BASIC/DEPT® Promotes Steve Denekas to Chief Creative Officer

BASIC/DEPT®, a global branding and digital design agency building brands, products, and digital experiences, today announced that it has promoted Steve Denekas from VP creative to chief creative officer. In his new role, Steve will not only be responsible for driving creativity for clients, but also for exploring what it means to truly foster a creative culture across the entire agency. 

Steve, who also serves as global SVP of experience and creative of global digital agency DEPT®, is based out of BASIC/DEPT®’s San Diego office and will report directly to Ashley Reichel, CEO.

“BASIC/DEPT® has always sought out to make great work while cultivating a culture that allows creativity to thrive. Our creative capability drives brand differentiation and customer value for some of the world’s largest brands, and it is something we will continue to double-down on as the agency evolves.” said Ashley. “Steve’s mission has always been to make work that creates legacies and he has masterfully succeeded in doing so. Creativity is in our DNA and no one knows that better than Steve, making him the perfect human to be BASIC/DEPT®’s chief creative officer, steering our core values and thinking on fusing creativity throughout our work, culture and business.”

A self-taught designer, Steve has been with BASIC/DEPT® since 2018, and took on a dual role at DEPT®in 2022. Prior to joining the agency, he served as VP of creative at Instrument. He has also held senior creative positions at notable agencies such as Wieden+Kennedy and BBDO. His work has spanned a number of global clients, including Levi’s, Google, Patagonia, KFC, Nike, The Met  and Herman Miller / Design Within Reach. 

“I’ve often challenged the preconceptions other people had of me: coaches who didn’t believe in me, managers who didn’t think I was meant to be a leader or that I’d be good at this thing called ‘digital,’” said Steve. “The world often tries to push people down, as it's easier to tear something apart than build them up. But that only encouraged me to see the best in people and foster a culture where each individual's uniqueness is unleashed to play, dream, and bring new ideas. Now, nearly two decades later, I’m doing exactly what I love at a place that truly values creativity. I’m thrilled to be leading design and experience across BASIC/DEPT® and DEPT®, and look forward to many years of provocative work for our clients.”