we are headed. And what better way to fuel inspiration than with a stunning river view? We’re lucky to have the Milwaukee River right next to our office, flowing through the heart of downtown. So, we embraced it in true ZG fashion, launching the S.S. Zizzo—our very own pontoon—for unforgettable meetings and social events right on the water. It’s a celebration of our city, our spirit, and our passion for connection (as well as a great spot to enjoy ZG’s White House Club whiskey).
Breathing new life into a historic venue sparked a new chapter for us. Once the space took shape, we turned our focus inward: how can we be bolder, better, more aligned with our mission while creating better results for clients? The answer? Keep growing. In December 2023, we welcomed the talented team from Celtic—a creative force from the Third Ward—into the ZG family. That’s five passionate pros and 20 incredible clients joining our journey. It’s our eighth acquisition—and we’re just getting started.
From Humble Beginnings to a Bold Future
Our journey began humbly in 1995 in Anne Zizzo’s basement, providing media buying and planning services to Gottschalks Department Store chain in the Pacific Northwest and marketing consulting to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel here in our backyard. But we had big dreams. And very quickly, we expanded our capabilities, grew our team, and built something special. Today, we’re a full-service digital and engagement marketing firm that thrives on creating measurable results in all industries—from healthcare, technology, and higher education to travel and tourism and financial services. We don’t just create; we connect. And we do it through smart strategy, engaging content, precise media targeting, and creative design that builds relationships with customers. We’re proud to deliver measurable results through our proprietary EXCITE process, which has been tested and validated by academics against Lean Six Sigma standards. This ensures that every website, message, PR campaign, or social and digital strategy we provide is both functional and unforgettable.
Equally unforgettable are all the growth, laughs, friendships, and fun we’ve experienced along the way. We believe that the best work happens when good people come together. Milwaukee is our home, and we’re grateful to be part of the spotlight shining on our city during its incredible resurgence. The ZG team shows up—for each other, our clients, and our community. Whether it’s launching a new campaign or waving to a passing train from our rooftop terrace, we put our passion, heart, and smiles into each other and everything we do.
Celebrating 30 Years
As we celebrate 30 years of engagement marketing, we’re raising a glass (maybe filled with White House Club bourbon whiskey) to our journey so far—and to the exciting future ahead. We’d love for you to be part of it! Stop by for a tour, a conversation, and maybe even a bourbon whiskey. Our door’s always open—let’s keep creating magic together.