R/GA

R/GA
Subsidiary
Industry Advertising, marketing
Founded 1977 (1977)
Headquarters New York City, United States
Number of locations
 Thirteen offices in eight countries
Area served
 World Wide
Key people
 Bob Greenberg, Chairman, CEO.
Number of employees
 1,130[1]
Parent Interpublic Group of Companies
Divisions Imaginary Forces
Website www.rga.com

R/GA is an American international advertising agency headquartered in New York — with additional offices in Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, London, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Singapore, Sydney, Stockholm, Portland and Bucharest. The agency is part of the Interpublic Group of Companies, one of four global advertising holding companies. R/GA creates advertising and marketing products based in technology and design.

History

R/GA, formerly R/Greenberg Associates, was founded in 1977, by two brothers, Richard and Robert Greenberg with $15,000 of capital.[2] Richard was the designer, while Robert was the producer and cameraman. It has restructured its business model every nine years due to the CEO's belief in numerology.[3] The company has morphed from a computer-assisted film-making company, to a digital studio, to an interactive advertising agency, an advertising agency with a digital focus and beginning in 2012, product innovation and consulting.[4][5][6]

1977–1985: computer-assisted film making

R/GA was founded as a design company that focused on motion graphics, live-action film, and video production.[7] By incorporating computers into the film-making process, R/GA created the first integrated computer-assisted production process. The company became known for creating the opening title sequence for Superman in 1978.[5] R/GA’s commercial work also includes trailers, special effects, and promotions for feature films like, Alien,[4] Xanadu, Zelig, The World According to Garp, Altered States, Weird Science, Predator, Beverly Hills Cop, and Ghostbusters.[2]

1986–1994: digital studio

R/GA created a digital studio that combined three separate media—print, television commercials, and feature films—under one roof. During the period R/GA was doing this, its body of work spanned approximately 400 feature films, including The Untouchables, Seven,[8] Braveheart, Silence of the Lambs, Home Alone, Goodfellas, Die Hard, and Dirty Dancing, and 4,000 television commercials, including Diet Coke and Reebok.[9] In 1986, R/GA won a technical Academy Award,[10] and Richard Greenberg left the company to pursue other interests.[4]

1995–2004: interactive advertising agency

In its third nine-year cycle, R/GA changed into an interactive advertising agency and secured IBM as a client. At the time, IBM was consolidating advertising agencies and selected R/GA to redesign the company's five-million-page website.[11] The agency also developed websites for companies such as Levi Strauss & Co.[12] and Ellis Island Museum. In 2001, R/GA expanded its client roster by becoming the Interactive Agency of Record for Nike and Verizon in 2003.[13][14] The agency also started a retail practice and built location-based interactive displays for the flagship Original Levi's Store in New York City in 1996.

2004–2011

R/GA changed its agency model to account for the changing business needs of its clients in the digital age. The agency expanded globally, and built a more diverse offering including mobile, social, digital advertising, and brand development. R/GA also created digital marketing options for its clients and developed the Nike+ platform.[15] The agency expanded its client roster to include Nokia (2004),[16] L'Oréal Paris (2006),[17] Walmart (2009),[18] MasterCard (2009),[19] Ameriprise Financial (2009),[20] and Taco Bell (2009).[21]

2011 onwards

In 2011 the New York Times reported the company would begin to offer clients event marketing and data visualization services[22] followed by the additions of consulting and product innovation in 2012.[6] Bob Greenberg felt that the company had become too large to manage and so decided to split the company into groups of 150 people. The Financial Times reported that Greenberg planned to expand the company into new countries through hiring people to establish new offices rather than acquiring existing businesses.[23]

Notable creative work

Superman (1978)

Created the opening title sequence for Superman by visually enhancing each name so it appears to be flying into the screen. The visual imagery and special effects developed for this film launched R/GA (then known as R/Greenberg Associates) as a visual-effects company.[2][24]

Nike+ (2006)

Created an online brand platform that gives runners a tool to record, track, and share their running data. Nike+ connects runners to an online community and archives their training history to measure progress over time. In 2007, Nike+ won top honors at six separate shows, including Titanium and Cyber Grand Prix awards at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, Black Pencil at D&AD, GRANDY at The International ANDY Awards, Grand Clio at The Clio Awards, and Best of Show at One Show Interactive. In 2009, Adweek named Nike+ "Digital Campaign of the Decade”,[25] Campaign named it the "number one digital ad of the Noughties",[26] and Advertising Age named it one of the “best non-TV campaigns of the decade."[27]

Awards

R/GA has received industry honors including Adweek's "Digital Agency of the Decade"[28] and "Digital Agency of the Year" in 2009.[29] Adweek also named R/GA its Digital/Interactive Agency of the Year in 2008,[30] 2006,[31] 2004, 2002, and 2000.

