Karen Costello, who was instrumental in the early success and growth of Deutsch LA, will rejoin the agency as chief creative officer. Costello will lead the creative vision, oversee creative development and champion the culture of the agency working closely with CEO Kim Getty.
With more than 25 years in advertising, Costello has launched brands, created iconic, long-running campaigns and touched just about every category in marketing from cars to fashion to music. Costello comes to Deutsch LA from The Martin Agency where she served as chief creative officer, the first woman CCO in that agency’s history. During her tenure, the agency experienced double-digit growth, continued to receive multitudes of creative awards and shepherded industry-leading moves toward equitable and inclusive work environments, specifically as one of the first agencies to implement pay equity. She oversaw creative effort for the agency with a client roster that included Oreo, GEICO, DoorDash and Old Navy.
Prior to joining The Martin Agency in 2017, Costello served as executive creative director for Deutsch LA where she led creative teams for Target and Zillow, among many others. She was one of the agency’s first creative hires in 1997, helping to drive both creative and new business development, growing Deutsch LA’s footprint from 13 employees to over 400 in its first few years.
“Deutsch LA has always embodied a roll-up-your-sleeves, entrepreneurial spirit and much of that ethos stems from Karen’s imprint and history at the agency,” said Getty. “She helped take us from a small, West Coast shop to an agency with a national footprint, creating work for some of the most-sought after brands. And, when it comes to leading, inspiring and developing innovative creative thinking, Karen is an all-star. Her spirit and optimism provide a gravitational pull that bring people together. This homecoming marks an exciting moment for us—and I can’t wait to be on the same team once again.”
Costello stated, “I am a big believer in the power of creativity to solve business problems and I’ve always admired Deutsch’s ambition and entrepreneurial approach. I love big creative swings and environments that encourage agility and constant learning. It’s a nice full circle moment for me. I’m both honored and humbled to have the opportunity to return and be a part of their next chapter.”
Costello’s return underscores Deutsch LA’s commitment to hiring best-in-class talent. On the back of recent business momentum, the agency has seen an influx of returning talent, including SVPs/creative directors Chris MacNeil and Armando Samuels, SVP/group account director Fernando Barretto, and VP/account director Eneida Elenes.
The company has also expanded its senior leadership team to include Sorenne Gottlieb, EVP, executive creative director, Donesh Olyaie, EVP, group strategy director, and Ayn Howze, EVP, head of advocacy and communications.
Carrie Coon Relishes Being Part Of An Ensemble–From “The Gilded Age” To “His Three Daughters”
It can be hard to catch Carrie Coon on her own.
She is far more likely to be found in the thick of an ensemble. That could be on TV, in "The Gilded Age," for which she was just Emmy nominated, or in the upcoming season of "The White Lotus," which she recently shot in Thailand. Or it could be in films, most relevantly, Azazel Jacobs' new drama, "His Three Daughters," in which Coon stars alongside Natasha Lyonne and Elizabeth Olsen as sisters caring for their dying father.
But on a recent, bright late-summer morning, Coon is sitting on a bench in the bucolic northeast Westchester town of Pound Ridge. A few years back, she and her husband, the playwright Tracy Letts, moved near here with their two young children, drawn by the long rows of stone walls and a particularly good BLT from a nearby cafe that Letts, after biting into, declared must be within 15 miles of where they lived.
In a few days, they would both fly to Los Angeles for the Emmys (Letts was nominated for his performance in "Winning Time" ). But Coon, 43, was then largely enmeshed in the day-to-day life of raising a family, along with their nightly movie viewings, which Letts pulls from his extensive DVD collection. The previous night's choice: "Once Around," with Holly Hunter and Richard Dreyfus.
Coon met Letts during her breakthrough performance in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe?" on Broadway in 2012. She played the heavy-drinking housewife Honey. It was the first role that Coon read and knew, viscerally, she had to play. Immediately after saying this, Coon sighs.
"It sounds like something some diva would say in a movie from the '50s," Coon says. "I just walked around in my apartment in my slip and I had pearls and a little brandy. I made a grocery list and I just did... Read More