Overview

Company Summary

DeVito/Verdi is one of the most consistently recognized ad agencies for strategic and creative excellence. We have been named “Best Small/Mid-Sized Ad Agency in the U.S.” by the American Association of Advertising Agencies for six years. This is a record no agency, large or small, has beaten. We are business people first and foremost, and our work in communications is therefore a craft. This craft will be judged as best-of-class by our clients. DeVito/Verdi operates with a “bias for action” with the responsibility to lead clients to their goals We search for truth. Our philosophy is based on the view that our job is to capture a truth either about the product or the consumer that will resonate deeply with our target audience. We have proven, time and time again, that what works best is something that is truthful, valuable, as well as unforgettable, and will hit a consumer nerve.

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Staff

Total Number of Employees

Office Employees: 51-100
Total US: 51-100
Total Worldwide: 51-100

Ellis Verdi
Co-Founder and President
Ellis is committed to a deep understanding of each client’s business and to delivering the highest standards of service. Prior to having his own agency, Ellis spent four years at Grey Advertising, where he was one of the company’s youngest and brightest Vice President Management Supervisors. He managed the marketing and advertising for numerous clients, including General Foods, Bristol-Myers, Holly Farms, Humana Healthcare Services, Farley Industries and No-Nonsense. Ellis held the position of Marketing Manager at the Pepsi-Cola Company prior to Grey. He was in charge of the advertising and marketing for Diet Pepsi and other brands such as Pepsi Light and Mountain Dew.

Sal DeVito
Co-Founder and Executive Creative Director
Sal is one of the best creative talents in the industry. Prior to DeVito/Verdi, Sal was Creative Director at Levine Huntley, Schmidt and Beaver. Sal has made himself well known as a leading creative force by amassing one of the largest collections of the most prestigious awards in the business. He was honored by the International Cannes Film and TV Festival with a Gold Lion, by the Andy Awards with a Best of Show award and was awarded a Clio award for his work on Beneficial Financial. Sal recently won a Gold Pencil at the ONE Show for his ACLU ad on racial profiling featuring Martin Luther King, Jr. For the past 20 years he has taught at the School of Visual Arts, in what is widely regarded the preeminent course on advertising.

Kelly Durcan
Director of Public Relations
Kelly Durcan, Director of Public Relations
Kelly has more than 25 years’ experience in creating and implementing comprehensive PR programs for dozens of national and international clients. He has developed a highly successful campaign for retailer Meijer stores in the past two years. He has handled the PR for such national brands as Dutch Boy, Visine, General Electric, Marriott Resorts, Equal, American Home Products, Tissot, Hartmarx, Arm & Hammer, Smith Corona and others. His travel and tourism experience includes overseeing the PR efforts for the Tourist Boards of Great Britain, Trinidad & Tobago, Curaçao, and Uruguay. As an account executive at the PR firm Lobsenz-Stevens, Kelly handled the New York State Lottery and Commercial Trust Company.

Andrew Brief
Director of Account Services
Andy brings quick intelligence and strategic smarts to a client’s business. Before coming to DeVito/Verdi, Andy spent seven years at Lois/USA as VP Management Supervisor, where his client roster included some of the agency’s largest marketers: Pepsi-Cola, ESPN, Data General, Bristol-Myers and Minolta. He started his career at NW Ayer on the AT&T business and was at Kornhauser and Calene working on American Home Products brands such as Black Flag, Easy Off and Denison’s Chili.

Chris Tinkham
Director of Media Planning and Promotions
Chris brings more than 20 years of media experience to our clients’ business. His experience prior to joining us included senior level positions at DDB/Needham, Lois/USA, Wells Rich Greene and Western Media. Chris managed media planning departments of 100+ people and billings in excess of $800 million. His list of past clients spans virtually every product category imaginable: Procter & Gamble, IBM Corporate and Product, Chase, Ford Corporate, New York State Tourism and Business Development, Chanel, ABC/ESPN, Philip Morris, MCI, Bristol-Myers, Sun Oil, Miles Labs, Crowne Plaza, Hiram Walker, Reebok and Levis, to name only a few.

Barbara Michelson
Director of Broadcast Production
Barbara is an industry veteran with over 20 years’ experience as a broadcast producer. Before working at DeVito/Verdi, she was a high-profile freelance producer for 15 years, with credits on over 200 projects (including work for Bob Giraldi Productions and Wells Rich Greene). Her past experience includes McDonald’s, Wheaties, Budweiser, Holiday Inn, Hertz, AT&T, American Motors, Chrysler, Canada Dry, Dr. Pepper, American Express, Mobil, Diners Club, Procter & Gamble and NYNEX. She has also produced music videos and several award-winning short films. Barbara has a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a member of the International Women’s Writing Guild and the New York Women in Film & Television Programming Committee.

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Clients and Brands

Client & Brands	Start Date
Men's Wearhouse Men's Wearhouse	N/A
Legal Sea Foods Restaurants Legal Sea Foods Restaurants	N/A
BayCare Health System BayCare Health System	N/A
For Eyes Optical For Eyes Optical	N/A
BevMo! BevMo!	N/A
National Thoroughbred Racing Association National Thoroughbred Racing Association	N/A
University of Chicago Medicine	N/A
7-Eleven 7-Eleven	N/A
Mount Sinai Medical Center Mount Sinai Medical Center	N/A
Bernie & Phyl''s Furniture	N/A

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Billings & Revenue

Billing / Revenue Ranges	Number of Clients
Billing < $1M and/or Agency Revenue < $200K	1
Billing > $1M and < $3M	1
Billing > $3M and < $5M	4
Billing > $5M and < $10M	5
Billing < $10M and < $25M	1
Billing < $25M and < $50M	4
Billing > $25M	3

Total Gross Media Placed by this Office

Allocation Percent of Media Placed by this Office
National Broadcast: 31%
Digital: 8%
Print: 28%
Out of Home: 19%
Other: 14%

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Types of Services

Service Offering	Revenue
Media Planning	20
Media Buying	20
Health Care	15
Public Relations	15
Direct Marketing	10
Digital/Interactive | Mobile and Wireless	10
Digital/Interactive | Blogging Discussion Forums, Community Building	5
Business-to-Business	5
Other	0
Digital/Interactive | E-Commerce Solutions	0

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Industry Experience

Automotive | vehicles
Food & Beverage | food
Technology | consumer electronics
Non-profit, associations & public services
Travel | hotels & resorts
Apparel & Fashion | jewelry & accessories
Restaurants
Food & Beverage | alcoholic beverages
Healthcare | direct to consumer (DTC)
Healthcare | Hospitals, Healthcare Facilities, Medical Services
Entertainment & Culture | motion pictures
Apparel & Fashion | footwear
Technology | electronics
Media | broadcasting
Financial services | insurance
Travel | tourism
Retail
Government | military & defense
Public Relations
Entertainment & Culture | amusement parks
Automotive | aftermarket
Home Products | home furnishings
Healthcare | managed care
Recreation & Sports | sporting goods
Travel | airlines

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