Hasta La Creative!

Deutsch LA launched a campaign for Taco Bell supporting the brand’s new Bacon Club Chalupa with a surreal look at a bacon product world gone mad.

The campaign is built around a 30-second spot, entitled “Bacon Mall” which sees a young man perplexed by a vast array of inedible bacon products before arriving at Taco Bell for a Bacon Club Chalupa. Set to a new cover of “Mad World” by Halsey, the spot spreads the message, “Bacon you can’t eat is bacon you don’t need.” Among the ad’s befuddling bacon products are Bacon Couture, bacon sunglasses, Bacon One Hightops and Bacologne. Those last two are among the ten (fictional) products featured in the campaign’s social video component, five of which have been released thus far. Others include “Bacon Headphones,” “The Bacon Racing Chair,” and “The Sizzling Bacon USB Drive.” Clearly aiming for shearability via pure ridiculousness, the spots heartily endorse these mock products before ending with the “Bacon you can’t eat is bacon you don’t need line” and a nod to the new product. There’s also just enough of a kernel of truth to the bacon-crazy product schtick that some viewers may wonder for a second if a given product is real before being interrupted by the line.

Following on the heels of the agency’s “Sharing Sucks,” it appears Taco Bell and Deutsch LA are taking a break from targeting McDonald’s lately to promote new, on-breakfast items. That said, it’s unlikely we’ve seen the last of their Ronald-bashing.

Broadcast Spot Credits:

Client Credits
Chief Marketing Officer: Chris Brandt
VP, Brand Creative Director: Tracee Larocca
Director of Advertising: Aron North
Brand Experience: Alexandra Bunn
Food Consultant: Carolyn Avelino

Deutsch Credits

Creative Credits:
Chief Creative Officer, North America: Pete Favat
Executive Creative Director: Brett Craig
Group Creative Director: Guto Araki
Group Creative Director: Tom Pettus
Creative Director: Andy Pearson
Creative Director: Ken Slater
Associate Creative Director: Jeremiah Wassom
Senior Copywriter: Chris Pouy
Director of Integrated Production: Vic Palumbo
Executive Integrated Producer: Paul Roy
Integrated Producer: Jamie Gartner
Assistant Integrated Producer:  Evan Aronson
Music Director: Dave Rocco

Account Management Credits:
Group Account Director: Walter Smith
Account Director: Sandy Song
Account Supervisor: Monica Tobin
Account Executive: Sasha Rawji

Account Planning:
Chief Strategic Officer: Colin Drummond
Group Planning Director: Lindsey Allison
Senior Account Planner Kelly Mertesdorf

Business Affairs/Traffic:
Director of Integrated Business Affairs: Abilino Guillermo
Business Affairs Manager: Nestor Gandia
Director or Broadcast Traffic: Carie Bonillo
Sr. Broadcast Traffic Manager: Sarah Freeark

Executives:
CEO, North America: Mike Sheldon
President, Los Angeles: Kim Getty

Live Action Production Company: Reset
Director: Vesa Manninen
Managing Director: Dave Morrison
Executive Producer: Jeff McDougall
Producer: Jennifer Ingalls
Line Producer: Ahnee Boyce

Editorial Company : Therapy Studios
Editor: Doobie White
Assistant Editor: Amy K. Bostrom
Executive Producer: Joe DiSanto
Head of Production: Allegra Bartlett

Post Facility: MPC
Producer: Summer McCloskey
Senior Colorist:  Mark Gethin

Post/VFX: Therapy Studios
Executive Producer: Joe DiSanto
Lead Flame Artist: Wren Waters

Licensed/Composed Music, Credits and Track Info:
Track:  “Mad World”
Covered by: Halsey
Writer: Roland Orzabal

Audio Post Company: Therapy Studios
Executive Producer: Joe DiSanto
Mixer: Jeff Fuller
Sound Design: Eddie Kim

Shoot Location: Santiago, Chile

Social Video Credits:

Client Credits:
Chief Marketing Officer: Chris Brandt
VP, Brand Creative Officer: Tracee Laroocca
Director of Advertising: Aron North
Associate Manager, Brand Experience: Alexandra Bunn

