2021 Mid Year Report Card

2021 Mid Year Report Card Survey Response

Vedia Ayvaz

SVP, Entertainment Marketing & Design

Known

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

Working from home changed everything for all of us, but at Known Studios, it unlocked a type of creativity and collaboration that none of us could have foreseen. Seeing that we can successfully execute when remote, without compromising the creative integrity has been illuminating and exciting! It allows us to think beyond the restrictions and broaden our scope, unlocking things globally and opening up many more opportunities with partners who aren’t in our backyards.

How has the call for equity, racial and social justice affected, honed or influenced your sense of responsibility as a company in terms of the content you create and/or your commitment to opening up opportunities for filmmaking talent from underrepresented backgrounds?

It made us think more deeply about culture, and how we listen; to our talent, our clients and our audience. Our work is to both drive and reflect culture, while also building better culture internally for our teams. Everybody strives for authenticity, but you can only be authentic to a changing world by inviting in new voices and new perspectives and encouraging them to create something authentic to themselves. We as an organization have the responsibility to our teams and our partners to make this priority number one as we grow.

What’s the biggest takeaway or lessons learned from work (please identify the project) you were involved in that was or is in the running for current awards season consideration (i.e., Emmys, Cannes Lions, etc.)?

Our work with Shift4, and the planned Inspiration4 launch and documentary, was an expert study in simplicity. Simple is the way you get to authenticity with a brand and an audience. It was an honest marketing campaign and reflected the relatability of the client, but made a true impact with the audience and creative community.

While gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to content creation and/or the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2021 and beyond.

We’re hearing from our clients that a 360° strategy for their campaigns is no longer an aspirational nice-to-have, it is what is actually needed to connect with audiences. The tone, the voice, the look has to be consistent and real at every consumer touchpoint, not just the same spot ported from platform to platform (which isn’t 360°, it’s just lip service). Specifically in entertainment, building creative that allows the audience to be a part of the brand is the future; we’re going to see creative from the best that feels very customized for people -- built specifically for them -- especially on the platforms where they spend the most time.

What are your goals, creatively speaking and/or from a business standpoint, for your company, division, studio or network in 2021?

My goal is to continue to build relationships with our clients that are true partnerships, not just us acting as a creative services arm for them. We get the best and most successful creative for campaigns when we are immersed in it together, and build trust and understanding through true collaboration. When we intuitively know where our partners want to be with their audience, in culture, and in their competitive set, we can unlock the best and most high-impact campaigns.

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

From my view, it’s become clear that video is the base level expectation of marketing content across platforms. Audiences and platforms want dynamic video, whether that be a TikTok or a trailer or a full feature. I also think that experiential has started to come roaring back, but it will be even more immersive post-COVID; as “being there” and being a part of something evokes a feeling and connection that passive advertisement just can’t touch.

What work (advertising, entertainment)--your own or others--struck a responsive chord with you and/or was the most effective creatively and/or strategically so far this year? Does any work stand out to you in terms of meshing advertising and entertainment?

The brand campaign KNOWN did with TikTok predated my time here, but it truly stands out in this way. TikTok earned themselves explosive growth, but they also found themselves in some strange political crosshairs, and the strategy and creative broke through and unlocked their audience to celebrate and advocate for the brand. “It Starts on TikTok” is just a brilliant piece of copy that unlocked an authentic campaign that showcased the creators, the platform and the zeitgeist they power in such an entertaining and clever way.

Jesse Brihn

Director of Film and Content Production

Droga5

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

We’ve always placed a strong emphasis on communication and organization as well as internal and external team building; however, like everyone, COVID has had a significant impact, and being fully remote has led us to evolve and advance our process. Production itself will always be as much an art as a science, and its success requires a balance of trust, confidence and support alongside experience, knowledge and ambition. Ensuring we maintain clear and accessible communication inspires connectivity, and keeping consistent and organized processes gives us greater flexibility to pursue creative production solutions. Equally important, we’re focused on scaling our processes to ensure we continue to advocate and implement diversity, inclusion and sustainability within the industry.

Several of our projects have been recognized this year, including work for The New York Times, Facebook, Huggies and Paramount+. Core to our success, but also true across all our work, has been an overall emphasis on collaboration and flexibility. By interrogating our production approaches and digging deep into each production strategy prior to award, we’re able to adapt and evolve to any circumstance and environment without losing any creative ambition or production momentum.

While difficult to forecast forward, requests to concept and produce new content have increased dramatically. And as the workload across the industry continues to increase, a growing emphasis within clients, agencies and the production community now includes a louder voice asking for details behind the “how” and “why” projects are made. Diversity, inclusion and sustainability will continue to be discussed across all productions, and audiences will expect authenticity and accountability as much as they do captivating and engaging storytelling.

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

As creative strategies have evolved, clients and agencies have grown more comfortable adapting their budgets, timelines and overall production approaches. Audiences have an insatiable hunger and, especially due to the proliferation of devices, are now consuming content at rates we haven’t seen before. Keeping up with the demand requires discipline and ingenuity, and both aspects carry opportunities to increase diversity and inclusion as well as manage sustainable productions. Producing work in times of COVID has given everyone greater insight into production management, and it’s our responsibility to keep the momentum and hold each other accountable.

Ali Brown

President/Executive Producer

PRETTYBIRD

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

I don’t think we’ll ever forget the impact of the pandemic. I think despite the incredible stress and fear we all felt, it also forged partnerships and trust between agencies, clients, and production companies that I hope will remain. It was a moment in time where you had to join hands and take a leap together, and even as we start to be able to return very cautiously back to filming more traditionally, there are certain hands I hope to never let go of.

I have learned that calls alone can go unanswered. You can’t just say you are going to do something or sign up for the pledge, you have to put in the work. And if you can’t make the big systemic changes you want, find a way to make a change at any level. Then do that every single day. There aren’t any excuses. Put in the time it takes to create access, mentor, fundraise, give opportunity. Whatever you have to give, give it. And then give more. Every day I tell myself there is more that I can do. That’s the responsibility I feel.

I don’t know if there was a job that was more difficult than Beats “You Love Me” to bring to life in my career. But I do know that there hasn’t been one that is more rewarding. The bravery of everyone involved - Melina, Lena, the team at Translation and Beats - it was a road of intense conversations, raw emotions, shooting in brutal conditions - but to see the resonance it had in culture, made it a piece I will never forget. I’m very proud to have played a part in that and it was a reminder that what we do is not just sell shit. We also get to the hold the microphone. And the words we speak have power. So we sure as hell better make sure what we are saying is worth listening to...

I wish I knew. I have hopes - I hope companies and countries find ways to recover from the staggering losses professionally and personally this past year. I hope that there is a restoration of optimism and the feeling that we will get through this globally. But at the moment it all feels tenuous. But in the height of the pandemic, we found ways to produce. So I’m confident that whatever is in front of us, as an industry we will keep going.

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

I think we’re still facing very real situations due to Covid-19. Limitations on travel, safety for filming, how we approach the workplace. We can’t look at ourselves as an industry that’s just within this country - we are inherently a part of a global community and sadly I don’t think we’ll be through this in 2021.

There was so much work I loved. I think just the fact that there was such an incredible breadth of creative work that came out this past year is a testament to the great minds of our industry. The Change the Ref graduation piece where they tricked the former president of the NRA stopped me in my tracks. And on the other end of the tonal spectrum you have pieces like Alexa’s Body or Burberry that I could have watched on loop for sheer enjoyment. When it comes to the mesh of advertising and entertainment, I think Alex Prager’s piece for Miller Lite was groundbreaking. The fact that it was an actual installation at LACMA and could be enjoyed as much as a work of art as a brand piece, to me was inspirational in terms of meshing worlds.

Dalia Burde

Founder/Executive Producer

Avocados and Coconuts

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

We have tried for years to find the most streamlined approach but it was not always easy to get the full wider team on board, including the client.

The pandemic forced everyone’s hand to be as streamlined as possible since there was no other choice. The necessity to move to 100% remote viewing has hopefully shown the industry that we can be more efficient with less bodies on set monitoring the action. It allows us to place more energy and resources to the crew and the action taking place on screen than the action at video village. It allowed for more technology integration and deeper research into ways to improve the remote monitoring options.

On the post side, we invested in remote team access to our server allowing everyone full remote access to shared media and projects -- which now opens up our ability to work with some of our favorite collaborators when they are not in the same geographic location in a truly seamless and integrated way.

Being back in the office, we definitely have benefited from the expediency of feedback and workflow but it gave us confidence that the hybrid model can work really well moving forward.

We are a company founded and run by people from underrepresented groups, so this has always been top of mind. The call simply strengthened our commitment and made us not fall asleep at the wheel when it comes to building our team as we grow. As a WOSB and NGLCC certified company, it is incredibly important that the makeup of the company remains diverse as well. We truly believe that when you have more diverse voices in the process, from start to finish, the work is stronger. We have listened to our staff and tried to be responsive and look outside traditional avenues for seeking talent and fostering the right people when the opportunity arises.

As for the content we create, we love to focus on the more unexpected stories and oftentimes, those tend to exist when you highlight the groups of people that have not been the point of focus for society at large. And doing so not because it is on trend but because the story is better.

It is even more crucial that those stories are supported by people from more diverse backgrounds themselves. It is not always feasible, of course, but something we strive to ensure whenever possible.

I do not want to jinx anything but the start of 2021 has been our busiest and best two quarters to date in our 10 years in business. We hope to continue on this growth trajectory while being able to be a little more deliberate in the work we take on. The first part of the year, I felt we had our heads down and were simply trying to get everything completed and not under-deliver. We are finally coming up for a little air. We have made several hires in the last couple of months to support this and hope we can leverage that to make all our work stronger and our offerings to our clients that much more robust.

I feel clients are anxious to make things and be out in the world. It is clear Covid may be with us for a while longer but we are all adapting and moving forward. It truly is pretty incredible to see human resilience.

What are your goals, creatively speaking and/or from a business standpoint, for your company, division, studio or network in 2021?

A year ago, we were in a pretty dark place, trying to ensure the company survived and we didn’t lose any team members. So, I do feel so grateful to be answering this question a year later.

In hindsight, it was a really great pivot point for us. Almost like a little reckoning. We took stock of the work we loved making and what we had to offer. 2021 is about putting that vision into place in a very deliberate manner. So far, I am feeling really good about our progress.

I was able to make Amani King a partner/ECD in the company and we’re actively working to strengthen our creative team and build our director roster with intention. With the addition of our new CD, Michael Grant, we are positioning ourselves to go after the work we want with confidence, as well as better support those clients who already have an existing creative team. We also want to produce our multiple passion projects that focus on subjects with an overall beneficial social impact, something we all feel strongly about as a team.

It is a great lesson to trust that sometimes the most interesting and positive change can come out of the most difficult and trying times.