Advertising Age chose R/GA as one of its "Agencies of the Decade" in 2009 and featured the agency on its "Digital A-List" in 2009, 2008 and 2007.[32] R/GA was also selected as OMMA's "Digital Agency of the Year" for 2009[33] and Creativity’s "Interactive Agency of the Year" for 2007.

References

  1. ↑ Ghigliotty, Damian (7 December 2011). "R/GA Poaches Frog Design for Head of San Francisco Office". Fins (Wall Street Journal). Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 Bennahum, David (November 1994). "Reel Virtual". Wired. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  3. ↑ Kate Bulkley (2012-10-09). "Iconoclastic R/GA chief Bob Greenberg looks to re-invent company, again". The Guardian.
  4. 1 2 3 O'Brien, Timothy (12 February 2006). "Madison Avenue's 30-Second Spot Remover". New York Times. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  5. 1 2 Walters, Helen (4 October 2006). "Doing Things the R/GA Way". Business Week. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  6. 1 2 Stuart Elliot (2012-07-16). "R/GA Plans to Create a New Agency Model". New York Times. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
  7. ↑ Bernice Kanner (16 December 1985). New York Magazine. New York Media, LLC. pp. 22–27. ISSN 0028-7369. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  8. ↑ Radatz, Ben (10 July 2012). "Se7en (1995)". Art of the Title. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  9. ↑ "R/Greenberg Associates (us)". IMDB. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  10. ↑ "Academy Awards Database". The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  11. ↑ Owens, Jennifer (12 February 2001). "R/GA - profile of the ad agency". Brandweek. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  12. ↑ Mack, Ann M. (15 May 2003). "R/GA Celebrates Levi's Sesquicentennial". Adweek. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  13. ↑ Kaufman, Gil (22 January 2008). "Great Design: Nikelab.com". F+W Media, Inc. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
  14. ↑ Mack, Ann M. (29 December 2003). "Verizon Calls on R/GA, Avenue A". Adweek. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
  15. ↑ Sacks, Danielle (1 October 2007). "Reinventing the Reel". Fast Company. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  16. ↑ Hicks, Robin (11 March 2005). "Nokia win prompts R/GA to open in UK". Campaign. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  17. ↑ "R/GA Named L'Oreal Lead Interactive Agency". MarketingVOX. 20 June 2006. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  18. ↑ Morrissey, Brian (27 March 2009). "R/GA Takes Wal-Mart Digital Account". Adweek. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  19. ↑ Morrissey, Brian (12 October 2009). "R/GA Wins MasterCard". Adweek. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  20. ↑ Gianatasio, David (2 December 2009). "Ameriprise Names R/GA Lead Shop". Adweek. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  21. ↑ Cohen, David (5 August 2009). "Taco Bell Turns to R/GA to Rewrap Its Website". mediabistro.com. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  22. ↑ Stuart Elliot (2011-05-08). "To Grow, an Agency Breaks Down Walls". New York Times. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
  23. ↑ Emily Steel (2012-09-10). "Too big to scale creative heights". Financial Times. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
  24. ↑ Judith Shulevitz (1991-07-28). "Sometimes Titles Are the Whole Story". New York Times. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
  25. ↑ "Digital Campaign of the Decade Nike Plus". Adweek. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
  26. ↑ "Advertising in the Noughties - Top 10 digital ads". Haymarket. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
  27. ↑ Diaz, Ann-Christine (14 December 2009). "Book of Tens: Best Non-TV Campaigns of the Decade". Advertising Age. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
  28. ↑ "Digital Agency of the Decade R/GA". Adweek. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
  29. ↑ Morrissey, Brian (25 January 2010). "R/GA: Digital Agency of the Year '09". Adweek. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
  30. ↑ Morrissey, Brian (16 February 2010). "R/GA: Digital AOY 2008". Adweek. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
  31. ↑ Morrissey, Brian (22 January 2007). "Interactive Agency of the Year" (PDF). Adweek. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
  32. ↑ Parekh, Rupal (30 March 2009). "R/GA Smashes Boundaries of Digital-Shop Model". Advertising Age. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
  33. ↑ Taylor, Catharine P. (1 January 2010). "Agency of the Year 2009: R/GA". OMMA. Retrieved 14 April 2010.

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