After nearly five decades in the advertising industry, Chicago-based Midwest rep David Wagner has retired. He has been responsible for contributing to the careers of assorted directors and is credited on some of the most successful campaigns in the region since the 1980s. Among the many colleagues he mentored is Sam Sloma who grew up in the small town of Fremont, Ohio, and at a young age met Wagner. Sloma recalled that Wagner would come into town every so often from Chicago, along with his wife, a childhood friend of Sloma’s mom. Sloma said that Wagner was “engaging, curious, energetic, smart; he became my standard for success in the big world outside of Fremont. He guided me into film and communications, and throughout college sent me DVDs of commercials and short films to review–ALWAYS asking questions and explaining why he found something interesting. Upon graduation, I moved to Chicago the following day to begin interning for David. We would go on to spend the next 12 years working together, eventually forming David&Sam in 2019 where we worked as partners until his retirement. I never became David Wagner, but David Wagner made me the professional I am today,” affirmed Sloma. “Proud to call him my mentor, my partner, and my friend.” In the wake of Wagner’s retirement, Sloma has founded Known Associates, which handles Midwest representation for RESET, ProdCo, Supply&Demand, Farm League, World War Seven, Exile, and Mosaic. In an online post, Wagner related, “I am so immensely proud to have Sam Sloma carry things forward and start his own new chapter as Known Associates. It is well deserved and overdue.” Looking back on his career, Wagner shared, “Thank you to all the incredible directors that I have been able to represent! And the EPs and company owners that gave me the opportunity to represent their production companies.” Wagner added, “I was so lucky to have been given a book early in life, ‘The Success System that Never Fails’ by W. Clement Stone. I carried that book in my backpack, and then briefcase for 20 years. I still think of it often as a path to create character and strength in the most difficult of times. As I gratefully sail off into the sunset (quite literally) I am off to new adventures and challenges!”…
Rep Report for December 20, 2024
Creative content company Chromista has added DiMaggio + T-Reps to handle representation on the West Coast. Jeanie DiMaggio and Tracy Fetterman joined forces eight years ago to establish DiMaggio + T-Reps. Together, they bring over 20 years of experience and jointly represent a diverse roster of live-action, VR/AR, AI and digital content commercial production companies. Before T-Reps, Fetterman was the in-house West Coast sales rep for Partizan. DiMaggio founded DiMaggio Representation 17 years ago after working in house as a West Coast sales rep for Hungry Man. Led by founders Darren Aronofsky, Scott Franklin, and Ted Robbins, and partner Adina Birnbaum, Chromista offers innovative creative solutions for all media platforms, including commercial, experimental, narrative, social, and beyond. Chromista’s roster of esteemed talent is responsible for films like The Thicket, the upcoming A24 film Friendship, and the Starz dark comedy series Sweetpea. Chromista’s recent brand collaborations include Ford, Chase Sapphire, EA Games, Sid Meier’s Civilization VII, Stouffer’s, Cybersmile, McDonald’s, Samsung, and DoorDash....
ArtClass Content is now being represented on the West Coast by the 1961, led by Frank Antonoff and Faith Loop. Founded by Antonoff in 2023, the 1961 is the culmination of Antonoff’s career as a talent rep and maintains a roster of live-action, animation, design, VFX, and editorial clients. ArtClass Content is headed by founder and Emmy-winning director Vincent Peone, managing partner Geno Imbriale and managing director Kirsten Arongino. ArtClass turns out top-drawer branded content, music videos, digital activations, documentaries, and... Read More