During the course of his career, executive producer Phillip Detchmendy has launched directors, opened successful production companies, guided the production of award-winning ad campaigns and been an active participant in the ad community’s efforts to give back to society. Now he’s bringing that resume to the L.A.-based FANCY Content, where he’s come on board as executive producer and partner to founder and EP Robert Wherry.
Detchmendy joins FANCY from RSA, where he was an executive producer, working across its advertising and branded entertainment practices.
“Having Phillip join me at FANCY adds such an intriguing dimension to our company,” said Wherry. “The demands and expectations for every project in today’s market requires stronger and sharper producer skills, not to mention deep, trusted relationships with agencies and brands.
“Successful companies know intuitively what projects are right for their people, and more importantly, they’ll be able to show clients how their solutions are the ones that will garner the best results,” Wherry added. “Phillip and I bring all that and more to the table every day. The level of expertise we possess, quite honestly, is as much a resource for our agency clients as it is for our own creative roster.”
At FANCY, that roster includes the directorial team Radish as well as directors Ed McCulloch, Sophy Holland, Amit Mehta and Nanno Jiskoot, along with tabletop specialist Rob Fiocca.
Detchmendy got his start on the production side and has worked in a range of production, EP and managing director roles at companies like Satellite Films and Tool of North America. Ads that he’s executive produced have won every major award in the industry, from Cannes Lions to D&AD and One Show Pencils, Clios, Webby Awards and AICP Show honors.
Equally noteworthy is his role as co-founder of The Fireflies West, an annual charity bicycle ride comprised of people from the ad industry who, for the past dozen years, have ridden from San Francisco to Los Angeles every fall to raise money for blood cancer research at the City of Hope Medical Center. The group has raised almost $2.7 million to date.
“Robert and I have known each other for years, and I’ve always had a great deal of respect for him,” said Detchmendy. “We’ve bid against each other many times, and traded wins back and forth. He’s smart, strategic and sales-focused, in addition to having impeccable taste. The more we talked, the more obvious a fit this became. We’re both very hands-on in our approach to the business, and share similar points of view.”
Detchmendy is eager to bring his insight to bear on FANCY, its talent and its client relationships. “I’ve had the privilege of being at some top companies, working with amazing creative artists and sales people,” he observed. “I’m excited to work with Robert and use my experience and network to advance the careers of our directors. We’re a solutions-oriented company that takes care of its people and its agency/brand clients. As a creative boutique, we have the ability to pivot and move quickly, since we’re not encumbered by massive overhead or outmoded thinking. That’s a great niche to occupy, given the pressures and opportunities the industry faces today.”