Joe Calabrese

EVP, Director of Integrated Production

Deutsch NY

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

Remote shooting, editing, VFX, color, and mix is here to stay. Maybe not to the degree we’re implementing it now. But you’ll see more clients and agency personnel joining shoots and sessions for some time to come. It’s a great benefit in allowing people to train and mentor while getting involved in the process from afar. On the postproduction end, we’ve taken this time to create editorial and animation tools using proprietary software to automate real time optimization of asset creation. This allows us to move more quickly in the social space giving clients the ammunition to adjust on the fly based on real time results.

We’ve used this opportunity to course-correct our hiring process by turning to action. This includes our process at Deutsch NY, but also how we hire on the outside – with regard to directors, photographers, animators, illustrators, colorists and editors. We’re not just talking about change, we’re doing it. And tracking it. In the past year over 50% of our jobs have been awarded to people of color, women or the LGBTQ+ community. We are proud members of the Double the Line, Change the Lens and Free the Work initiatives – all bringing more awarded work to these underrepresented groups.

We’re proud of all the work we’ve done on behalf of all of our clients during this trying time. But one piece that stands out is the work we’ve done for AB in collaboration with Lionel Messi. It responded to a hot cultural topic and gave the fans a message they craved for from an iconic star.

BUDWEISER CROWNS LIONEL MESSI THE UNDISPUTED KING OF FOOTBALL AFTER RECORD BREAKING 644TH GOAL WITH BARCELONA - Deutsch New York Creates Film + Marketing Effort in Recognition of The King of Football

Video Source: YouTube

What are your goals, creatively speaking and/or from a business standpoint, for your company, division, studio or network in 2021?

We’ve recently started a division of Great Machine for hiring and managing the influencer and digital creator relationship. We now have a stable of creators at our finger tips creating content at a fraction of the cost we’ve been accustomed to. They’re experts in the ins-and-outs of internet culture including platform specific features, influential partners, discovering/unveiling new trends, and exploring emerging platforms. These relationships have proven to be invaluable in helping us redefine how we produce social.

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

Social, social, social. It lives at the forefront of our briefs. Real, authentic, messaging that’s culturally relevant is what our clients’ social fanbase is seeking. In this space, you must put speed over finesse, real over produced, and platform-specific over adapted. Craft has been redefined. There are now many ways to bring an idea to life. It’s our jobs to find that custom solution each time

Hillary Coate

Head of Integrated Production

Venables Bell + Partners

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

Over the last year and a half we’ve proven that we can be just as effective as individuals and as a company working remotely. Advertising is such a collaborative business. If you would have told me that day when we walked out of our office for what I assumed would be a few weeks would actually be 500+ days and counting I would have thought, “impossible, we will never make it!” Not only did we make it, we produced an award winning Super Bowl spot for Chipotle and managed to win several new pieces of business.

Ironically, I’ve found myself having many more 1:1s with my team and other department heads. We’ve worked hard at being more connected with people since we are not in person, and I don’t want to lose that as we move forward. I see a world where a hybrid model working from home and coming into an office could really be the balance that people have been yearning for all along. Now that we have experienced the benefits of both, I imagine people can be even more productive and efficient as we go into a post pandemic life.

VB+P is committed to building a more diverse and inclusive company. This extends to the vendors and suppliers we partner with. The work we put out into the world for our clients must also reflect these values.

As an agency, we were early adopters of Double the Line and have pledged with Free the Work and Change the Lens. On every job, we include underrepresented filmmaking talent with the intention of awarding director at least 25% of the time. And, at least 15% of the crew and department heads are diverse. We’ve also increased our use of underrepresented vendors/leads (edit, VFX, music/sound mix etc.) by 25%. I’m proud to say that we have already exceeded our goals this year.

In order to measure ourselves, we have developed tools to track our progress on each of our productions for Diversity & Inclusion both on and off camera, with DE&I wrap reports.

We had the fantastic opportunity earlier this year to develop a SuperBowl spot for our client Chipotle, entitled “Can a Burrito Change the World.” The spot features a young boy who rhetorically asks the question while highlighting the impact that Chipotle’s “Food with Integrity” standards could have on the world, including saving water, reducing carbon emissions and supporting local growers.

We’ve always admired Chipotle’s mission, however the production experience for this spot and other Chipole’s shoots over the years has had a significant impact on me and our team too. It’s been inspiring to see Chipotle’s strong partnerships with farms and farmers in action, and to witness these farmers’ incredible dedication to their craft. We’ve all personally learned a lot in this process, and are so proud of the work we’ve created together.

Overall, I’m thrilled to see a lot of great momentum happening in the industry as marketers generally seem to be ramping up their spending and making greater investments after an exceedingly challenging and uncertain year. At VB+P, we’ve been fortunate to have won several new accounts recently. The energy and optimism is palpable and we’re all fired up to do great things for our partners. I don’t have any specific content creation predictions per se, though am encouraged to see and embrace the many ways we’re able to build brands and their communities these days, including innovative platforms like personalized experiences and Brand AI.

What are your goals, creatively speaking and/or from a business standpoint, for your company, division, studio or network in 2021?

VB+P is an independent creative company with scale that is hell-bent on driving outsized impact for our partners, and this will always be our core mission. We’re also very focused on continuing to grow our in-house capabilities to support our clients’ evolving needs and goals.

I’m particularly involved in the growth and evolution of our internal production arm, Lumberyard Productions, as well as our social media division, Taproom. Lumberyard is a one-stop shop that consists of video, digital + print production, editorial, motion graphics, and studio with production leads in each area. Lumberyard is able to deliver content across medium, channel, and project scope—from quick-turnaround, ephemeral content to evergreen, brand-defining content.

With Taproom, our ambition is to deliver outstanding creativity at the speed of the newsfeed. Inorder to do this well, we tap into culture seeking to find the things that radiate “social energy.”. We can be inspired by the social energy created by celebrities, a meme, a dance or sometimes other brands, with the aim to create ideas that are both disruptive and buzz-worthy. We’re also focused on bringing them to life in a way that is native to the social world in which they will live, and to increase the chance they will unleash their own social energy.

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

Video advertising is still dominant but I see a shift to new innovative ways to use it such as live streaming and platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels. Now more than ever, people are using their phones for a significant portion of their shopping, browsing, and entertainment experiences during stay-at-home advisories and country lockdowns. Therefore, they are less receptive to longer commercial videos. Easy to watch, short form video ads are becoming much more popular than ever before.

This mobile first approach provides information to people in real-time in which they can respond to instantly, and the intended audience is easier to target/track.

Audiences today are demanding action and accountability. Preserving our environment for future generations is top of mind for many and they want to see this reflected in the values of companies. For me, this was clear in the Super Bowl ad we did for Chipotle centered around sustainability. Chipotle’s commitment of positive real-world change is exemplified in this ad. To cultivate a better world, Chipotle’s real sustainability platform drives positive, measurable impact by changing the future of food. Because by changing the future of food, you have the opportunity to literally change the future and the world.

Tasha Dean

EVP, Head of Production

The Martin Agency

The DoorDash “Soul of the City” film premiered at The Tribeca Film Festival. The film followed the people powering some of New York City’s infamous restaurants. The focus is squarely on rebuilding restaurants in a post-pandemic world. With its narrative storytelling and cinematic approach, the film captures some of the raw emotion felt when a culture is disrupted to its very core. The authenticity and resiliency of the owners helping to drive the restoration of connectivity was emotionally moving.

Throughout the process, we learned that to capture these kinds of stories we had to be less structured in our creative and production approach. If everything ‘zagged’ then we had to follow the trail and adapt on the fly. Due to its unstructured nature, there really needs to be a deep genuine trust between client and agency to pull something like this off. It was an unforgettable wild ride.

Looking ahead by looking back. Necessity is the mother of invention. There have been some wildly creative innovations in the production space over the past year. Decades-old processes have been rewritten, remote setups have fused tech and craft and new motion capture systems have allowed us to do the unimaginable at record speed. The people driving change now are definitely a new breed of leader. With variables constantly changing these people literally thrive at the edge of chaos. What could be unnerving for most seems to bring out the best in them. They drive forward with original and imaginative creative thinking. For them, it’s part art and part science. It’s fascinating to watch it unfold and I’m genuinely excited to see where this goes.

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

As our head of talent and culture would say “CULTURE IS KING, QUEEN, AND EVERYONE IN-BETWEEN.” The ability to create the best work with the people you love is magical. It’s only possible when a culture is created that allows for this kind of unfiltered collaboration to happen. We exist because of one another, so it’s only right that our culture means everything and everyone. At Martin, an amazing amount of effort goes into creating the perfect conditions that foster this kind of creativity. Any organization that doesn’t focus on creating a culture where creativity, collaboration, and imagination can flourish is missing the point altogether.

Jesse Dylan

CEO & Founder

Wondros

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

The idea of “the office” has forever changed. We have offices in LA, San Diego, Washington DC, and Pittsburgh, but we have employees across the country. Some of our staff have permanently relocated to be closer to their families, and we celebrate this. Everyone at Wondros has found and continues to find a way to use the tools and resources we have at our disposal to pull together and get our work done. Our team members continue to thrive and exceed expectations.

We’ve also had to adapt our production approach quite a bit during the pandemic. We’ve really had to tackle remote filming. You can still do great work and build a strong community through telecommunications.

Many established businesses have been forced to close, and many gifted entrepreneurs have seen businesses that they’ve dutifully built over decades wiped out in a matter of weeks and months. Wondros has had the privilege to expand our client base and increase the number of products and services we offer. And that is only because of our employees and their ability to continually innovate and rise to the challenges of the times.

Wondros’ mission is to serve. The problems that we work on - issues such as equitable healthcare and social justice - continue to be the primary focus of our company. Our diversity, equity, and inclusion plan challenges leadership to prioritize inclusion that supports our people internally and creates more opportunities through more diversity and gender balance in our hiring, as well as a commitment to pay equity. Our new Chief People Officer, who we hired in 2021, is helping to lead this effort with a fundamental philosophy that equity and inclusion is not just a box you check off - it’s a way of being and running a company. Commitment requires consistency. We must actively practice what we believe, and we will always have more to learn.

The pandemic has taught us that life and this world can be remarkably unpredictable. I don’t have a crystal ball, but I believe that the next few years will be no different. No one can know for certain where we are headed, but I’m excited to take on new challenges and opportunities

Lisa Effress

Managing Partner

11 Dollar Bill

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

I, like most, felt a lot of emotion at the onset of the pandemic. I was concerned about myself and my family, and also for the world at large. All of the uncertainty really weighed heavily on my mind. But, being able to spend quality time with my family at home turned out to be a huge blessing.
Before the pandemic, I was traveling a TON and missing out on so much regarding my little girl. Once the stay-at-home order was in place and we had no choice but to do just that, we embraced the family time and made some amazing memories.

Regarding 11 Dollar Bill, long before Covid-19, we were utilizing remote work capabilities across all three of our offices primarily due to geography. But when the pandemic hit, it became clear that we needed to implement additional technologies such as Slack and Streambox to facilitate long-distance collaboration and remain productive. These solutions have worked exceedingly well and proven not simply to be stop-gap measures, but efficient ways to get things done.

