DWA Client News

Adventures in creativity


StateFarm
Another Country’s Adventures in Sound

“Latest work for Highdive U.S., MRM, The Marketing Arm, dentsu USA, Pepsi, Chewy, State Farm Insurance, and many others added to Another Country’s ‘Adventures in Sound’ playlist. #SoundOn”

HUFFMAG
Erin Sarofsky’s Fetching Skrimp Creations Reimagine (and Captivate) the Stars

Erin Sarofsky’s Meet The Skrimps reimagines some of the biggest pop culture icons – and villains – dominating headlines today. HUFFMAG explores how Erin’s love for fiber arts led to a viral masterpiece infused with humor and heart. Read on to dive into the creative genius behind Meet The Skrimps and discover how she’s using AI to explore creativity.

BristolNoir
Bristol Noir: Poetry by Roger Darnell

Bristol Noir is a not-for-profit indie publisher of curiously dark fiction, poetry and dirty realism founded by Bristol-based author, designer and artist John Bowie.

Christian
Finely Sliced: Christian Whittemore

Christian Whittemore is a LA-based editor passionate about creating attention-grabbing, high-end visual experiences. He’s worked with clients such as Lincoln, Delta, Toyota, and Mercedes-Benz to develop exciting, kinetic, and sonically driven edits that bring a memorable 'pop' to any project.

Jonathan_Rogers
Bella Adds Accomplished Editor Jonathan Rogers

Executive Producer David Perry and his colleagues from commercial production and post company Bella are proudly announcing the addition of accomplished editor Jonathan Rogers to their roster for commercial representation across the U.S.A.

Cleveland
Flavor goes deep for Cleveland

“Every dog has its day 🐶♥️ Still beaming because of this work that aired during the Puppy Bowl for This is Cleveland. All our thanks to the fine folks at MMGY Global for having us join in on the cuteness!”

AgentStateFarm
The top 10 Super Bowl 58 commercials, according to USA TODAY Ad Meter

“The 36th USA TODAY Ad Meter ratings have come to an end, with panelists weighing in on 59 commercials during the breaks in the Super Bowl action. Like the game, it was a close race, with a few brands moving toward the top five though as the clock struck midnight and the advertising version of a 2-minute began. When the polls closed in the early morning hours, well after the confetti-filled celebration on the field concluded, a 2024 Ad Meter champ emerged.”

Heather_Richardson
Heather Richardson Shares Her SuperBowl Faves and Flops

The Super Bowl was a big night for Cutters Studios, whose team collaborated with Highdive for the popular State Farm “Like a Good Neighbaaa” and BetMGM “For Everyone” commercials for the epic evening. So what did Executive Producer Heather Richardson think of the rest of the Super Bowl advertising lineup?

CFUG2024
Flavor hosts Chicago Flame User Group

The first Chicago Flame User Group in many years convened at Flavor on Wednesday February 7th at 7 pm. It featured demos by Andy Milkis, Brian Higgins, Randy McEntee, and Fred Warren and Stephane Labrie from Autodesk.

Erin_Sarofsky_Moppet
Erin Sarofsky on Overcoming Biases and Shaping the Future with AI

The Sarofsky founder tells LBB’s Ben Conway about how she and her companies use AI, and why “the onus is on women” to experiment with new tech as early as possible.

Leading_with_heart
Caitlin Grady On The Power of Authentic Women’s Leadership

Thoughtfulness: Women tend to be the relationship keepers in society. Just like I know my sister in law’s favorite flower, I know how my clients take their coffee and where they prefer to eat. I can leverage this information, that is available to everyone, to stand out.

Philips
Joe Philips Rises To Creative Director at Another Country Detroit

Another Country Managing Director Tim Konn and his colleagues worldwide are very proud to announce the immediate promotion of Joe Philips to the position of Creative Director for Another Country Detroit.

RD_Family
7 Questions on Leadership with Roger Darnell

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Leadership! I hope Roger’s answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Traylor
Meet The Disruptors: Traylor Woodall Of Fivestone Studios

Traylor Woodall is the Founder and CEO of Fivestone Studios, an immersive multimedia studio that leverages design, technology and storytelling to create wonder and drive human connection. Drawing strength from five shared cultural touchstones — Honor, Bravery, Vision, Generosity, and Excellence — Fivestone’s groundbreaking multidisciplinary talents passionately resolve giant-sized storytelling challenges using emerging technologies and patent processes.

Mayhem_Honk
New year, new work, same Mayhem

Shoutout to the very funny folks at Allstate for inviting us to be a part of Mayhem's continuing antics. The latest releases have unleashed our fear of parking gates and losing bets ý˝.