Deutsch Credits

Creative Credits:
Chief Creative Officer, North America: Pete Favat
Director of Integrated Production: Vic Palumbo
Executive Creative Director: Brett Craig
Group Creative Director: Tom Pettus
Group Creative Director: Guto Araki
Creative Director: Andy Pearson
Creative Director: Ken Slater
Art Director: Cheston Kwan
Copywriter: Josh Hill
Executive Producer: Paul Roy
Producer: Damon Vinyard
Associate Producer: Josh Goldsmith

Account Management Credits:
Group Account Director: Walter Smith
Account Director: Sandy Song
Account Supervisor: Monica Tobin
Account Executive: Kaitlin Tabor

Account Planning:
Chief Strategy Officer: Colin Drummond
Group Planning Director: Lindsey Allison
Senior Account Planner: Kelly Mertesdorf
Senior Digital Strategist: Amelia Hall

Business Affairs/Traffic:
Director of Integrated Business Affairs: Abilino Guillermo
Business Affairs Manager: Nestor Gandia

Executives:
CEO, North America: Mike Sheldon
President, Los Angeles: Kim Getty

Live Action Production Company: Brand New School, Santa Monica CA
Director: Brumby Boylston
Executive Producer: Paul Abatemarco
Head of Production: Julie Shevach
Line Producer: Brian Armstrong

Editorial Company: Brand New School, Santa Monica CA
Editor: Marc D’Andre
Assistant Editor: Austin Lewis

Post Facility: Brand New School, Santa Monica, CA
Executive Producer: Paul Abatemarco
Senior Producer: Alex More
Senior Colorist:  Loren White

Post/VFX: Brand New School, Santa Monica, CA
Executive Producer: Paul Abatemarco
Senior Producer: Alex More
Lead Flame Artist: Kevin MacDonald
Animator / Compositors: Adam Smith, Ben Bullock, Joseph Moon
Designers: Karen To, Yoon Lee

Licensed/Composed Music, Credits and Track Info:

Track: A Touch of Magic
Composed by: David Wittman
Publisher: Marc Aaron Jacobs
Company Name: NSLE Music
Elias Arts Music Library, LLC NY, NY
Asche & Spencer Minneapolis, Minnesota

Executive Producer: Matt Locher
Audio Post Company: Lime, Santa Monica, CA
Mixer: Matt Miller
Assistant Mixer: Mark Nieto

Adult children raised by single mothers wish their moms a happy Father’s Day in this interesting, unconventional take on the holiday by Deutsch L.A. for Georgia Pacific’s Angel Soft bathroom tissue.

The two-and-a-half-minute video presents various men and women who speak directly into the camera, thanking their moms for being both mothers and fathers in their lives. “She did it all, as though she was two people,” one subject says. The others echo this sentiment, explaining how their moms combined softness and strength, tying back to the brand’s new tagline, “Be soft, be strong,” which is introduced here.

Quite a few of these folks get choked up, but that’s de rigueur for the “gratitude advertising” category, and the tears are balanced by some lighter moments. (One guy recalls his mom teaching him to defend himself on the playground: “She was like, ‘When you punch, you put your knuckle out and you just go for it.’ I don’t even know if that’s a thing.”)

Sure, this is another attempt to yank viewers’ heartstrings, but the novel concept and no-frills presentation really carry the day. The subjects simply tell their stories, and there are no “dramatic appearances” by the moms, or clichéd hug sessions, so the spot feels less contrived than others in the genre. Another plus: The ad honors moms and dads by implicitly acknowledging the importance of the latter.

All that said, the work, from my perspective, has a basic conceptual flaw. While well-meaning, it could be be construed as trading in gender stereotypes. Some might find the suggestion of one parent typically being “soft” and the other “strong” kind of regressive. (Gee, I wonder which is supposed to be which?)

Don’t men and women—raising kids alone or together, or childless, for that matter—usually combine both traits to varying degrees?