We will continue to offer remote options for our clients and are working to further extend and improve services to benefit clients who value that convenience.

Although the pandemic brought unpredictable challenges, we have weathered the storm without serious set-backs. We remained productive and were not only able to avoid staff reductions, but we actually increased staff over the past year. We owe that to the dedication of our talented team and the loyalty of our clients and business partners.

Equity, racial and social justice require more than just a lack of discrimination, they require access to opportunities. It is important for those with the power to offer opportunities to others, such as through job creation, to do so regardless of an individual’s social status. Admittedly, we all can do a better job at that.

It’s important for us to realize that we don’t need to start a movement, we just need to join in.

We worked on a video for a local bahn mi sandwich shop, Daikon, which is currently shortlisted for an AICP Post Award. It’s a huge honor and we are so grateful.

The video was originally concepted to be a love letter from Daikon to the town of Boulder, but when Covid hit, the idea evolved into a really funny, apocalyptic story that fit the suddenly empty streets we were filming in. We had no idea the video would be such a huge hit, and we were glad to produce something that made people laugh during such a dark time in our history.

Things are looking up. We are seeing more and more productions happening, and agencies/brands aren’t as cautious as they were last year at this time in terms of spending. I believe things will only get better from here. We will continue to see brands producing clever content that reflects the times, with an uptick in creativity and more meaningful work.

What are your goals, creatively speaking and/or from a business standpoint, for your company, division, studio or network in 2021?

Our goals for 2021 haven’t changed since our inception: be kind and do good work. That said, a lot has changed in the world. We have adapted accordingly and will continue to do so moving forward. We feel a responsibility to advocate for change and we do that through social media platforms, the work we produce, the people we hire, and the culture we build in our community and beyond.

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

The biggest trend would have to be remote working. Although the concept of working from home or some other remote location is not new, the shift to more flexible working arrangements cannot be ignored. The pandemic forced a lot of people to work outside their offices, and now, even as things are opening up, not everyone is returning. People got used to working from home and they got good at it. Therefore, I don’t think we’ll ever go fully back to the old normal. Some degree of remote work is the new normal.

11 Dollar Bill has been incredibly productive throughout the pandemic and I’m so proud of our team for stepping up. While we miss seeing each other in person and having that human connection, I believe few people will return to the office five days per week. What we need to do now is have a conversation with our employees about their desire to work from home if they have it. We want to work with them to find balance between the shift toward long-term remote work and the physical work space.

I really loved Nike’s “You Can’t Stop Us” campaign. It felt very appropriate during the pandemic and I appreciate how they used sports as a source of inspiration and force for change.

Empty stadiums, cancelled games, and closed gyms didn’t stop athletes from using their voices to underscore the hopes and dreams we share with people around the world, and the desire to create a better world. By addressing the pandemic in a subtle but real way, the message was hopeful, not scary, empathetic, not apathetic.

Combining the ideas of inclusivity and perseverance made the campaign memorable. By including black, white, Muslim, Asian, male, female, abled and disabled athletes, the work showed that sports can not only bring us together, but that we’re never alone.

In addition to the messaging, the editing in this campaign was phenomenal. The montage and seamless split-screen technique was energetic and breathtaking. It was highly effective at highlighting the parallels between sports and athletes, and by doing so in such an interesting and unique way, it truly deserves praise.

Nicole Ellingson

Creative Director

Quigley-Simpson

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

The pandemic made clear the fundamental need for human connection. The barriers of isolation meant that connection needed to be more active, creative, and intentional. This had an important impact on me as I had to be more proactive in reaching out to people, connecting with my team, and being more thoughtful about how we connect to people through our work. During the pandemic, our clients tasked us with bringing people joy, and that is something I want to see continue. If that is not our compass, what is?

We created virtual events, at home meal kits, road trip itineraries, and rewards that did just that. Moving forward, I hope this ethos continues to guide us. Whatever the circumstances, whether personal, professional or through a campaign, we need to meet people where they are with a positive intention. Modern advertising is about building community and how you impact that community matters. That shift was certainly accelerated during the pandemic.

One of the reasons I value being part of the Quigley-Simpson team is our agency’s commitment to diversity. As the country’s largest WBENC-certified, woman-owned agency in the country, and with women and people of color represented in top leadership positions and throughout the agency, we are committed to collaborating with other diverse creators and content makers. This is important to everyone at the agency and also important to our clients. We understand the value of amplifying different voices and perspectives. It truly yields the best work.

Representation matters. Equity matters. And, it matters in front of the camera as well as behind. It matters in leadership, and it certainly matters in the way we talk about inclusion. It’s not enough to check a box, we need to foster an environment where all voices can be welcomed, heard, and fairly represented. As we create campaigns and content, we have a powerful responsibility to show multidimensional characters that challenge stereotypes and inspire others to see what’s possible. This representation matters in every aspect of production, because you can’t craft compelling stories if you exclude people from the decision-making process.

This is something that has guided my career from the beginning. Advertising has changed dramatically since I first started, but it still has a ways to go. I’m happy to be doing work that keeps pushing boundaries so that real, authentic, human stories can be told.

We’re currently working on a campaign for a major travel brand that encourages people to “Expand your world” and see things from a fresh perspective. Our platform expresses the good of travel—the power it has to expose us to new cultures, people, and experiences. Throughout this campaign, we are sharing real stories from people who are pushing boundaries and following their passions. The people we’ve met throughout this campaign have been a big inspiration for me and really opened my eyes to the ways representation matters. In one story, we learned how self-acceptance can shift once we are empowered to live out our dreams. It’s incredible how much what we see influences what we think we can be, and I’m happy to be working on stories that make things seem possible for other people.

It’s also been interesting to reflect on our team—from production, to editing, to our agency and our clients—it’s a diverse group of people committed to telling these stories. We all value authenticity and integrity, and we encouraged these stories be told from the voice of our creators—unscripted, and with their prior review before launch. With so many platforms putting people in control of their own narrative, and providing the ability to craft incredible content, it’s our job to simply amplify these stories, not put words in their mouths. Our job is to inspire and create opportunity.

Community building and authenticity is critical. Stories need depth and a sensitivity that wasn’t always present before. We need to ask ourselves multiple questions as we create them. “Are we challenging or reinforcing stereotypes? Is this honoring someone’s story or exploiting it? Who was part of the decision-making process? How are we meeting people where they are? Are we inspiring people with our work or creating a culture of exclusion?” The future is paved with empathy and thoughtfulness. It’s no longer enough to be clever or strategic. You need to connect with your audience. Our humanity is our strength.

What are your goals, creatively speaking and/or from a business standpoint, for your company, division, studio or network in 2021?

My goal for 2021 and beyond is to continue to tell compelling stories and uncover perspectives that challenge the status quo. We are all capable of crafting a better world with every choice we make. It starts with small things, like making time to truly check in with my friends, family and colleagues. It means actively listening instead of pushing my own agenda. I really just want to be a cheerleader for what’s possible. I see the role of a leader not as the person people look up to, but the person people feel supported by.

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

I’m really excited to see the creativity of the next generations. People are creating content from birth, they are savvy, they are plugged into a more connected world. While many may lament this, I’m optimistic that this will build communities online and off that are more engaged, thoughtful, and view the world through a bigger lens. Empathy is trending and I’m here for it.

We are consistently being asked to create advertising that is also educational, entertaining, and inspiring. From branded content to exclusive series and even traditional ads, we are looking to connect with people in a real, human way. There is a lot of competition for eyeballs today, if you aren’t compelling, you will be skipped over.

I’ve really admired the community that Peleton has built and see that as a benchmark for the ways brands can bring people together in a meaningful way. Advertising is no longer one-sided. It’s cultivating a conversation.

We work with travel brands, which was very challenging during a pandemic. What we learned was that simply planning travel—having something to look forward to—can boost your mood. Our three-part virtual dance party series that brought cultures and dance moves from around the world to people’s living rooms was a great way to keep that inspiration alive. We tapped into a positive community through a connected experience and the feedback we received was incredible. We were actively listening, and the joy was palpable.

Community. Hope. It keeps us all moving forward.

Thibaut Estellon

Founder/Executive Producer

REVERSE

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

The crisis pushed everyone to trim the fat, decentralize, and recenter our priorities. Our ability to be nimble and keep overhead low prepared us for the sea change -- and with our roster and team spread around different continents and time zones, the pandemic reinforced many practices we already had in place in terms of remote collaboration. While producing during the pandemic required contingency plans and flexibility, it opened up new ways of thinking in terms of doing production on a global scale. There’s now more trust and respect in the remote process since agencies/clients still can’t always make it to set. In some ways, this new way of working feels more like a team effort. I’m glad to see this change. Lastly, I think this experience has made our business a bit more humane and understanding, as working from home forced us to really focus and be more efficient than ever. There’s no time for BS when you’re juggling kids at home and other personal priorities.

It is great to see more creatives and producers are paying more attention to underrepresented directors. In the past, I sometimes felt it was done to check the box, and I’m glad to see agencies and clients taking this seriously now. There’s more of a willingness now to give emerging directors a chance, too, and look at the work in a different way. We’re not only seeing more bids for underrepresented talent, but it’s also happening in casting -- briefs for real people, real diversity, and real characters. It’s equally important for us as a production partner to do our own due diligence in assembling diverse teams and crews. If diversity begins at the top of the production chain, then there’s a better chance for diversity to extend on set when crewing up for a shoot.

It’s been picking up since the vaccines. I hope this will last. But I’m nervous about the lack of collaboration on a global scale to help slow down the emergence of new variants. We can’t be truly safe and back to “business as usual” until developed countries help other countries reach their vaccination goals. There’s a false sense of security and we could easily fall back into a Groundhog Day scenario.

This is affecting us and limiting our options to produce campaigns, not to mention endangering the local production ecosystems. Some of our favorite offshore shooting destinations are having a hard time recovering from the pandemic, such as South Africa and many countries in South America. And I won’t even go into the various international travel bans, which have been a pain to deal with.

From a creative standpoint, I think - and hope - we will see bolder concepts, fun, and cinematic stuff. It’s time for agencies and clients to be bold; it doesn’t help the audience and clients to play it safe.

What are your goals, creatively speaking and/or from a business standpoint, for your company, division, studio or network in 2021?

As a relatively young company, we want to continue developing our roster and opportunities for our directors. We’re in the mix with A-list directors and established companies, something we achieved in a relatively short amount of time. This is fun and exciting. I’m glad to see our vision and the voices of our directors matter more and more. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

It’s been a strange year. It feels like the world has gone mad. The distrust in institutions, politics, science, and media as well as the fracture in our democracies will have lasting effects. It does make me worried -- for my kids, our society, and our industry, too. We all need to think long and hard about how we are contributing to this problem -- and what we can do to fix it. Brands and advertisers have a big responsibility in finding ways to help their consumers regain trust in the media and not aggravate the divisiveness in our society.

