Ignition Creative is seeing triple.
The Playa Vista marketing firm has announced the addition of three divisions – integrated marketing, media buying and brand advertising – to become a full-service agency. It’s among a growing number of L.A. ad firms that have been expanding lately.
Martin Kistler, Ignition’s chief executive and chief creative officer, said there’s been increased demand for those services from clients.
The integrated marketing division aims to create one brand story across multiple platforms and will be headed by Doug Dezzani, creative director of integrated marketing, and Callie de Quevedo, vice president of integrated marketing.
Its media buying division will also help expand its media planning and execution to help clients from the launch of a campaign through maintenance. The division will be overseen by Jessica Gilhooley, vice president of media.
The brand advertising division will focus on bringing in analytics to help client’s define a strategy and create more memorable and impactful campaigns.
Many L.A. agencies, including Playa Vista’s TVGla and Deutsch LA, have been adding divisions and expanding services of existing ones as clients continue to demand more services.
“Ignition Creative’s diversified capabilities exemplify our objective to grow and advance a scope of services that best suit our clients’ transforming needs,” said Kistler, who founded Ignition in 2003.
The agency has 275 employees and an additional office in London. Its clients include Amazon Studios, the National Football League, Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Co.
Taking Helm
West L.A. ad agency Quigley-Simpson has named Angela Zepeda its new chief executive as the firm’s co-founders prepare to step back.
Zepeda will oversee the creative, planning and media operations for the agency, which is jointly headquartered here and in New York.
“This is an exciting time to be joining Quigley-Simpson, given its strong position in the market and potential for explosive growth,” Zepeda said. “I’m looking forward to leading the agency during its next chapter and building on its already strong portfolio of clients.”
Prior to heading the agency, she served as president and chief marketing officer for ad agency Lowe Campbell Ewald Los Angeles. Zepeda was there for 10 years, helping to oversee $350 million in media revenues annually and to secure new business with brands such as LifeLock, Pimco Financial and Ghirardelli Chocolates.
Quigley-Simpson co-founders Gerald Bragg, the agency’s former chief executive, and Renee Hill Young, chief operating officer, will transition into new roles as co-chairmen of the agency.
Bragg said Quigley-Simpson did a nationwide search to find the right person to take over the firm – someone with “the right combination of leadership, management and creative experience who could lead our agency into its next decade of growth.”
“Angela is a rising star in the industry who meets every one of these qualifications,” he said. “We’re thrilled to have her at the helm.”
Quigley-Simpson was launched in 2002. It has a staff of 150 and more than $500 million in annual billings.
Agencies & Accounts
Malibu public relations firm Tellem Grody Public Relations Inc. has launched a crisis program through its food issues group. It will cover crises arising from food poisonings, poor health department letter grades for restaurants and sexual harassment claims. … Howard Breuer, former communications director at legal marketing firm ONE400 in Pasadena, has launched Cavalry PR, a Westwood public relations and crisis management agency. … Culver City ad agency Pitch has named Chris Kyriakos executive director of integrated production. Kyriakos previously served as freelance senior integrated producer at Playa Vista ad agency 72andSunny. … Marketing agency NCompass International in West Hollywood named Brent Koning head of gaming and global partnerships and Aaron Miller as vice president of innovation. Koning, previously a global product marketer at Microsoft Corp., will work out of the agency’s new Seattle office. Miller, formerly senior creative director at Torrance marketing agency George P. Johnson Co., will work at the West Hollywood office. … Playa Vista ad agency Team One has named Jon Ruppel creative director. Ruppel previously worked as a freelance digital creative director. … West L.A. ad agency Fraser Communications has won another three-year contract with government agency First 5 California, which pays for early childhood health and education programs. … Public relations firm Bob Gold & Associates in Redondo Beach has been named agency of record for nonprofit wine competition Long Beach Grand Cru. … Movement Public Relations in Los Angeles has signed Proof of Concept, a technology demonstration event by tech enthusiast Michael Juloya, as a client. … Playa Vista ad agency TVGla has named Kristopher Hanson director of production. Hanson previously served as executive producer of digital production at ad agency 180LA in Santa Monica.
Staff reporter Subrina Hudson can be reached at [email protected] or at (323) 549-5225, ext. 251.
