Ryan Barkan and Mike Ladman have joined Droga5 New York as music supervisors, two new roles at the agency. Barkan and Ladman will further develop Droga5’s music and audio capabilities while seeking new opportunities for the agency and clients within traditional and nontraditional spaces. Barkan and Ladman will report to Droga5’s chief creation officer, Sally-Ann Dale.
Barkan joins Droga5 with 11 years of music industry experience as a sync-licensing and brand-partnerships specialist. He started his career at EMI Music Publishing, followed by a seven-year run at independent music publisher/management firm Primary Wave. As partner/executive creative director of licensing at Primary Wave, Barkan brokered creative partnerships between Wieden+Kennedy and Daniel Johnston and The Martin Agency and Def Leppard, respectively. His next venture took him to Warner Bros. Records as VP, creative licensing for ads, where he worked on releases from the Black Keys, Damon Albarn, Tom Petty and Royal Blood, to name a few. Barkan has licensed music for numerous brands over his career, such as Activision, Apple, Buick, Burger King, GMC, Google, Nike, Nissan, Sony and Southern Comfort.
Ladman comes from McCann Erickson, where he held the role of music producer for the past seven years. During that time, he provided music for clients across the agency’s roster, including Microsoft, the U.S. Army, Verizon, MasterCard, Weight Watchers, Nikon, Jose Cuervo, Lockheed Martin, the U.S. Postal Service, General Mills and L’Orรฉal. Most recently, he managed the music supervision for an indie film, Tracktown, which recently premiered at the LA Film Festival.
“After working on the label and publisher sides of the music business for over a decade, it is exciting to help shape Droga5’s musical point of view, as well be a part of the creative process at the agency,” said Barkan. “While Mike and I have diverse professional skills and experience, we share the same creative and forward-thinking vision for strategic music integration, and look forward to creating a dynamic, well-rounded music team together.”
Ladman added, “The opportunity to join the Droga5 team to develop the music department with someone as talented and experienced in music branding partnerships as Ryan is humbling. I’m thrilled about this new venture at Droga5 and can’t wait to push the boundaries of advertising, innovative content and engagement through the power of music.”
Droga5’s chief creation officer Dale noted, “For a long time we have succeeded quite well in positioning music for our brands. With the growth of the agency and the increased diversity of our work, this is the perfect time to add this greater expertise into our offering to better serve our clients. We’re looking forward to creating innovative and strategic partnerships to enhance the way in which Droga5 clients interact with music.”
Sinners and Saints Adds Apple Pie To Its Branded Menu
Bicoastal Sinners and Saints--the multidisciplinary studio overseen by managing director/executive producer Heather Heller, and partners/EPs Yann Henric and Thomas Carroll--has added Apple Pie Tabletop to its roster for branded content. Known for its food and beverage content creation, Apple Pie comprises the husband-and-wife team of director/DP Gene Dubin and director/art director Alisa Volodina. In addition to representation, the move expands Apple Pieโs production capabilities through the combination of its centrally located full-service studio in New York and a newly established mobile studio in Los Angeles. Apple Pie recently teamed with Sinners and Saints on a Wienerschnitzel project created by Innocean.
โWe believe that our dual studio strategy positions us uniquely in the competitive landscape of food and beverage storytelling,โ said Heller. โBy blending the artistry of the New York studio with the flexibility of our Los Angeles location, we can tailor our productions to meet the unique demands of each project, regardless of geography.โ
โWorking with Sinners and Saints in the demanding field of tabletop was an absolute pleasure,โ shared Apple Pie Tabletop in a joint statement. โWarm welcome, unwavering support and dedication--everything a director can ask for. The entire experience was both enjoyable and rewarding. We will not miss an opportunity to collaborate with them again.โ
โThe first thing you notice is that Apple Pie has beautiful work,โ Heller observed. โHaving worked with them, I can say that Gene and Alisa are extremely meticulous and detail-oriented; their combination of talent and agility appeals to agencies and clients.โ Also appealing to Heller is Apple Pie Tabletopโs brisk international... Read More