Jason Gaboriau

Chief Creative Officer

Doner

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

The pandemic has affected me and my family much the same as everyone else. We masked up. Stocked up on TP, disinfectant, snacks and hunkered down to stay safe. It was scary at first, but, as the days, weeks, and months went by, we started to really enjoy this special time together and became much closer.

We went through an analogous emotional journey at the (virtual) office. There was a lot of fear and frustration, especially early on, not knowing how long we would need to work remotely. We dug deep and rallied together. We stayed focused on our business and our clients’ businesses. With a clear mission and a shared goal, the agency really flourished, and Doner LA ended up having its best year ever.

If you asked me about my openness to remote work in February 2020, I would have shut it down immediately. But, since then, I have come to realize the many advantages to remote work. I know a lot of the agencies feel the same way and look forward to seeing who remains remote and who goes back to the office. I think working remotely works if everyone agrees to work remotely. Having folks have in or half out is where it could get confusing and add more work.

It has made us all aware of these issues in a much deeper way, on a much broader scale, than in the past. Internally, it has opened up a lot of discussions across the agency. On a personal level, I have a gained a deeper understanding of the systemic issues that our industry has contributed to. Overall, it has been an incredible shift in awareness that has only just begun.

The once fringe purpose lead and pro bono categories of these awards shows now dominates every category. An idea can no longer just promote a product or service; it must have a fundamental impact on the world to get considered as award worthy. A handful of purpose-led brands like Ben & Jerry’s, Toms, and Patagonia have moved from the fringes into mainstream – and they have more and more competition from every brand in every category.

We live in the golden age of content creation. It has been amazing to watch. Our film references have gone from Johnathan Glazer to Addison Rae. Agencies and production companies will continue to face the same issue: how to continue making strong content quickly, cheaply, and with high quality.

It seems like the only ones who have figured it out are 13-year-olds. These non-agency content creators continue to eat the agencies lunch when it comes to creating compelling content that gets tons of free earned media. Agencies and production companies can do it too, but need to find an approach that feels authentic.

What are your goals, creatively speaking and/or from a business standpoint, for your company, division, studio or network in 2021?

We want to do famous work. Not award famous. Pop culture famous. We love when our ideas get talked about on morning news shows and spoofed on SNL. We aspire to that

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

We were all able to get a lot more done for less in the pandemic. I think agencies will struggle to explain why suddenly they can’t make more for less.

I love all advertising. Really, I do. But I view our industry as stuck between all the incredible content getting developed by the networks, on streaming services, and across the social platforms.
Advertising needs to do more to stand out. The old ways weren’t working, and the new ways aren’t much better. That’s why there’s never been a better time to be a creative in advertising.

We are living in the great creative wide open. A brave new world where only the meaningful survive. Creativity that isn’t just words and pictures but an experience at every touchpoint. Interaction instead of interruption. A connection from brand to consumer and from consumer to brand. A connection that gets felt, then thought. Believed in, then acted on.

Everyone will adapt to this new dynamic in marketing – not just creatives. With no formula and no shortcuts, marketers will need to turn to constant innovation, listening, trust, trial, and error. What is true today may not be true tomorrow. Every client is different. Each problem to solve is different. The “best practice” is to roll up your sleeves and do the work.

Bonnie Goldfarb

Co-Founder/Executive Producer

harvest films

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

Personally, the pandemic forced me to realize that I didn’t have to commute to work everyday. I could accomplish my work from home and for the first time I was seeing my personal space in a new light. In the beginning, it was very stressful and I was very unclear about how to move forward as a company owner, as a producer. As time went on, I adapted and I relied heavily on my gut instinct to lead our team from a place that I would feel safe from COVID. The pandemic brought out fundamental values in all of us about what were the right decisions to implement as we moved forward.

For harvest, we’ve always been a close-knit bunch and the camaraderie and cohesion that exists when production is working together in the same space can’t be duplicated. Production thrives on a multitude of people contributing ideas; people sharing strategies and working as a team. Having said that, I also see the importance and value for our staff in having the flexibility to WFH.

I believe our economic climate for the second half of 2021 will be healthy and that the creation of content will flourish in the current marketplace. There have never been more choices for talented and committed filmmakers in our community and while the number of new ideas and new filmmakers can seem daunting, it is healthy and vibrant and growing. Our commercial industry has never experienced the amount of voices and perspectives that we have today. This has opened up a whole new generation of very smart people who have a strong POV; that makes for great work.

Additionally, our culture is seeing a large of influx of new brands, new ideas and a new normal. This naturally forges the way for more content creation to spread the word and introduce society to ‘new’ ways of living, eating, traveling and enjoying each other. I am hopeful.

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

Most Significant Issue 2021 ~ WASTE ON COMMERCIAL SHOOTS

Issues to review in production~

Carbon Footprint REDUCTION
Plastic Pollution in single use plastic
Non-Compostable catering utensils, plates, cups
Food Waste
Recyclable sets, props and wardrobe

GREEN THE BID to learn how to produce less waste on set and during post.

Chris Graves

Chief Creative Officer

Team One

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

Last year was a shock to the system. We were collectively pushed out of our comfort zones personally, professionally and culturally. And whatever game we thought we were playing, we were presented with an entirely new playing field. We had always talked about the need for radical change as an industry, and suddenly the decision was taken out of our hands. Like everyone, we learned to adapt on all fronts, and proved that the traditional ways of working that we tended to cling to, weren’t actually that sacred. Earth shaking, once-in-a-lifetime events also have a vivid way of forcing us to rethink what’s important, and finding more meaning and purpose, and that will change the way we market for a long time. For example, in our messaging, less bombast, more empathy and authenticity. In the end, last year reinforced that our people are our greatest asset, and the situation gave us an even greater appreciation for them. We can never underestimate the value of an incredible team that gathered themselves and found a way to deliver from a hundred different Zoom boxes. And we owe it to them to figure out the most inspiring and productive ways to work going forward.

The industry had a stark wake-up call to say the very least. We all looked in the mirror and realized that we had a lot of work to do. Our team realized there were a couple areas we have the most control over. Internally, we’re focused on increasing the diversity and representation of our team. Externally, we’re taking a hard look at the actual messaging our brands put out into the world. We speak to an incredibly diverse market, and the focus on diversity is no longer simply a casting question. We’ve built it into our process to specifically review work to ensure under-represented communities are not just well represented, but in a positive and culturally relevant way. And to do that well we need to build a team with diverse backgrounds and experiences, including the talent we have behind the camera and across the production community. Modern consumers are looking to do business with brands that actively promote diversity and inclusion, and they connect with brands they can identify with. If our work is going to have an impact in culture, we need to find additional levels of cultural understanding that we may have been missing. In the end, the goal for us is to make our work more impactful in the real world. Not just blindly mirroring society, but remembering we are part of shaping it.

Creative agility and flexibility will be our superpowers moving forward. Given how difficult it’s become to reach our customers, ideas that can travel across multiple platforms are essential. Or even inventing the occasional new one if needed. Our recent Lexus IS launch included brand partnerships, stunts, a music collaboration, social-influencer content, gaming integration, product development, a feature film partnership, not to mention all the more traditional elements. And we need the people who have the talents to execute in all of them. Not just specialists, but omnivorous creative thinkers. We’re focused on elevating our brands out of advertising and into culture. So, we need to go where they are. Using technology and digital thinking to connect our brands to their customers opens up a lot of new avenues for us to apply our creativity. It’s literally never the same assignment twice. Ever designed a drive-in movie experience? No time like now to learn! It’s definitely the most intimidating part and the most exciting part at the same time.

After last year I know better than to try and predict the future. More billionaires in space perhaps? One easy and significant one is that the yearning for human touch and experiences will continue to be overwhelming. As you can imagine, our travel and hospitality brands are seeing an incredible pent-up thirst to get the hell out into the world and feel things, go places and hug the nearest human. Experiential marketing will boom accordingly. Along with the temptation to splurge and spend to make up for last year.

What are your goals, creatively speaking and/or from a business standpoint, for your company, division, studio or network in 2021?

Not to let the proliferation of technology and platforms distract us from the fact that engaging with the human at the other end of them will always be our most important job. Follow the human and their needs and interests, and no matter what new platforms arise you still need to find a way to connect on a human level. Also practically speaking, to find a solution for the next chapter of the working experience that generates the most productive outcomes. Now that we’re coming out of the worst of the pandemic (fingers crossed) we’ll be grappling with how that return takes shape. Can we take advantage of this moment in time to redesign the work experience for both high fulfillment and high creativity? We’re all focused on solving what the next “business as usual” looks like.

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

For brands, finding and securing a strong mission or purpose and sticking with it. Last year it was clear that the brands who knew their purpose and why they came to work every day, managed better in times of crisis. Their behavior was dictated by their values. In uncertain times you benefit from having a sound compass to make decisions in the short term as well as the long term. It became slightly awkward for the many who had to figure it out in real time with the public watching.

The Beats work has been consistently catching my attention. Their amazing campaign celebrating black culture (“You love me”) was a year ago and I still think about it. I recently saw the new work with track star Sha’Carri Richardson, which continues to carve out a strong space for them. They’ve become so interwoven into the world of sports and music that they easily rise above the category of mere audio equipment and into a true culturally influential player. I love that they don’t do things halfway. Not afraid of controversy and taking on tough subjects. Taking some cues from Nike, it’s a powerful use of athletes and musicians and culture to engage a highly desirable and influential target.

Gabe Hajiani

Head of Creation and Content

DNA

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

The pandemic was a unique, once in a lifetime opportunity to reinvent the way we work at DNA. After a year of working remotely, we have demonstrated the ability to deliver exemplary work, win awards and make a profit for the agency, all without an office space. Pre-pandemic, we saw the office as the primary place where work got done. Post-pandemic, we see getting work done at the office secondary to it becoming a place for human connection and hub for unstructured collaboration.

For us, returning to the office is more than a return to work policy or a plan to get people back to their desks. We call it “Reinventing the Way We Work” because we believe the office of the future is fundamentally different post pandemic. In embracing a hybrid work model, we view the office as a place designed for human moments with our co-workers and distributed work for individual work time or more structured collaboration. What is a place designed for human moments? It is a place that fosters community, stimulates creativity and encourages connections between co-workers.

The call for equity, racial and social justice has refocused DNA. We realized though we often talked about inclusivity and fancied our agency as diverse, it was not well represented in our staff, our work, or our partners. Upon even more self-reflection and examination, we found that we fell pretty much in line with the industry as a whole: predominantly white staff servicing predominantly white clients.

Our changes started from the top. Our CEO, Alan Brown, and our President, Chris Witherspoon, laid down the gauntlet to everyone, “If we don’t live and breathe our values every day, they aren’t really values.” As an agency, we couldn’t just say, “We need to do better.” We needed to change our behavior right away if we wanted to positively impact our agency and industry.

