It’s Always Sunny in New York

The US advertising scene has seen something of a new wave gold rush of late as adlanders seek to escape the tough (and chilly) streets of New York for the sunshine and glamour of LA or the futuristic campuses of Silicon Valley tech giants. 

But it’s not all one way traffic. In 2012 72andSunny – an agency named after the amenable meteorology of Los Angeles – decided that the East coast was need of a little Vitamin D-infused creativity. And two years on, the sun is certainly shining. 

The NY office has exploded from three people to a hundred. It was instrumental in winning the humongous $700 million General Mills account (which 72andSunny will work on with fellow MDC Group shop, brand strategy shop Redscout). It now runs the global accounts for  Smirnoff and Xfiniti and Seventh Generation. And it’s getting ready for a move to swish new digs in Dumbo.

LBB’s Laura Swinton caught up with Guillermo Vega, Executive Creative Director at 72andSunny NYC...

LBB> What date did you open the doors of 72andSunny New York? Who were the founding people at the office, and how big was the staff size back then?

GV> We opened in January 2014 with only three people, just working with Smirnoff. Then in June 2014, James Townsend joined as managing director and I joined as executive creative director. At that point, we had 12 employees - truly our core members - including Director of Production Lora Schulson and Director of Strategy Tim Jones. These original members embraced the values of the company since day one, and played a huge role in taking us to where we are today. This year, Partner and Executive Creative Director Bryan Rowles, who has spent time working in both our Los Angeles and Amsterdam office, moved to NYC to join forces with me -- together we oversee the creative for 72andSunny New York. 

LBB> 72andSunny has a really strong culture - I’m guessing quite strongly rooted in the sunny LA lifestyle and mentality - how did you transfer that over to New York? Did you face any challenges getting New Yorkers to embrace that culture?

…in other words, how does 72andSunny translate to 35andFreezing?!

GV> We initially were not sure how our culture would be embraced in NYC, but I think that our optimism was something that the New York market craved. Basically, we bring our optimistic values and combine them with what is so special about NYC culture. New Yorkers are sharp, real and honest, sometimes this can be read as cynical but we don’t see it that way. What we’ve found in NYC is 72andSunny is about optimism with an edge. 

Our attitude and work ethic makes working here something special. We collaborate and help each other a lot -- not because we need to, but because we want to. The same philosophy that works for us internally also applies to working with our clients. 

LBB> What’s interesting for the network is that the LA heritage gives an expertise in tech and entertainment, you’ve got the design creds from Amsterdam - what is the New York experience bringing to the network in terms of expertise?

GV> Our New York experience gives us a unique approach to integrated thinking and has taught us to constantly think how social fits into the overall equation. We tap into the vibrant diversity and culture of NYC in interesting ways. I also think we have done a good job of integrating LA, Amsterdam and NYC thinking. 

LBB> Over the last couple of years we’ve seen this narrative emerge about NY-based adlanders looking to move to the West coast, more agencies opening up an office in LA.. so 72andSunny were reversing that trend! Why was New York such an important move for 72andSunny?

GV> We believe we need to have a presence here. NYC is a global hub in the US that allows us to connect to an amazing pool of talent. NYC also has a culture of getting things done that connects really well with the way we operate as a company. We just have to be here. 

LBB> 72andSunny has recently won General Mills, in partnership with Red Scout - congratulations! What was 72andSunny NY’s role in the pitch and securing the account?

GV> Jonah and his team at Redscout are great partners for us because we complement each other well. The pitch was more than just a communication challenge, it was really about how to partner and innovate with an amazing company like General Mills, that has a strong history and a great group of iconic brands.

LBB> Since opening, you’ve grown so much! How on earth do you manage that influx of people while maintaining the culture?

GV> It’s true, we are growing a lot. We went from three to 100 people in almost three years. We maintain the culture in a few ways. For one thing, we brought in a lot of people in from our LA office who understand our culture and values. We always keep our values as a north star and constantly remind ourselves what our mission is. It’s also great that we have John (Boiler), Glenn (Cole) and Matt (Jarvis) physically present on a regular basis to work on projects and campaigns together, because we learn from seeing and absorbing the culture as we create things together.

Another thing is that we are not afraid of change. It’s a part of life - it’s actually what’s constant. We like the idea of getting different people from different backgrounds and learning from each other. So we maintain our values and what makes us who we are, but we also change as we grow and add new people. Culture should be alive to thrive.

LBB> Which recent work should we be checking out to get an idea of the sort of stuff 72andSunny New York is doing?

GV> We are proud of all of the work we’ve done lately. I think “The Vajingle” for Seventh Generation and Maya Rudolph, and “Let’s Get It” with Ciroc and P. Diddy are a few specific examples of the work we’re most proud of.

We are also very proud of innovations like Sundae, a new, global creators platform we launched, that allows us to work with people and brands that are purpose driven. It’s the work, and expanding this modern agency that keep us busy and happy.

LBB> You’ve had some interesting big hires recently, including Justine Armour - what’s she bringing to the mix?

GV> Justine is really creative and smart. She brings a tonality to the work that is terrific. She is leading 

a lot of the new work coming out of the agency. She joined at the perfect time and she is a fantastic addition to the team. 

LBB> What are your key aims and ambitions for 72andSunny New York in 2017?

GV> The move to Dumbo in Brooklyn is a big one that will keep us busy for half of the year. Doing exciting and effective work for General Mills is also a great ambition for us. Always with a smile and optimism. We are excited to see what the future brings, constantly keeping our eye on that North Star.