Independent Creative Agency Interesting Development Launches in New York

Independent creative agency Interesting Development has launched with a mission to create and cultivate the world’s most interesting brands. Led by talent from the advertising, design and startup worlds, the agency aims to apply the creative and strategic firepower normally reserved solely for advertising moments to all brand touchpoints. The agency’s three service pillars are 1) Brand Design, 2) Brand Cultivation, which includes advertising, and 3) Brand-led Invention. For the latter, the agency will create and launch products on its own and in partnership with clients.

“There is no longer any separation between product and advertising. What the consumer experiences -- whether through how your product works, a customer service text, photos on social media or a Super Bowl spot -- are all equally important,” said Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer Paul Caiozzo, whose past advertising work for Burger King, Google and others has been praised by former Vice President Al Gore, parodied on Saturday Night Live, fiercely debated on CNN and housed in the Smithsonian.

Rounding out the leadership team are Creative Director and Head of Brand Development Nathan Frank, who co-founded the award-winning consumer pharmaceutical company Help Remedies; and Managing Director Tamera Geddes, who has held account leadership, marketing and business development roles across Wieden+Kennedy, Droga5, Levi’s and Tribeca Film Festival. Caiozzo, who began his career during the first internet boom as an early employee of several celebrity- and venture-backed startups, is also a limited partner in an early stage venture capital firm and a cryptocurrency hedge fund. Collectively, the trio have worked with such notable brands as Apple, Axe, Burger King, Comcast, Crest, Diet Coke, GAP, Google, Levi’s, Microsoft, Starbucks, Tide and Xbox.

Previously, Caiozzo and Frank led creative at the New York office of Goodby Silverstein & Partners, where they created award-winning work for Comcast and the New York Post, and won business from brands such as StreetEasy and ZocDoc. When GS&P New York closed in 2015, the duo continued to work for some of these brands doing business as Office of Baby. They further went on to establish StreetEasy as an iconic New York brand and to launch upstart pharmacy delivery Capsule and the rapidly growing internet service provider Starry.

The agency is now re-emerging with an expanded team and refined offering as Interesting Development.

“People’s attentions are fractured, which is good news for brands that are brave enough to be more interesting than anyone else. If your brand is willing to be entertaining and honest and tell a simple cohesive story, it will make a genuine, lasting connection with people,” said Geddes.  “We often say we garner a disproportionate amount of attention for our brand partners.”

“Office of Baby (now Interesting Development) put StreetEasy on the NYC ad map. We wouldn’t be where we are without them,” said Peter Edwards, VP, Marketing and Analytics, StreetEasy.

In addition to StreetEasy, the agency has recently worked with Artsy, Capsule, Etsy, Google, Parachute, Siggi’s, VitaCoco, ZocDoc, Zola and Zulily.

Interesting Development also creates and develops brand-led products and services designed for incubation or sale, and has a retail pop-up space in South Street Seaport that it uses to showcase and market products and innovations. The company plans to launch a new wedding-related product in 2019. 

“We love to put our money where our mouths are and create our own interesting brands. Being so close to the brand-building process gives us a unique empathy and insight into our client partners’ challenges,” said Frank. “It’s also a great creative outlet for our talented people.”