This meant changing the way we recruit, interview, and hire along with who we work with — including clients, partners, and vendors. It meant intentionally providing access to talent from underrepresented backgrounds through mentorships, internships, virtual forums, our bidding process, and jobs. It meant looking at the content we make with a completely different lens.

We realize there is no finish line to becoming better, but it’s a journey we’re committed to taking.

There was a time when some people, established within the entertainment industry, stated that digital video would be the death of cinema. Really?!

This type of statement speaks volumes when we think in terms of providing access to underrepresented talent. Chloé Zhao, the director of the film “Nomadland” was unproven within the traditional entertainment network and, like many working outside the traditional system, did not have the same access or backing. What she and he partner did have was the freedom to write, shoot and produce a documentary, posing as a movie, about van life, while living in a van.

I don’t think that digital is the death of cinema, but if that were the case, is it the birth of something more? Freedom to think, work and create differently.

Side note, Zhao’s next film is “Eternals,” a two-hundred-million-dollar Marvel movie with Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie, with her partner Joshua James Richards, operating the camera.

Suzanne Keen

Creative Director

Zambezi

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

The Pandemic has actually had a positive impact on me, personally, with regard to perspective and self-care. However, it has had a decidedly negative impact in the way of “doom-scrolling”. At Zambezi, we are adopting a hybrid office approach. Though we miss many things about in-person collaboration, we also appreciate there are days when remote work simply makes sense.

Prioritizing equity, racial and social justice is part of Zambezi’s DNA, and we know the work is never finished. Throughout my career, I have always wished the work our industry puts out more accurately reflected our population at large. This means broader representation across the stories being told, and the people telling them. I am encouraged by the efforts made since the murder of George Floyd and the reckoning that followed — but I am impatient.

In terms of our sense of responsibility, the primary shift has been externalizing the conversation outside the walls of our agency. As we look at the big picture, client partners and the company we keep are equally important. We have a better vocabulary and set of resources to hold each other accountable.

On a personal level, there is always something to decolonize. The films I watch, the books I read, the references I collect, the platforms I use, the people I follow, and the voices I choose to listen to constantly evolve. It is something to constantly tailor, because complacency will breed media algorithms that serve to further silo us.

This past year, I was lucky enough to judge some film craft, and I was struck by how many brands are still making gorgeous and impactful longer form films. Over the last 10 years, people talk about the shift from long-form content to smaller, immediate, quick-hit content, as if we have to live in a world with either one or the other. In the right context, short-form works — just as in the right context, long-form works, as does everything in between. All of these formats have an audience, and there’s room for it all.

People will tire of post-COVID imagery and stories, and some of us never want to relive it in any capacity. Can we collectively decide we don’t need to see more people waving through windows because they can’t embrace? We have all been through a lot lately — and we’re ready for some LEVITY.

As for a forecast, big brands will continue to be called out more frequently for virtue signaling and co-opting cultural movements for financial gain. I believe marketers will start to become more self-aware and understand when it’s time to speak up because a cause exists authentically within their value set. They’ll start to understand we don’t need to insert ourselves into every conversation. Every cause is not an opportunity for ad dollars. Brands will start to better align themselves and examine their actions more strategically. At least, I hope this will be the case, but I’m a serial optimist. We need more true authenticity. Countless brands perform stunts and generate content to bring awareness to a multitude of issues, but they are not taking enough real action, which leads to policy change and laws that protect people. I think we’ll start to see more big brands really stick their neck out and be able to back it up.

What are your goals, creatively speaking and/or from a business standpoint, for your company, division, studio or network in 2021?

A key goal is to shed light on and collaborate with emerging artists, designers, filmmakers, illustrators, makers, and creators who can bring new perspectives to the work. It is critical that we hold ourselves and our client partners accountable for representation, because we all know it’s good for people — and it also happens to be good for business.

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

I feel like I say this every year and I know I’m not the only one… As far as 2021 trends thus far, branded entertainment and branded content is getting more interesting and surprising. It’s exciting to see progress in that space and discover emerging ways that brands can connect through film.

This year, there have been a few clear standouts in advertising that struck a responsive chord with me. For one, The New York Times did an excellent job with “The Truth Is Worth It”. Another great piece was “You Love Me” for Beats By Dre. I also feel Burger King really hit home with “Confusing Times.” Finally, the commercial and the experience created for Meow Wolf, Omega Mart were very entertaining.

The New York Times, "The Truth Is Worth It"
Beats By Dre, You Love Me
BK, Confusing Times
Meow Wolf, Omega Mart. (The commercial and the experience were all very entertaining.)

Andrew Loevenguth

Head of Integrated Production

Cartwright

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

The impact of the pandemic is that we all had to change the way we do business. But like any good production challenge we figured out a new way forward to get our jobs done. Remote everything is going to stick around but not for everything I think.

When you are diverse in everything you do, you tell more truthful stories. And that lifts everyone up because it’s what the world is.

As much as I don’t want to admit it, I think we learned that sometimes the shortest most unrealistic deadlines can actually be beneficial in the decision process. Facebook gave us a really good challenge and we made a lot of work in a short amount of time.

The content furnace burns pretty strong. It is going to need feeding constantly.

What are your goals, creatively speaking and/or from a business standpoint, for your company, division, studio or network in 2021?

Having joined Cartwright just over a year ago I am excited to see our growth and trajectory. We are ambitious, smart and want to make great work.

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

Remote production has certainly made us question the way we do everything. We cannot lose site of the craft that goes into telling great stories. So let’s interrogate everything we changed this last year and then make sure we actually need it or use it.

To be honest - this last year I have loved and needed all of the comedy the industry has made. We just finished some comedic work for YouTube TV that felt very satisfying to put out into the world.

Lola Lott

Principal/CEO

charlieuniformtango

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

We were all working from home for most of 2020, and somehow we got a lot done. We shot throughout the quarantine – keeping crews 6-feet apart and using masks, gloves and lots of hand sanitizer. We’ve been growing and changing the last couple years to include more capabilities, but we had no idea we’d be so busy during the pandemic and need to utilize all we had learned – and then some – so quickly.

We’re all now used to the new way of working and will continue to put a lot of it into practice going forward. We are going into the studio now, but we have a new way of getting lunches and snacks, I think these precautions will continue for a while, especially with the new Covid variants showing up. Pre- and postproduction are all about communication. The pandemic forced all of us to communicate so much more carefully. Text, basecamp, phone, email – we’ll keep that increased communication up going forward.

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

So far, the 2021 trend is being super busy! I don’t know if it’s because the pandemic slowed everything down, and now, with things loosening up, people are ready to get back work. But we’re very grateful that the trend seems to be getting as much done as possible.

It’s beginning to look like 2021 will continue to be a challenge for everyone. We’re all slowly moving back to the office and working in groups again, but we’ve learned remote work can be done and that will likely benefit future work. We know that whatever is in store, we will get through it together. Jack, Joey, James, Deedle and I are eager to keep moving ahead.

Experiential or environmental art has really struck a chord with me this year. I’ve been very impressed with some of the innovative combinations of art and entertainment I’m seeing. We’re currently working on an experiential project that will literally move people and I’m very excited about it.

Josh Mandel

CEO

The Mill

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

Over recent years, The Mill has been globally integrating our technology and talent to work seamlessly together across all of our studios in London, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Berlin and Bangalore. The pandemic spurred us on to accelerate and strengthen our interconnectivity, which allowed us to be agile and highly effective throughout the transition to remote working, and maintain our incredibly high creative standards throughout 2021, as evidenced by continuing client satisfaction and numerous industry awards.

Breaking down location based barriers and sharing creative and technological solutions across our studios has enabled our clients access to the depth and breadth of our global network of talent. I think this global approach will be core to our ongoing success and growth.

The success of any creative company relies on its talent and culture, and the events of the past year have spurred a renewed emphasis on the inclusiveness, creativity and community that we pride ourselves on at The Mill.

As an Equal-Opportunities Employer we have built and are daily living up to inclusive company values, which are vital to our talent, clients and collective success. We will always respect, embrace and encourage the uniqueness of individuals and their talents because we fundamentally believe our creativity needs diversity.

We’re actively working on updating company policies and cultural impact through our DE&I committee to ensure that diversity, representation and inclusion run through everything we do, from our hiring practices to the work we produce.

From a business perspective, the evolving audience trends towards content across digital platforms will see the global advertising landscape continue to shape and adapt to accommodate this. This is not new, but the pace of change is quickening. Many companies are rapidly augmenting traditional advertising models to incorporate new creative services, in an effort to support brands being as close to the makers of their content than ever. As companies continue to adapt, I think we’ll see this holistic approach to creativity more than ever, with brands increasingly seeking creative production partners and working directly with artists.

From a branded content perspective, the growing power of The Metaverse is an incredibly interesting opportunity for brands to create a new wave of content and build consumer relationships in new ways. I think we’ll start to see more and more brands command this space, harnessing the power of gaming and real-time technology to give their audiences live, virtual experiences.

What are your goals, creatively speaking and/or from a business standpoint, for your company, division, studio or network in 2021?

We’re actively looking at building out our capabilities and legacy across VFX, Creative Production and Experience marketing to serve the world’s most ambitious and innovative brands as well as exploring new territories and markets.

The pandemic has accelerated the use of new production technologies such as virtual production, and we’re in a great position to continue driving these innovations forward.

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

There is definitely an appetite for people to come back together and foster a sense of community. I think we’ll see this mirrored in the return of live industry events, which may feature hybridized virtual integration. Brands will also be looking to build on this sense of community and explore event based initiatives that draw people together as pandemic restrictions lift.

Lisa Mehling

President/Owner

Chelsea Pictures

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

The Pandemic was sheer hell for everyone. But a silver lining within Chelsea was how the whole team with our directors, reps, and crew doubled down on being there for each other and standing strong. My team is far and away the most unified it’s ever been and we’ve implemented all kinds of traditions to keep us tight moving forward.

The last couple years have been transformational for me and have completely altered my view of our country and the world around us. This country is hindered by the deep set biases. As for my business the Chelsea Team is committed to social justice and will continue to advocate and fight for equity until it becomes a reality.

The most relevant and innovative brands take a stance and use their platforms as a megaphone for justice, equity, and the environment as social responsibility is now essential for brands that want to thrive. For Chelsea Libresse Wombstories, P&G Widen the Screen, States United for Gun Safety and our work for LinkedIn were bold conversation starters for change.

The power of Creative has never been more essential — the world desperately needs big ideas and innovative solutions and our industry will continue to flex its muscle as we ride the wave of radical societal change we’ve been swept up in.

What are your goals, creatively speaking and/or from a business standpoint, for your company, division, studio or network in 2021?

We opened an office in London and we’re really excited about all the potential we see in the UK and European markets for the Chelsea directors.

Beats By Dre’s “Do You Love Me” takes my breath away every time I see it. The message is so spot on and the execution is perfect and it’s just what the world needed this year: showcasing joy, pride, solidarity and determination and a healthy cultural slap on the wrist calling out double standards, double talk and bias.