Guardians3
Main Title for "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3" is Most Viewed Video Release of 2023

The most viewed videos of 2023 posted to the SHOOT Publicity Wire include the main title sequence for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, a trailer to a feature documentary on Selena Gomez, a Gal Musette music video, and an American Express commercial featuring Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Share
Crafting SHARE? with Ira Rosensweig using Premiere Pro and After Effects

Produced, directed, co-written, and edited by Ira Rosensweig, the film SHARE? tells the story of a man navigating a society solely connected by primitive computers, where the ability to entertain is his only currency. As the first feature film entirely shot from one fixed camera angle, Ira relied on Adobe Creative Cloud including Premiere Pro and After Effects to meticulously craft the film.

Flavor
Flavor is Hiring

We’re Flavor, a diverse gang of visual storytellers who create globally impacting, industry defining works. We are currently seeking an amazing 3D Motion Designer, and highly experienced and passionate designer, animator (2D/3D), character animator, VFX artist, compositor or Flame finishers.

Rare_Air
“Rare Air” original travel series from Roger Darnell

Offering awe-inspiring immersions into breathtaking travel destinations, all Rare Air series episodes are available for free on its Vimeo Channel. Stay tuned for new virtual getaways coming soon. Now featuring: Underwater at Water Lemon Cay.

DWA_Heroes
Giving Season: Heroes 2023

Together with my family, I am sending my warmest thoughts to many friends and colleagues worldwide, and feeling a lot of gratitude. I truly appreciate your help in sending daily clicks to https://GreaterGood.com, where our simple mouseclicks can benefit a number of vital causes each and every day. I’m also especially thankful to the individuals behind my client companies Cutters Studios, Fivestone Studios, Sally Spiegel, and Sarofsky for their leadership and help in supporting the following heroic organizations...

Mayhem_Holiday
Stay protected from Mayhem this holiday season

Thanks to the wonderful folks at Allstate for including us on this new work. It almost makes us want to break out our old skates. Almost.
Production Company: Furlined
Director: Speck & Gordon
Audio Engineer: Peter Erazmus
Editor: Kevin O'Brien, Cutters

Chewy_Holiday
Chewy Holiday “Unbridled Joy”

Gifts so good, your pets may lose their minds þǿ
We're big animal lovers over here, so getting to work on this very cute holiday spot for Chewy was a real treat. Thanks so much to all the fine folks at Chewy for bringing us in on this one!
Production Company: O Positive
Director: Brian Billow
Editor: John Dingfield, Cutters Studios

Fivestone
Fivestone Creates CG Content for the ATL Attractions Technology Lab

Fivestone was asked to create :90 of CG content for the ATL Attractions Technology Lab, an event designed to showcase the latest technology, hardware, lighting, and media for the attractions industry. This was a huge step for the Fivestone team as it required new technologies and processes and posed an incredible creative challenge to pull off in a tight deadline.

Sarofsky
þǝ Drumroll, please! The Sarofsky anthem is here!

A new anthem reel celebrating 15 years of wonderful, engaging projects, creative collaborations, incredible friendships, and unique challenges. We're deeply appreciative of everyone we've had the privilege to meet and work with over the past 15 years. þǞ Here's to many more decades of great work!

Takis
Another Country scores Takis campaign via Carbon director Liam Chapple

“Carbon’s Liam Chapple served up some HOT new content in our latest work for Takis. Full of classic 80’s film vibes, mixed with comic book and anime style, the film launches Takis’ new Dragon Sweet Chili flavor. And we mean that literally – this baby gets launched like a fluorescent firework.”

Cat
The Work That Made Me: Cat McCarthy

“Cat McCarthy, the design lead at Sarofsky, is a creative dynamo fueled by kinetic storytelling. She finds joy in playing with patterns and turning them into design magic. From early days of crafting bedroom door collages to working on mind-bending title sequences like WeCrashed, Goosebumps, or The Staircase, Cat's journey is a testament to the power of curiosity and the courage to explore.”

Cosmic_Crisis
Fivestone Studios provides multimedia services to The Escape Game

“Award-winning immersive multimedia company Fivestone Studios is proud to detail their contributions to Cosmic Crisis, the latest interactive experience from The Escape Game (TEG). Recently launched at TEG’s popular Opry Mills location in Nashville, this new game will also open soon at more of the company’s 37 retail locations across the country. Entering the thrilling interactive game, up to eight players band together in a deep-space adventure requiring fast thinking and focused cooperation to save the solar system.”

Film_Illinois
Illinois expands filming tax-credit incentives

“Chicago boasts a deep bench of production and post houses ranging from full-service houses like Optimus and Cutters Studios to smaller boutique houses so there are multiple options for every type of project. In addition to having the physical space—and being home to dozens of leading ad agencies—Chicago supports a number of official organizations to help with the heavy lifting.”

