Staunton has long relied on its quaint charm and historic attractions to draw tourists. Now, the city — the birthplace of Woodrow Wilson — is getting more attention for its business-friendly amenities. 

When it comes to evolution, it’s hard to find a better example than Virginia’s Martin Agency. Like its quirkily contemporary Geico cavemen, the advertising firm sprang from primitive origins — a small shop doing mostly print work in a Southern city, far removed from the artistic chic of the East and West coasts. Yet over time Martin morphed into one of the country’s top-ranked agencies, producing breakout campaigns such as the Geico gecko and the UPS Brown ads.