Nicole Michels McDonagh

Group Creative Director

Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners (BSSP)

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

We can all agree that there is nuance in shoots and editing that’s lost working remotely. Relationship building. Trust building. All impact the craft and ultimate output.

Truly, there’s not much that emerged that I would want to keep. Except we did gain a greater understanding of how important flexibility is as a core value in our business. I can’t imagine any agency on the planet going back to exactly how things were done before.

BSSP is committed to furthering the conversation around racial equity in our business and in society. My partner and fellow Group Creative Director, Sinan Dagli, and I discuss this topic on a weekly basis in some form and I love his point of view: This call is omnipresent in the topics we cover in our work highlighting the racial and social discrimination in our society, working with black and Latinx filmmakers and musicians to create work for our clients across the board, representation on screen from the LGBTQIA+ community, and promoting conversation and training with our partners at Courageous Conversations internally at BSSP.

his call for equity, racial and social justice is our duty as makers. To quote Nina Simone “An artist’s duty, as far as I’m concerned, is to reflect the times.” -- We want to make sure the stories and the experiences of the artists of our times have a platform to be heard.

We recently won a Bronze Clio for a social initiative we started called Fauci Art. We had the idea inside the “virtual walls” and three days later it was out into the world. And then, artists all around the globe were contributing and the movement took on a momentum of its own. It reminded me of the power of being nimble. And I love that being an independent agency gives us that freedom. It’s best for the work and for our ability to take breakthrough action for our clients.

Any time that there’s been a period of deprivation in our history or culture, a time of excess and explosions of creativity follow. Or even blossom out of it. It’s cliché, but the notion that necessity breeds invention has never been truer. Look at all the unknown creators that turned to Tik Tok and other platforms as an outlet so they wouldn’t go crazy stuck in their basement for 10 months. My prediction is that we are going to see whatever the “next Tik Tok” platform is going to be within the next year. As well as a return to true craft across filmmaking, music, art and advertising, too.

After all this deprivation, perhaps our attention spans will grow longer for things worthy of holding our attention. Beautifully written long copy ad, anyone?

What are your goals, creatively speaking and/or from a business standpoint, for your company, division, studio or network in 2021?

One of our BSSP values is embracing confluence. Bringing the familiar together in unfamiliar way. Great things come from fusion. I think our push for this year is to help our clients find new and interesting ways to bring data and innovation together with disruptive ideas that are elevated by incredible storytelling and craft.

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

The “Covid year” put us in touch with our shared humanity. Seeing people’s kids, and dogs, and not-so-perfect totally un-Instagram lives on daily Zooms helped us connect on a deeper level, ironically, even if we couldn’t physically connect at all. I hope that layer of understanding last and begins to apply itself not only to our working relationships but continues to deepen our empathy of others, period. Radical empathy is going to be required to move us past divisions and start propelling us as a culture to a place of greater equity and understanding.

In this dumpster fire of a year, we needed some comic relief. Full stop. Our clients at Noosa Yoghurt agreed and we partnered with the ridiculously talented (equal weight on ridiculous and talent) Matty Benedetto — founder and inventor-in-chief of Unnecessary Inventions. During the week leading up to Valentine’s Day, we dropped seven totally unnecessary ways to help people enjoy Noosa even more. Before we knew it, we had 250 million impressions and probably about as many of those smiling face emojis with the laugh-so-hard-you’re-crying eyes. The work dropped just after the Super Bowl and still captured attention, over-shadowing Super Bowl content with about 100X the budget.

In terms of meshing advertising and entertainment, I think there’s much to be excited about. My longtime friend, Jae Goodman, was chair of the Entertainment jury at Cannes this year and told me it was the most impressive work he’d ever seen. With all the woes of our industry and figuring out if we’ll ever come back to the office again, Creativity is apparently as fired up as ever.

At one point in my career I spent six years living in Asia, so I’m always fascinated with the work that performs well at Cannes from markets like South Korea, Japan, Thailand, etc. This year’s Entertainment Grand Prix winner was an idea out of Taiwan that was stunning for its sheer simplicity and emotional insight. The client was a realty company. (Yes, you read that right.) The data point was simple: Marriage in Taiwan (and therefore home sales to newly married couples) was declining in young adults. The leading realty company in Taiwan firmly believed the are “not just selling houses, but selling hope” and created a beautiful short film entitled In Love We Trust aimed at restoring people’s belief in marriage. It started a huge cultural conversation in Thailand. It wasn’t fancy or big budget. It’s not particularly “cutting edge.” But your heart would have to be made of stone to not respond to it. And the fact that it touched jurors from all around the world, not just Taiwan, speaks to how well the creators tapped into our universal fears and hopes in a raw, honest way through impeccable storytelling.

John McKelvey

Founder & Chief Creative Officer

Mirimar

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

Workwise the pandemic hit us hard and early with productions going away overnight and some significant projects put on indefinite hold. A TV series we developed that had international travel at its core became unfeasible. However, we are not alone so it’s simply onwards and upwards. Structure wise, fortunately we were already comfortable working with a core team and then a modern network of partners remotely so we did not have to do a huge adjustment.

We are proud Mirimar successfully pulled off a Super Bowl campaign with Klarna and long time collaborator Andreas Nillsson during the pandemic. Complete with celebrity talent, miniature horses and daily challenges. Was so much harder than normal but the processes we developed have made our team better.

Funny and smart work will always resonate. I felt this year it was more the single ideas, even small but well-executed PR-centric ideas that got the internet’s attention briefly, were awarded. Whereas the orchestration of larger ideas focussing on solving business problems or launches was more favored in previous years. There was also a disproportionate push towards charity or social cause work awarded which is probably a natural reflection of how we are all feeling.

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

Diversity and inclusion are central, imperative, and ongoing. Beyond that trend-wise, at Mirimar we continue to push at the intersection of advertising and entertainment. Partnering with brands and helping them see the value in storytelling that reflects their brand’s values in more genuine entertainment formats. Connecting with audiences and living beyond just ad formats that feel less sincere. This is something we are seeing and is also our hope for the future.

Beats By Dre You love me struck a powerful chord. Bringing to life an idea that genuinely challenges it’s audience. Delivered with great quality production. Additionally seeing Nike’s Dream Crazy get Gold for effectiveness was another positive step for brands being brave, actually standing for something, and then seeing it positively galvanize their business and sales. Love it.

Tim Pries

Co-Founder/Executive Producer

Where the Buffalo Roam

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening

Connection. More than ever, we looked to connect with our staff and clients. With the weight of the world weighing on everyone this past year and many of us struggling to keep our sanity, staying connected in a genuine way to the folks we work with, and for, became really important to us. Meetings usually began with a genuine, “How are you doing?” and we’d all talk through current events and try to help take some of that burden off their shoulders or at least do our best to rally through it all together.

It’s always been important to us, not just as a company, but also as individuals. It’s at the forefront of what we do and what we stand for. Putting in the extra time to find the right folks for projects and connecting them with opportunities is vital in all of us creating stronger communities and better creative.

We don’t really strive to do work with the hopes that the end result is chosen or considered for awards. We put our heart and soul into creating the best work that we can...if that gets considered for awards seasons by our clients, well then, that’s just a happy outcome for all who worked on the project.

People entered the year dipping a toe into the water to see what 2021 would bring but now, folks seem eager to get work out into the world. But as we’ve learned from the last 18 months, there’s no predicting the future; rather, how best to prepare for what may come our way.

What are your goals, creatively speaking and/or from a business standpoint, for your company, division, studio or network in 2021?

For this year, a main focus for us has been how to stay connected and keep pushing one another creatively while still making sure we support each other. As mentioned before, having a studio where everyone feels supported is vital to us and as a result, we feel this fosters our best opportunities creatively.

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

I always appreciate the work that Nike and Google have done to make a statement about what they believe in as a company. You can’t go wrong by taking a position and standing up for something.

Steve Red

President & Co-Chief Creative Officer

Red Tettemer O’Connell + Partners

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

We’ve fully embraced the notion of working from wherever. We’ve reopened our offices and continue to have a thriving culture both virtually and in real life, but we’ve found that there’s no need to be in the office every day. And in some ways we’re more productive and creative from all over.

It’s motivated us to go beyond being open-minded and open-armed to work hard at uncovering and proactively pushing for underrepresented partners.

We’ll make this prediction mainly because it’s the track we’re on, but we believe content will continue to be made within the walls of agencies by resourceful creatives doing whatever it takes to tell stories. Don’t get us wrong, of course we love to collaborate with talented directors, cinematographers, producers and makers, but more and more the world dictates that we get it done ourselves.

What are your goals, creatively speaking and/or from a business standpoint, for your company, division, studio or network in 2021?

To the above point, we want to continue to hone our ability to bring ideas to life with our own resources and wits.

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

Business travel, business meetings, massive awards shows and boondoggles will not disappear but they will continue to be less and less normal.

Bo Burnam’s Inside was a pitch-perfect example of what a truly creative person can do on their own. Not only was it an incredible demonstration of how it felt to be stuck in quarantine, but the social commentary captured throughout the special was on point. And while Burnam’s always used music in his act, with the rise of TikTok, the special came at a perfect time — clips and sound bytes from the special are running rampant on TikTok and Instagram Reels. It truly was the right content we all needed at the right time.

Elena Robinson

Head of Production

OKRP

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

It showed us that we can be location agnostic. We don’t have to be in the office everyday to make it work. It also showed us that we can still enjoy our families and get a lot of things done. It opened up a whole new way to approach work.

As a Black woman, and the first Black producer at Leo Burnett, I’ve always been keenly aware of and committed to racial and social justice. The events of 2020 opened everyone’s eyes and put it in your face in a way that is undeniable. It also made the industry aware that they not only have the responsibility but we also have the ability to change, to open doors and create opportunity. This is not a zero sum game.

I just started at OKRP 5 months ago so nothing I’ve worked on is ready for awards yet. We have some stuff coming in the fall but it’s not yet been released.

The future is social, so the balance is always high quality, high volume and low cost. We will need to develop relationships of trust with our clients so that we can move fast, which means less oversight and quicker approvals. It also means we can’t be as precious with the work. The big idea will always cut through but it’s nothing you can hang your hat on. We must always be creating.

What are your goals, creatively speaking and/or from a business standpoint, for your company, division, studio or network in 2021?

I’d like to see OKRP expand it’s capabilities so that we can live up to our ideal of being nimble. I’d like to continue to grow our team and talent, that’s where the fun is, working with good, talented people full of ideas.

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

Performance marketing and analytics, it’s not sexy but it articulates value in a way that clients can understand. That and brands being bolder. Big bold ideas cut through the clutter. I would love to see clients take a few more chances on the bold move, now is the time to do that because attention spans are so short. If it doesn’t work quickly pivot and try something else. Content is identity and identity evolves over time. Embrace it.

Google Search On - it strikes the right note at the right time. I think it actually brings us together to see that we’re all looking for the same things.