UTEDS
Fivestone joins Themed Entertainment Design Show

“Join us for 10 Questions with Fivestone Studios, an immersive multimedia studio. We’ll dive into their recent project Cosmic Crisis and explore how they leveraged design, technology, and storytelling to deliver an immersive escape room experience.”

AOTP
Roger Darnell’s poetic memoir deemed “a masterpiece”

“I recently had the pleasure of delving into Roger Darnell’s poetic memoir, and I can’t resist sharing the profound impact it had on me. Arc of the Poet: A Poetic Memoir is a masterpiece that will linger in your heart and mind long after you’ve finished reading.”

Fivestone’s Molly Piveral speaking at TEA’s SATE Conference

“We are so proud of our Molly Piveral who is speaking at Themed Entertainment Association SATE North America next week! Hear her talk about the importance of cultural authenticity in the workplace October 12th at 4:20pm ⭐️”

Between Earth and Sky is now streaming

“Edited by Peter Zachwieja (Cutters), sound designed and mixed by Jordan Stalling (Another Country), with Mo Tavera (Flavor) as the Flame artist, we feel so honored to have had the opportunity to work on this beautiful and powerful film. Our gratitude to the whole team for bringing us along on this incredible journey ýÞ✨”

Big Ups: Creative writing

“I’ve been wrestling with this craft for most of my life, and I mean this in an encouraging way: The words don’t write themselves.”

The Funeral Photographer screens at Midwest Film Festival

“We’re so excited THE FUNERAL PHOTOGRAPHER is playing tonight as a part of The Midwest Film Festival’s Ad Community Night. It’s a wonderful film, with an incredible team behind it - we’re proud to have been involved!”

Unsplash
Millions of views and counting on Unsplash

Unsplash is a website dedicated to sharing stock photography under the Unsplash license. The website claims over 100,000 contributing photographers and generates more than 9 billion photo impressions per month on their growing library of over 690,000 photos. Not only does DWA principal Roger Darnell rely often on Unsplash for spectacular stock photography, many of his own images are reaching a wide global audience through the platform.

Chewy
Pets aren’t just pets

“Pets aren’t just pets ýÝ Very silly (and weirdly relatable) work for Chewy recently started airing, and we love how it turned out. Big thanks to the awesome team at Chewy for having us along on this one!”

Chewy
Pepsi rebrand brings out Flavor’s best

“Love this new work - and new branding - for Pepsi as the brand celebrates 125 years of making all of life’s moments #BetterWithPepsi. Big thanks to the fabulous folks at Pepsi for inviting us in on the celebration!”

Sarofsky_Labs
Learn to design and pitch main titles at Sarofsky Labs

“At Sarofsky, we are well known for our main title sequences. In this workshop, we will share the inside scoop with you; everything from how we ideate to how we develop the ideas into a visual presentation. We will supply a few creative briefs from which you will work and, by the end of the weekend, you will have developed an idea of your own into a visual presentation. Writing is also encouraged in this workshop.”

dwa
Welcome to the new website for The Darnell Works Agency!

Twenty-three years after launching The Darnell Works Agency in Los Angeles, I am still privileged to be collaborating every day with the world’s most awesome business executives and media luminaries. Together with these bold leaders, we are unlocking their organizations’ full potential, fulfilling key objectives, and strategically propelling them into the future.

Sarofsky_Labs
Sarofsky Labs hosts Makers' Space at Half Rez

“Come and collaborate at Sarofsky Open House! We’ve created a frame-by-frame storyboard of abstract shapes on a journey through time. Pick 1-10 of those sketched frames and bring them to life however you choose. We’ve allocated 5 time slots on Saturday, the 9th, so come and start whenever it works best for you.”

Steven
Anderson selected VIP Juror for Le Book Connections Chicago

Since 2005, CONNECTIONS has been the leading platform for best-in-class creative services, bringing together top talent from agencies, film and post-production, VR/AR, social media, event producers, and more. Explore our past events and find out what’s coming up next.

BlueHole
Sky tours with Roger Darnell

“Video from our July 24th visit to Blue Hole PFA in Tapoco, North Carolina, very near Cheoah Point Campground where we snagged a Sunday night accommodation in the awesome little cabin there. I believe "PFA" stands for paralyzed fishing access ... there is a beautiful accessible ramp and a nice fishing dock. It's also a great swimming hole!”

GBGS
Check out Great Big Game Show at Opry Mills Mall

Put your heads together to beat other teams in a fast paced flurry of game show rounds. Great Big Game Show is a new concept from the creators of The Escape Game.

CarBravo
CarBravo campaign cranks volume with Cutters Studios

“The only thing with more volume than his hair is the CarBravo inventory. Another super fun spot from the CarBravo campaign that we got to hop on with the good folks at MRM. Thanks again to MRM for having us along for this hair-larious project!”