CREDITS
Client: Angel Soft
Chief Marketing Officer: Douwe Bergsma
Senior Vice President & General Manager, Bath Tissue: Vivek Joshi
Senior Marketing Director, Brand Center: Shari Neumann
Senior Brand Director: Joe Stempien
Senior Brand Manager: Todd Wingfield
Brand Manager: Melissa Blunte

Agency: Deutsch L.A.

Creative Credits:
Chief Creative Officer, North America: Pete Favat
Executive Creative Director:: Karen Costello
Executive Creative Director: Juan Oubina
Associate Creative Director: Melissa Langston-Wood
Associate Creative Director:: Jorge Ortega:
Director of Integrated Production: Vic Palumbo
Executive Integrated Producer: Rachel Seitel
Integrated Producer: Win Bates
Associate Integrated Producer: Justin Polk
Music Director: Dave Rocco

Account Management Credits:
Group Account Director:: Erik Petersen
Group Account Director:: Montse Barrena
Account Director:: Megan Prince:
Account Director:: Lauren Pollare
Account Executive:: Melanie Faessler
Assistant Account Executive : Bianca Brittain

Account Planning:
Chief Strategic Officer: Colin Drummond
Executive Planning Director:: Jeffrey Blish
Group Planning Director:: Thas Naseemuddeen
Account Planner:: Eva Cantor
Digital Strategist : Janet Shih

Business Affairs/Traffic:
Director of Integrated Business Affairs:: Abilino Guillermo:
Senior Business Affairs Manager:: Terry Miglin:
Director or Broadcast Traffic:: Carie Bonillo
Broadcast Traffic Coordinator:: Anna Brito

Executives:
CEO, North America:: Mike Sheldon
President, Los Angeles: Kim Getty

Production Company: Steelhead
Director: Eric Kaufman
Executive Producer: Ted Markovic
Producer: Matt Johnson
Line Producer: Melissa Verdugo

Editorial Company: Steelhead
Editor: Morgan Griswold
Executive Producer: Ted Markovic
Producer: Simone Gurren

Post Facility: Company 3
Executive Producer: Rhubie Jovanov
Senior Colorist: Stefan Sonnenfeld

Post/VFX: Steelhead
Executive Producer: Ted Markovic
Broadcast Motion Design Director: Jason Porter

Music by: Elias Arts
Track Title: Father’s Day
ECD: Vincenzo LoRusso
CD: Michael Goldstein
EP: Vicki Ordeshook
Head of Production: Katie Overcash

Audio Post Company: Steelhead
Executive Producer: Ted Markovic
Mixer: Chase Butters

Are you a greedy person who doesn’t like to share your nachos with your friends? If so, Taco Bell wants you to buy its giant nacho for one.

In a new ad from Deutsch LA, a young man with exactly the kind of dour demeanor you’d expect from a nacho hoarder rants about the injustices of sharing, the social institution. In all honesty, it’s a sentiment we’ve all probably felt in one moment of weakness or another, which gives it some resonance. And the spot scores extra points for working in some dings against Facebook—namely, the culture of excessive baby photos and cat pics (though let’s be real, people who don’t like babies and animals are, in all likelihood, soulless). The look on the actor’s face when he’s swiping through his tablet is pretty much perfect.

Overall, though, the commercial doesn’t do a great job of making the gloppy, cheesy mess of a ground-meat pocket that can’t rightfully be called a nacho (the “Grilled Stuft Nacho,” which the brand just brought back from the dead) actually appetizing. But at least the brand’s marketing team knows to embrace the sociopathic demographic—when it’s not busy railing against the evils of a certain totalitarian clown.

CREDITS
Client: Taco Bell
Chief Marketing Officer: Chris Brandt
VP, Brand Creative Director: Tracee Larocca
Director of Advertising: Aron North
Manager, Brand Experience: Ashley Prollamante
Associate Manager, Brand Experience: Alexandra Bunn
Food Consultant: Lois Carson Hunter