Mel Senecal

Director of Integrated Production

Mojo Supermarket

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

I’m sure all agencies have learned more efficient ways to approach certain elements of production but Mojo is nothing close to traditional so our approach has never been so and I don’t imagine that will change. We were more or less born in the pandemic. We work faster and more focused which allows us to get more done than a small agency should.

As a Black LGBTQIA woman, this call to action for social and racial justice isn’t something new to me — nor something I just became aware of. To be transparent, this question itself comes from a place of privilege. The reality is that people of different backgrounds have been fighting to get into this space and these opportunities for an incredibly long time.

Our work as creators, as marketers, and as advertisers has suffered for it. There are no new stories — there are only new ways of telling them. So if we keep hiring from the same existing pool of talent with the same social, economic, and racial backgrounds, we will continue to tell the same story and creative will not evolve and continue to not speak intersectional of any community. This isn’t new for our agency either. Our Creative Director and Founder, Mo Said, is an immigrant from Pakistan. He has built a team and roster of clients who share his mission of pushing culture out of its comfort zone and championing diverse perspectives.

I believe that stories about navigating a post-COVID world will start to finally become interesting. We’ve all seen the videos of how brands have approached creativity during the pandemic by referring to the world as being separated and alone.

As the world opens up and possibly shuts down again because of COVID variants, we’ll see brands start thinking more about what this means outside of being isolated. And I’m so excited to see this happen.

What are your goals, creatively speaking and/or from a business standpoint, for your company, division, studio or network in 2021?

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

The rise of racism and discrimination towards Asian people because of COVID-19. As more variants of the virus arise, there’s going to be a rise in this and we in this industry have to figure out ways to combat it. COVID has become a part of our lives and there’s no going back. We can’t expect this growing sentiment to disappear overnight — we have to end it ourselves.

A Parkland father managed to trick the Ex-NRA president David Keene into speaking at a graduation ceremony full of empty chairs. They represented victims of gun violence in school shootings. This powerful move choked me when I first read about it, and it’s the perfect representation of the power of creative thought. It’s storytelling at its greatest, involving the very human element of someone reckoning with their beliefs and choices.

Lisa Setten

SVP, Executive Director of Integrated Production

MullenLowe U.S.

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

The past year and a half have been completely transformative for us all, both professionally and personally. We have learned to collaborate in new ways. We have built a new kind of confidence that we can overcome any challenge put in front of us and continue making work we are proud of. I don’t think we will ever go back to working the way we did.

For example, we may continue to limit travel to shoots. Having the opportunity to participate remotely has actually given us a chance to be better teachers and mentors. Junior producers, creatives and account teams can now be part of a shoot, which has brought such value to the process.

Producers thrive on being faced with a challenge that seems impossible. I couldn’t be more proud of our team and the way they have responded to the pandemic.

We have made a strong commitment to ensure there are real opportunities for creative people from underrepresented and marginalized communities to contribute to storytelling that is authentic and inclusive. We are utilizing as many resources as possible to expand our knowledge and encourage new thinking. We have a responsibility to make a change.

It is of course incredibly rewarding to work on projects attached to causes, knowing that we are able to get a message out that can change lives. We have been working with Change the Ref for many years in an effort to create work that gets talked about. Shamecards proved that when teams feel passionately about a brief and have the trust and support of great client partners like Manny and Patricia Oliver, the possibilities are endless.

While we were fortunate to not see a significant slow down of production during quarantine, we have seen an even bigger increase in our clients activity this summer. I find comfort in knowing that all the COVID safety guidelines continue to stay in place to protect everyone participating in making content, and I don’t anticipate these regulations will change any time soon. The production community has truly banded together, with priorities in the right place. We have proven we don’t have to compromise and while change has taken time to adjust to, we have proven we can still have access to all the resources we need to make breakout content.

What are your goals, creatively speaking and/or from a business standpoint, for your company, division, studio or network in 2021?

We always strive to do effective and award winning work, it’s what fuels us all. As creative producers, we continue to hope to see ideas that give us that spark of excitement. Production has really evolved and has given us the opportunity to be challenged with new types of content on a daily basis. Our hope is that this continues well into this year and next.

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

Our biggest challenge is figuring out how to work together in the most effective way moving forward. We have learned so much and will be changed forever. How can we maximize our output and be smart about finding the work/life balance that is so critical to success. We all find our creative inspiration in different ways so how do we prioritize and give our teams rooms to find that inspiration? No one has navigated a pandemic before so I look forward to continuing to experiment, communicate and undoubtedly pivot. It’s a constant state of evolution.

I have been incredibly moved by the progress we have made in creating advertising is made by women for women.

“Womb Stories” was a powerful campaign that brought together strategy and craft in such a brilliant way. As a woman in a male centric industry, it’s always inspiring to see such honest work that so many can connect with.

Being in the industry, I was also particularly drawn to LOLA MullenLowe’s Dove Real Beauty work. As we are challenged with finding better ways to be inclusive in this industry, this extension of the original execution spoke directly to me and reminded me about the responsibility I have to better represent real women in our communications.

Liz Silver

CEO/Executive Producer

Believe Media

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

This year has been incredibly difficult because I lost my partner, both in life and in business, Luke Thornton. Beyond my own personal experience something this pandemic has hopefully made us all realize is how fragile life is, the importance of every moment, and how precious we are to each other.

I am fortunate to have a staff and team of directors who have supported me in deep and meaningful ways. It has made our bond as a company tighter and our relationships stronger, showing that our company, Believe Media, is rooted in a deeper collective purpose. This transcended into how we spend our time and prioritize our resources so that we are working on exactly what we want to be doing.

Additionally, we’re not all in the same place any longer so we quickly realized the importance of staying connected. We make a big point to keep our weekly staff meetings over Zoom and to be present, which means the camera stays on. This is a practice and tool we’ll continue to use; it was a technical shift for better communication.

We are taking it upon ourselves to change the trajectory of the content that’s out there. I think one of the most exciting things about having built a diverse roster is supporting the stories fighting to get out of these filmmakers. We’re not just waiting for the boards to come from the agencies, we are providing the resources for our directors to tell the stories important to them, can only come from them, and shed light to unrepresented points of view.

In development, we have Hoj Jomehri’s “Spout” which follows his transition as a child from his native Iran to the United States, and the merging of his Persian and American cultures.

This year we will also premiere a documentary we first started in 2013 called ‘Above Boy’ which is an intimate exploration into the lives of the Chipps family, members of the Oglala Lakota Nation on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Wanblee, South Dakota. Shot over a two-year period, the film spotlights the spiritual teachings of Benjamin Godfrey Chipps, the origins of his medicine man linage the film unearths the raw modern realities of life on the reservation through the eyes of his wife, sons and daughters.

“Gucci Aria” directed by Floria Sigismondi and Alessandro Michele. This was the second job we shot on a completely virtual set and utilizing this new technology was really a gamechanger in the way we think about locations, art direction, visual effects, time and how resources are used for production.

I believe there is going to be a creative renaissance that will impact how we do business. Historically, the most groundbreaking work is born out of tragedy – across art, music, and literature because it makes you look at things differently. The pandemic throttled everyone into creative problem-solving and there’s been so much more uninterrupted time for artists to chart into mediums they hadn’t explored – creating their own channels, developing original content, hosting podcasts, designing products. The voice of the creative finds its way out and I think we’ll see the fruits of that across new forms of content outside of traditional advertising.

What are your goals, creatively speaking and/or from a business standpoint, for your company, division, studio or network in 2021?

To see our new signings and new talent working. It’s easy to see the superstars get the boards and the work; we hope to see the new talent get those opportunities as well. Also, we would love to see our projects that are in development realized. We feel fortunate that many of those projects are taking off now.

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

We are having to be so nimble. We consistently have to ask these questions: How do we make this work with COVID? How does this positively move us towards equity? Is this climate conscious? We have to perceive with all our senses open, be aware of everything around us – it’s not just making a commercial, these can be life and death situations. These can be transformative opportunities for underrepresented groups. What we’ve learned is small decisions can have great consequence or can have big results, so each decision should be seen as significant.

“Unapologetically Asian” for Apple Music by Amber Park. Amber shot this film before we signed her, but this was one of those films that hopefully makes you stand in someone else’s shoes. The film captures the pressures and experiences that impact APAC community youth and carry into adulthood. With notes to the music, food, and identity, by the end you see it’s all really meant to be celebrated from the beginning.

Rémy-Martin “Team Up for Excellence” featuring Usher and directed by Jake Nava took historical fact we haven’t even seen on the screen and creatively wove it into a storyline for the consumer. Capturing history and the brand’s relationship with music – jazz, blues and hip hop, the spot reveled heritage more than divisive society and the cultural significance of a brand across time.

Jose Cuervo Tradicional and 1800 brand campaign directed by Jeff Darling. Rather than cast actors, Jeff’s crew spent a month in Tequila, Mexico embedded in the process of making tequila and lived in the town to understand what it was to be a part of the heritage. The result is a beautifully rich portrait of ten generations of farmers and an immersive experience of the artisanal process.

Matt Steinwald

SVP/ECD

ENGINE

Last Week Tonight has won 20 Emmy’s and is nominated for 7 more. What was ENGINE’s contribution to this impressive recognition? Nothing. Well, as close to nothing as you could possibly get without being absolutely nothing.

Two years ago, we wrote a tweet comparing HBO shows to milk. Succession was 1% milk, Game of Thrones was giant’s milk, and so on. Was it silly? Sure. But it was clever and amused us, so we tweeted it, and completely forgot about it.

https://twitter.com/HBO/status/1141704826570588160

Much to our surprise, two years later that silly milk tweet popped up on the current season of Last Week Tonight (season 8, episode 10, final segment). We were thrilled that one of the hundreds of tweets we wrote for @HBO suddenly reappeared in a whole new context. There are a few lessons or reminders to take away.

Always-on content is always out there. A brand’s social feed is an honest and long-lasting representation of its persona, values and point of view.
Craft matters on all levels, on all channels. Every tweet. Every post. Every piece of content doesn’t have to be expensive, but it should be good.
Winning best brand on social is one of the toughest awards you can win. Next to 20 Emmy’s.

The fusion of media and creative seems to be more important than ever. We’ve received many requests to help brands speed up their return to pre-pandemic revenue levels. Clients are looking for equal parts brand-building and measurable performance marketing, with aggressive timelines and constrained budgets. Many businesses that have been hurt by the pandemic don’t have the luxury of separating brand campaigns from direct sales. And they don’t have time or resources to manage inter-agency teams sequentially. Collaboration across creative, production and media must happen in parallel, much earlier in the creative development process. Companies in recovery need to move quicker than their competitors, which is an advantage to agencies with creative and media together in-house.

What are your goals, creatively speaking and/or from a business standpoint, for your company, division, studio or network in 2021?

