Noted Hollywood entertainment PR agency Digney & Company (formerly Solters & Digney) has named 30-year PR veteran Dan Harary to the newly created position of President, Multimedia Entertainment. Most recently, Harary had been President, Asbury Communications, Inc., since 1996. NOTE: Harary reps 2010 Academy Award “Best MakeUp” Winner Barney Burman, honored for his work on “Star Trek.”
In his new post, Harary will spearhead new business development for Digney & Company, along with his on-going Public Relations representation of a diverse array of long-held entertainment industry clients. Harary is noted for his PR expertise in repping companies working in the areas of Entertainment Ad/Marketing Agencies (across all media platforms); Visual FX; 3D Film, TV and Blu-ray Production; Makeup & Special FX; Film, Television, Commercial and Music Video Production & Post Production; Event Marketing; Music Production & Sound Design; Animation; Production of Blu-ray Menu and Bonus Feature Material; Online Motion Picture Advertising; Motion Graphics, and other in-front-of and behind-the-camera content producers.
With the addition of Harary’s clientele, Digney & Company’s client roster now includes a diverse client list including Universal Studios Hollywood, 2010 Academy Award Winner Barney Burman (“Star Trek”), Madame Tussauds Wax Museums, the Children’s Diabetes Foundation, RP International, The International 3D Society, The “Lumiere Awards,” The “Vision Awards,” Trailer Park, Eden FX, AvatarLabs, MusicBoxMobile, BIRD Marketing, Ka-Chew Animation Studios, The Production Music Association, Songs To Your Eyes Music, and dozens of others.
Jerry Digney, Chairman/Founder, Digney & Company said, “Dan Harary’s extensive background in numerous areas of the entertainment industry ties in wonderfully with our agency’s heritage and expertise. With him on board, we’re aggressively moving forward, seeking new business and new clients from a broad spectrum of possibilities within the entertainment, media, live performance, and new technology fields.”
Harary adds, “Melding my business with Jerry Digney and his team was a perfect, and completely logical fit for me. The synergy between our backgrounds is uncanny, and his company’s 35-plus year heritage in ‘all things show business’ appealed to my roots in this industry as well. Jerry’s late partner, the legendary press agent Lee Solters, was a mentor to me 25 years ago–talk about a PR career coming ‘full circle.'”
ABOUT DAN HARARY
Dan Harary founded Asbury Communications, Inc., in l996 in Hollywood, as a boutique PR agency specializing in all areas of entertainment and media. During the course of the past 14 years, Asbury handled hundreds of clients and projects. Among these were: the launch of The Hollywood Film Festival; the American Film Institute Tribute to the U.S. Government’s “Atomic Cinematographers;” launches of the earliest, online animated content from “Ren & Stimpy” creator John “K” and from director Tim Burton; the World Animation Celebration; the launch of “Star Trek: The Experience” attraction in Las Vegas; “Lovelace: A Rock Opera” at The Hayworth Theatre; the indie film “A Day Without A Mexican” (which triggered major national controversy and publicity), and the cast reunion of “Jesus Christ Superstar: Live in Hollywood,” among them.
Asbury also handled PR for many of the most preeminent ad/marketing agencies in Hollywood, countless visual and special FX projects, music production and library companies, new media/technology companies, large scale events, B-to-B and consumer advertising campaigns, experiential and event marketing producers, authors, live theatre presentations, charity events, reality TV stars, new product launches, singers, and many others.
Prior to Asbury, Harary had been an Executive Vice President with The Lippin Group PR agency from 1989-96. During that time, he represented dozens of corporate entertainment companies, including MCA/Universal Television, MTM Television, KCAL TV News, Grundy Worldwide; individual TV series from MCA and Disney; eco-clients The Environmental Media Association, the “EMA” Awards, and The Goldman Environmental Prize; and numerous other new media, home entertainment, and visual effects companies and projects.
From l987-89, Harary was a Senior Publicist with Solters/Roskin/Friedman PR. At that time, he represented indie films, TV series, themed-entertainment attractions, music production companies, home video projects, and new technology television systems. During this time, he was the West Coast publicist for Jay Leno, concurrent with Leno being named as Johnny Carson’s permanent guest host of “The Tonight Show.”
Earlier in his career, Harary, based in Hollywood, held in-house PR positions with Columbia Pictures Television, The Playboy Channel and The American Film Institute. Prior to relocating to Los Angeles in l980, Harary worked in the PR department of Columbia Pictures Studios in New York City.
Harary holds a BS Degree in Communications from Boston University. In l973, when he was 16, Harary worked as a Stage Crew member for an unknown Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
ABOUT DIGNEY & COMPANY
Digney & Company Public Relations (formerly Solters & Digney), located at Hollywood & Vine, is one of the entertainment industry’s last remaining independent PR firms. With Jerry Digney as Chairman/CEO, Digney & Company brings decades of publicity experience to the table on behalf of its enormous range of clients covering the full gamut of the entertainment industry. (www.digneypr.com)
In addition to Digney and Harary, Digney & Company’s Executive Vice-President Marcia Newberger had been public relations head of the Griffin Group of Companies and Merv Griffin Entertainment for many years. Earlier, she had been Executive Vice President of Warren Cowan & Associates, Senior Vice President of Rogers & Cowan, Inc., and Vice President of Solters/Roskin/Friedman. Arlene Winnick serves Digney & Company as Head of its Travel and Tourism unit, with more than 25 years of public relations, and special events experience, on behalf of renowned hotels and resorts, globally.
Jerry Digney himself has been the personal publicist to a host of icons, from Ray Charles to B.B. King, and from Bob Newhart to Madame Tussauds and Universal Studios Hollywood.
Since its formation a decade ago as Solters & Digney, Digney & Company has helped publicize the achievements of clients such as Pat Boone’s Gold Label “Concord Records” to win eight Grammy® Awards for “Genius Loves Company,” arranged to have the late Pope named an “Honorary Harlem Globetrotter,” and promoted the TV wedding of the decade, between “Trista and Ryan,” on ABC TV.
Until his death in May, 2009, legendary press agent Lee Solters was known for his representation of such major entertainment industry luminaries as Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, and Michael Jackson. Solters had had various partnerships over the years, before inviting Jerry Digney to rejoin him in 2000.
Jerry Digney, a native Bostonian, first worked for Lee Solters in New York City 36 years ago, and later served as vice President of Solters/Roskin/Friedman in Los Angeles. During those years, Digney was director of public relations for Feld Entertainment (producer/owner of The Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey Circus). Digney later partnered with fellow executive Marcia Newberger on such projects as the launch of Vittel mineral water in the United States, the launch of Regent Air (later MGM Grand Air), and the re-opening of the Pasadena Playhouse. www.digneypr.com
