2026 Backstage Pass Intern

DRAKE COOPER’S BACKSTAGE PASS — 2026 SUMMER APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN

Drake Cooper’s Backstage Pass is accepting applications for the 2026 summer cohort. This is a paid, 8-week internship where emerging professionals get an immersive, real-world agency experience — not watching from the crowd, but backstage with the crew making it happen.

If selected, you’ll work alongside your cohort to tackle real client briefs with real stakes. You’ll rotate through weekly workshops led by practitioners across every agency discipline — from strategy and creative to media, UX, production, and account management. You’ll be paired with a dedicated mentor, and every two weeks, you’ll present your work to the full agency.

You’re going to work hard, ask good questions, get honest feedback, and leave with a portfolio and perspective that sets you apart.

HOW IT WORKS:

• Workshops. Each week features a discipline-specific workshop — agency orientation, strategy & analytics, creative, media, account management, UX & technology, video & photo production, and integrated campaigns. You’ll learn how each department thinks and works.
• Client Briefs. Every two weeks, your cohort receives a new brief pulled from real client challenges. Week one: kickoff and midway check-in. Week two: final presentation to the agency. Four briefs total across the summer.
• Mentorship. You’ll be matched with a Drake Cooper employee and discipline based on your area of interest. They’ll meet with you weekly, attend your presentations, and help you grow — not by giving you all the answers, but by helping you ask better questions.
• Show Time. Friday presentations are agency events. You’ll stand up, present your work, take questions, and get feedback from the people who do this every day.
  

REQUIREMENTS:

Don’t be a jerk. We have a pretty rigorous code around here, and being ambitious, kind, honest, creative, and innovative are big with us. Going first, failing first, standing up, and debating for work that gets results are what we do. That might not be you, but that doesn’t mean you won’t do well, you just won’t do it with us.

Also, we’d love to see:

• Graphic Design or Animation
• Copywriting or Content Production
• Project Management
• Photography or Video Production
• Social Media
• Email or text marketing
• Use of AI tools
• WordPress
• HTML, CSS, JavaScript
  

BENEFITS:

• Pay $19 per hour
• Hours 25 - 30 hours per week
• Letter of Recommendation: A letter of recommendation and/or introduction from the CEO for all the Backstage Pass holders at the end of the season.
• Access: We are busy and successful because we sincerely believe in nurturing young adlings so they can spread their wings and move out of their cars or parents’ basements. The interns will have open access to the agency and employees during their time at Drake Cooper. If you’re hungry to pull back the curtain and see the mess that makes the music, we’re glad to share what we know.
• School Credit: If you are still in school and seeking credit, this program qualifies for most institutions. Make sure you let us know in the interviews and we’ll work on that.
• Networking: It’s mutual, and we’ll be glad to know you for a lifetime.
  

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

https://drakecooper.com/internships

Apply by March 6, 2026! Interviews will happen throughout March, with offers going out to selected candidates in early April.

At Drake Cooper, we embrace differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status and other characteristics that make each of us unique. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and celebrate a culture based upon respect, diversity, and inclusion.