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

A few months into the pandemic, we pitched and won the Credible.com creative account by taking an entertainment-first approach. The brief asked for a spokesperson to deliver a list of RTBs in the crowded loan marketplace. We answered with an off-beat sitcom broken into 30 second episodes featuring an anthropomorphized bull that bucks (sorry about that) every familiar cliché. The Credibull (sorry again) has the intimidating look of a real bull, but he’s real a softie once you get to know him. He goes where humans go and does things humans do. He tends to underestimate his own size and strength but is polite and a bit sensitive to the negative connotations associated with bulls.

We didn’t start writing commercial scripts until we had a conceit that made us laugh. Then we fully developed the bull’s personality to be as nuanced and specific as someone we might know. Eventually, we wrote the scripts and left room for improv. We paired director Conor Byrne (m ss ng p eces) with editor Craig Deardorff (Cosmo Street) to capture the dry tone and normalize the absurdity. And we challenged animatronic veteran Robert DeVine (Anatomorphex) to build his most ambitious remote-controlled face, using 28 servos and 3 puppeteers to bring out the humanity in our benevolent beast. All along the way, we were supported and challenged by a smart marketing team at Credible that understood the power of entertainment in commercials.

Danielle Tarris

Head of Production

CPB

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

After taking a pause to raise my son, then unexpectedly going through breast cancer treatment, I stepped back into the industry as Head of Production at Battery Agency during the height of the pandemic. Even relegated to Zoom, we got to know each other fast during a three-night virtual shoot spanning four time zones — the director in Canada, crew in Bulgaria, client in Shanghai and our team in LA — making each other laugh in the wee hours when little things start to kill your schedule and the talent gets tired. That chemistry and collective work ethic finds its way through the toughest situations.

When an opportunity arose to join CPB as head of production and I met the team here, I knew I had to make the leap. Again, the interview process was virtual, and again it came back to chemistry and connection. Even meeting in a virtual space, your intuition fires.

The beautiful thing from this year and half is that we all now know how to work together, find team spirit and make amazing work remotely. It’s brought down barriers and opened the opportunity to work with more amazing talent all over the globe.

We are at the exact moment when the advertising industry has a chance to fully change the deep-rooted, toxic behavior it has bred and condoned for way too long. There are no more excuses as to why inclusivity does not rule the table. It’s a fact: the work gets better when everyone has an actual voice, not just a role, at the leadership level. The dismantling has begun, but we need to keep pushing. And we can’t expect our clients or our production partners to solve this for us.

This year has shown our true blindspots as an industry. It has challenged the assumption that we have now become diverse just because we hire one female director, for instance. In order to make authentic work and evolve brands, all voices must be represented, and that representation needs to show in the stories we tell. We’re already seeing so many make true commitments to diversifying their brands. We’re going to see a lot more. I hope. Brands are hungry to go big. To take big swings. And it’s imperative that we change the landscape together.

Outstanding music and sound design is an essential element of the work that stands out for me. The music supervision and score on most all HBO shows — most recently ‘Mare of Easttown,’ and a personal favorite, ‘I May Destroy You’ — are the added layers that lead you further into the story. And the importance of music in commercials cannot be overstated. Even though it came out at the end of 2020, so not quite ‘this year’, the “You Love Me” spot from Beats by Dre bridged storytelling and music perfectly, and hit incredibly authentic.

Hughes William Thompson

Founder/Director

PANOPTICA

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

The pandemic has been an eye-opening experience for us, and we’ve been finding those silver lining moments from which we can gain value as we move forward. The past year has given us time to take stock of our goals as a company, as players in this industry, and as individual creatives, and to take steps to realign with those goals. It has re-grounded us in a sense of purpose and making very deliberate choices. The proliferation of remote work has also opened up possibilities in an incredibly positive way as far as who we collaborate with, both within the company and on set.

It’s no secret that there are widespread industrial inequalities that have long hindered progress and access for underrepresented directors, producers, and creatives at large. We felt there was an opportunity for us to really be intentional about the collaborators we work with in an effort to foster voices that would otherwise be drowned out by these built-in biases. We have been fortunate to connect with a ton of new directors and freelancers from a variety of backgrounds who have brought unique points of view to the table, and we plan to do whatever we can to put those voices forward in all aspects of our business.

We have certainly seen a boom of work as 2021 progresses, and we fully anticipate that trend to continue as the industry finds its way back to norms of production -- though there are certainly some new norms -- and a sense of stability has returned. There has been a palpable itch to get projects going that so many of us feel. It seems the bigger, more complex projects are coming back that really get the juices flowing for producers.

Andrew Watts

Partner/Executive Creative Director

Watts Media

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

The impact has been largely positive in that we were forced to perfect an entirely different skill set in a matter of weeks. I was very nervous initially because I have always espoused the indirect relationship between creativity and proximity to others. Great ideas formulate much quicker when you can read the body language and facial expressions of your fellow creative teammates. Video calls do not facilitate those types of indicators, so the process initially felt opaque and more labored. Naturally, when you feel like you’re on your own, personal accountability has nowhere to go but up. Individual roles become more defined and communication must increase. That increased self-discipline gets passed onto our clients in the form of smarter communication. These skills are incredibly valuable when you combine them with existing production expertise. As things open up, we are highly focused on presenting a blend of the best of who we were before the pandemic and the best of what we’ve become after. We were already an extremely agile company pre-Covid, but our surprisingly seamless transition to a virtual workplace proved to me that we can succeed no matter what the world throws at us.

What are your goals, creatively speaking and/or from a business standpoint, for your company, division, studio or network in 2021?

We have experienced roughly 10 years of behavioral change in the span of a year, so I don’t think it’s wise to make prognostications about what production will look like in the near term because we’re still seeing Covid outbreaks. Watts will still need to be ready to pivot for at least another year and is hedging towards sticking with an all-virtual production model until it negatively affects the quality of our work. Common sense leads me to believe that clients will continue staying in the cozy confines of their home office, rather than come down to our studio for a powwow. This fundamentally changes how a company like ours presents itself culturally – so, in my opinion, it’s going to be less about the quirky physical office space that elicits creative whimsy and more about “Can you guys get the job done?” I think we’ll be seeing offices/studios transforming themselves into controlled, turnkey live-production and capture facilities and move away from the big communal workspaces with rows of editors and designers. It’s too expensive to put up a bunch of plastic barriers. This is unfortunate from a team-culture perspective, and I hope I’m wrong.

What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

In my mind, a huge development is the mass-lowering of the world’s visual “bar.” The ubiquity of UGC (user-generated content) and video chat capture has embedded itself into the lofty stratosphere of large, paid advertising campaigns or broadcast work, and unfortunately, it has become totally acceptable for most of the world’s eyeballs. So, for us, it might be more challenging to persuade a client to spend a little more for the extra polish and artistry that we bring to the table – especially when there’s now a cheaper and efficient alternative to fall back on. But there is opportunity here as well; when Watts creates something visually compelling and eye-catching, it will have a much better chance of standing out. I try to remind our newer clients that production quality always validates legitimacy for a new product/service in the minds of their target customers. This simple notion isn’t fundamentally going to change. The creative industry will eventually re-balance itself, and the cream will rise to the top, just like nature intended

Todd Wiseman Jr

Co-Founder/Creative Director

Hayden5

What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?

The pandemic forced our 12-year-old business to innovate. After over a decade of perfecting local crew deployments, at scale, around the world, we combined several niche practices we had developed for clients and combined them to create and productize a service called “Drop Kits™,” which became prolific during the height of the pandemic.

As the need for quality, contactless deployments subsided, we reverted to our old business model, but enhanced it with live connectivity and the virtual set experience. That new service is called Crew+™ (crew plus), and every time we deploy one of our thousands of crews around the world, all stakeholders can view the camera feed in real time, through all lenses. In addition, Crew Cam™ and Witness Cameras provide an unparalleled virtual set experience.

Hayden5 has made diversity a priority in recruiting efforts for both full-time staff and freelancers for many years. While we would love to snap our fingers and have an endless pool of qualified, diverse talent to choose from, the truth is that the pool of talent should be larger, and there are systemic issues that have to be tackled. Mandatory quotas and DEI reports are a reflection of the present, which is important, but if we do not also focus on the future, we will not solve the problem. That’s why we have chosen to focus on education, mentorship, and support for young people.

Under our philanthropic arm, Hayden5 RISE, we finance a student’s journey through a CUNY film school each year, while providing mentorship and funding for their senior thesis film. Hayden5 RISE also launched the Gear Grant, in partnership with Video Consortium, to purchase equipment packages for emerging, underrepresented professionals in our industry. Hayden5 RISE has plans to expand both programs.

In addition to virtual sets becoming more commonplace, the client edit will forever have a virtual option, and it will soon be better than in-person sessions.

The pandemic forced Hayden5 to move a large post-production staff from our offices into a virtual workspace. The result became a new product, Cloud Cuts™, which combines software and service for real-time, low latency client edits. It allowed Hayden5 to open up our freelance, postproduction talent pool to anyone in the world, and solve media delivery issues with our product, Lightning Delivery™, instead of shipping around hard drives.

In a lot of ways, the pandemic forced a speedy modernization of practices that helped our industry leap forward into a greener, more diverse, and more efficient future.

2021 Mid Year Report Card

2021 Mid Year Report Card Survey Response

2021 Mid Year Report Card Survey Response

Review: Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel Makes Directorial Debut With “Armand”

Blake Lively Is Sued By Crisis Specialist In Latest “It Ends With Us” Litigation

Super Bowl Ads Offer Laughs, Celebs and Surprises; The Mix Includes Aliens, Sloths and Silliness

Top Spot of the Week: DHSC, MullenLowe UK, Director Tom Tagholm Capture The Fulfilling Role Of Being An Adult Social Care Provider

World Cancer Day: Gustave Roussy, Publicis Conseil Celebrate, Reflect On Advances In Medicine and Science

The Best Work You May Never See: Javier Bardem, Director David Shane, Mother London Have “Evil’d Enough” For Uber Eats

Erich & Kallman, Directors Matias & Mathias Get Into The Super Bowl Ad Flow For Reese’s Chocolate Lava Big Cup

2021 Mid Year Report Card Survey Response

2021 Mid Year Report Card Survey Response

Review: Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel Makes Directorial Debut With “Armand”

Blake Lively Is Sued By Crisis Specialist In Latest “It Ends With Us” Litigation

Super Bowl Ads Offer Laughs, Celebs and Surprises; The Mix Includes Aliens, Sloths and Silliness

Top Spot of the Week: DHSC, MullenLowe UK, Director Tom Tagholm Capture The Fulfilling Role Of Being An Adult Social Care Provider

World Cancer Day: Gustave Roussy, Publicis Conseil Celebrate, Reflect On Advances In Medicine and Science

The Best Work You May Never See: Javier Bardem, Director David Shane, Mother London Have “Evil’d Enough” For Uber Eats

Erich & Kallman, Directors Matias & Mathias Get Into The Super Bowl Ad Flow For Reese’s Chocolate Lava Big Cup

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