Card image cap
Caravan creates short film for Harley-Davidson launch

Full-service production company Caravan recently completed work on a 15-minute short that introduces Harley-Davidson’s eagerly-awaited CVO motorcycles. On June 7th, The Motor Company launched the all-new 2023 CVO Street Glide and CVO Road Glide with a film that lives online. Based on a detailed creative briefing by associate creative director Jon Cain, director Bernardo Marentes rapidly conceived a plan.

Card image cap
MissionBit.org redesign bridges the youth tech divide

Since Sans Serif is based in the Bay Area and partners with many tech companies, Mission Bit’s goal of making the benefits, resources, and wealth of the tech industry available to youth of color in the region moved the agency to partner with them in such an extensive, ongoing way. Using the brand strategy and look and feel established in the 2022 rebrand, Sans Serif helped bring Mission Bit to life online through a completely revamped website.

Chris Rossiter
Dictionary Films Managing Director Chris Rossiter Rides Into Sunset

“A bittersweet moment, for sure. Chris Rossiter has been a pillar of our industry and the Cutters Studios family, and it’ll be hard to see him go. In this piece for SHOOTonline, he shares some of his career highlights and leaves a few pearls of wisdom for the next generation. We are so grateful to Chris for being an incredible leader, mentor, collaborator, and friend. We’ll miss you dearly, Rossiter, but are so excited for you and this next chapter!”

Flavor
2023 AICP Awards Branding Blossoms With Flora by Flavor

Brian McCauley: “We were drawn to the idea of nature as canvas, where the beauty of the natural world can be molded and changed to create something new. So we set out to create flowers in 3D and use their surfaces as a moving canvas to create something familiar but unique; a new perspective. “To set each show apart, we focused on bold, bright, pop gradients for The AICP Show, on paint and pastels for The AICP Post Awards, and on a more graphical, techy look for The AICP Next Awards...”

Beef
Typeroom on Sarofsky’s cinematic title design

“Creating a movie or a series is a huge deal, whether it is a short DIY film or a Hollywood blockbuster. Every little detail needs to be taken care of to achieve maximum quality and impress the audience and critics too. For us typography aficionados, one super important element of cinematography is always the title design. There is a lot of hard work, great history and stylistic evolution when it comes to title sequences.”

Justin Eslinger
Fivestone Studios Lands Justin Eslinger

Most recently an AR Engineer for Snap, Justin’s latest work focused on creating experiences and developing hand interaction around the firm’s proprietary AR glasses. Prior to that, Justin’s talents flourished as Game Engine Supervisor and Lead Software Developer for The Third Floor, where his pioneering developments in Unity and other technologies contributed to a 2021 Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement in Technical Innovation for Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge at the Super Nintendo World theme parks in Osaka and Hollywood.

Summer_of_Impossible
Sugarhi feeds All-Star national Impossible Foods campaign

By Director Jake Banks via Production Company Sugarhi: Spots including “Confused” :30, “Jobs” :15, “Touchy” :15, “Magic” :15, “Lettuce” :15, “Cholestersome” :15, “Buns” :15, “Corn” :15, “You’re a Plant” :06, “Hormones” :06, and more.

Arc of the Poet
More reviews for Roger Darnell’s “Arc of the Poet”

“The writing style of the author is amazing and I appreciate the various life experiences the author has shared in this poetic memoir. The narration is smooth and I couldn’t put this book down until I finished it. This book opens our eyes to the struggles artists face.”

Pepsi
Cutters, Flavor, Another Country for Pepsi

“Every bite is better with Pepsi! It was such a ball getting to work on this fun summertime spot with the awesome team from The Studio at PepsiCo. Thanks again to all involved for having us along for the ride!”

BK
Cutters, Flavor, Another Country for Burger King

“With over 200,000 ways to make the Whopper your own - YOU RULE! Love this bouncy new work for Burger King from the awesome team at O’Keefe Reinhard and Paul. Huge thanks for inviting us in for all the fun, friends!”

Paloma Rincón
Sugarhi expands with addition of Director Paloma Rincón

“Currently based in Spain, Rincón is a Mexican-born director with a strong focus on visual storytelling. Her quirky style is marked by bold colors and graphic composition set builds, which give her tabletop and performance-based work a unique flavor that is purely Paloma”

Card image cap
Chicago’s Sarofsky and Nolo Partner, Share Space and Resources

“Thanks to a new strategic partnership between Sarofsky and Nolo Digital Film, Nolo has moved to Sarofsky’s studio in Chicago’s West Loop and is now sharing Sarofsky’s customer service and production resources. This collaboration combines the offerings of two artist-owned production entities. As a key part of this new arrangement, Sarofsky’s MD/EP Steven Anderson and head of production Joel Signer will share oversight of production for both companies.”

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