UTÖKA, Full-Service Creative Agency, Opens in Atlanta

UTÖKA, an Atlanta-based creative agency, has opened its doors. The end-to-end company brings a deep understanding of the nuances of a brand’s culture and goals to its approach to developing strategic visual concepts that guide its team through the production and post-production process. The new venture provides design-driven solutions for a variety of projects, from brand identities, logos, print ads, packaging, point-of-sales installations, event installations, billboards, and product activation to social media, multi-faceted broadcast campaigns, and digital content.

A growing number of brands take advantages of UTÖKA’s full-service concept through completion approach. The company also is called on to step in during the production phase to craft memorable content that taps a diverse roster of services, which includes photography, illustration, retouching, CGI, animation, motion graphics, 3D modeling, editing, compositing, finishing and live-action production, to name a few.

Helmed by industry veterans, CCO Ed Dye and CEO Michael Zarrillo, UTÖKA merges their arsenals of talent with a complement of new artists that round out its staff, enabling the creative agency to meet the full range of a brand’s needs - entirely in-house. UTÖKA builds upon the synergy between two award-winning companies with over twenty years of experience: Artistic Image, the CGI, animation, live-action, motion studio, and Artemis Creative, the design/photography and print house – founded by Dye and Zarrillo, respectively. 

Dye, an accomplished producer and creative director in his own right, guides UTÖKA s team of designers, CDs, animators, CGI artists, 3D modelers, motion graphic artists editors, compositors, photographers, illustrators, producers, and directors through the creative process. The multi-disciplined collective works as an integrated unit to create brand-boasting visual content that amplifies a client’s message across multiple touchpoints.

The partners have evolved the deliverable-driven business models of their former companies into a flexible, integrated resource that supports a seamless approach to every phase of a project - from inception through completion. 

UTÖKA works with clients as their creative partner, collaborating closely and giving them access to each member of our team through every phase of their project,” says Dye. “Ideally, we like to get involved with a job at its inception. When given the opportunity to develop visuals strategies and follow through, our artists consistently get more out of their budgets and elevate the quality of work.”

In recent years, under the Artistic Image and Artemis banners, UTÖKA’s team has created content for a prestigious roster of brands - such as Coca-Cola, Miller/Coors, Makers Mark, Illy, Lincoln Motor Company, Mizuno, Ford, Jaguar, Ferrari, Avon, Merck Pharmaceuticals, and The Oscars. 

Before UTÖKA officially opened its doors, it was called on by a number of brands, including Coco-Cola, Avon, Land Rover, The Hood, and Doggy-Dog. The creative agency already has jobs slated for the fall, including projects for The Indigo Group, Mizuno, and Gusto!, which tap the full range of its conception through completion capabilities.

The partners have spent the past year meticulously honing new processes and protocols that support UTÖKA’s expanded full-service capabilities and creating an infrastructure that meets the demands of a today’s industry,” says Liz Guymon, VP of Operations. 

“Clients can rely on UTÖKA to take stewardship of their brand and optimize its value through thoughtful, compelling visual stories tailored to their target markets,” says Zarillo. “Our full-spectrum collaborative team’s experience, ingenuity, and technical savvy, as well as our artists’ shared passion for exploring new strategies, enables them to deliver visual solutions that break through the clutter.” 

The creative agency makes its home in a new loft-like 7000 square foot space in the heart of west midtown Atlanta. The open-architecture facility includes an in-house photo/video studio, work areas its team, dedicated editing suites, a conference room, kitchen, client workspaces, and a variety of amenities in an inspiring environment.

“We chose the name UTÖKA because it means ‘to expand’ – which reflects our company’s mission: To provide a creative agency designed to evolve and grow its team and scope of capabilities to meet the ever-changing demands of the industry,” says Dye. “Our commitment to staying ahead of trends and anticipating clients’ needs enables us to do just that.”