IPG’s Deutsch is turning its New York and Los Angeles offices into separate agencies. Each becomes free to pursue clients independently sans any concerns over conflicts of interest. Deutsch NY continues to be led by CEO Val DiFebo. And Deutsch LA remains under the aegis of CEO Kim Getty.
The Deutsch shops thus can in theory thrive in their distinctly different cultures and play up their individual strengths.
Philippe Krakowsky, incoming CEO and current COO of IPG explained, “Since the start of this very unusual and challenging year, we’ve seen dynamic and independent leadership take hold at both offices, with Val and Kim focusing on their individual clients and culture. Kim has built on the Steelhead production capability on the West Coast, as well as further pivoting the agency into entertainment, tech and culture. Val continues to leverage our data, media and tech assets to enhance her agency’s strategic offering and business-building creative work. Given its history, the Deutsch brand is one that has the breadth and elasticity to support both operations, so that disparate clients can enjoy the benefits of having distinct, single-city offices with unique cultures and expertise.”
The move toward separation bucks the trend of agencies getting larger, bundling smaller shops together. At the same time, it is part of another movement within the industry whereby shops look to become smaller and more manageable so that they can operate more nimbly and pivot quickly to better serve clients and adjust to an ever changing marketplace. Certainly the ability to adapt has become all the more invaluable in 2020 during the ongoing pandemic.
New visual identities have been created for the L.A. and NY agencies. The visual ID for Deutsch NY was created by sr. art director Hyobee Kim, design director Joanna Durkalec and new business creative director Vinney Tecchio. Meanwhile the new visual ED for Deutsch LA was created and led by L.A.’s head of design Adhemas Batista.