Agency: Deutsch LA
Chief Creative Officer: Pete Favat
Executive Creative Director: Brett Craig
Group Creative Directors: Guto Araki, Tom Pettus
Creative Directors: Erick Mangali, Ryan Lehr
Senior Art Director: Chris Adams
Senior Copywriter: Ross Cavin
Director of Integrated Production: Vic Palumbo
Executive Producer:  Paul Roy
Senior Producer: Alison McMahon
Music Director: Dave Rocco
Group Account Director: Walter Smith
Account Director: Sandy Song
Account Supervisor: Kim Suarez
Account Executive: Karah duMaire
Chief Strategy Officer: Colin Drummond
Group Planning Director: Lindsey Allison
Senior Account Planner: Kelly Mertesdorf
Director of Integrated Business Affairs: Abilino Guillermo
Executive Business Affairs Manager: Ken Rongey
Director of Broadcast Traffic: Carie Bonillo
Senior Broadcast Traffic Manager: Sarah Freeark

Executives:
CEO, North America: Mike Sheldon
President, Los Angeles: Kim Getty

Production Company: Hungry Man
Director: Dave Laden
Director of Photography: Stoeps Langersteiner
Managing Partner: Kevin Byrne
Executive Producer: Dan Duffy, Mino Jarjoura
Line Producer: Jason Gilbert

Editorial Company:  Cut & Run LA
Editor: Lucas Eskin
Senior Producer: Remy Foxx
Executive Producer: Carr Schilling

Post Facility: Jogger LA
VFX Supervisor/Flame Artist:  Tim Rudgard
Graphics: Jorge Tanaka
Executive Producer: Lynne Manino

Color Facility: Company 3
Colorist: Dave Hussey

Audio Post: Lime Studios
Mixer: Mark Meyuhas
Assistant: Matt Miller
Executive Producer: Susie Boyajan

Composed Music: Massive Music
Creative Director/Composer: Tim Adams
Head of Production: Jessica Entner

J. Walter Thompson New York named Jennifer Usdan McBride as director of digital production, MediaPost reports. She will oversee all digital production for the New York office, reporting to Lisa Setten, head of integrated production.

McBride joins JWT from Deutsch New York, where she served as vice president, executive producer since September of 2012, working with clients including Microsoft and PNC Bank. The move marks something of a homecoming for McBride, as she was an executive producer at JWT New York before leaving for Deutsch and following a brief stint as a freelance senior interactive producer with BBH New York. McBride was a co-founder of both baby book iPhone application Emmbook and “chef-focused video restaurant guide” Savory Cities. She has served as a series producer for VH1 and Discovery Health and served a three year stint as a post production producer for Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart beginning in 1996.

“Jennifer is a wonder to work with, an incredible creative thinker who is tireless in her efforts to elevate the work and bring innovative ideas to life,” Setten told MediaPost. “Add to this her knowledge and past experience with our clients, we feel extremely fortunate to be welcoming her back to the J. Walter Thompson family.”

Deutsch New York launched a new campaign for WATERisLIFE, in which the agency and photographer Neil DaCosta traveled to the Omo Valley in Ethiopia to provide families there with framed family portraits.

“Most people go into these rural areas of Ethiopia, snap a picture of the tribes and then leave…This is the first time anyone has physically printed, framed and given them a family portrait,” explained WATERisLife president Kristine Bender. “You could see the gratitude on their faces. Knowing we are making a difference by capturing an important moment in their life, the project’s goal isn’t just to give family portraits, it’s to keep these families alive.”

Since in the area somebody dies from water-related disease every 20 seconds, many of these portraits could provide the families with documentation of a lost loved one, making them all the more meaningful. It’s a sad reality that the photos are likely not only the first but also “The Last Family Portrait” for these families, but it’s also uplifting seeing each family’s joy and gratitude at having the photo. Although only a dozen or so families are featured in the ad, over one hundred families in the area had their photos taken. Print ads featuring the portraits and a call to action will run in publications including Forbes, The Economist and Bloomberg. Donations from the effort will be used for “digging wells that will give Omo Valley families and others the clean water, sanitation and hygiene they so desperately need.”

Credits:

Agency: Deutsch New York

Chief Creative Officer: Kerry Keenan
Executive Creative Director: Menno Kluin
Creative Directors: Sam Shepherd, Frank Cartagena, Julia Neumann
Art Director: Brittany Rivera
Copywriter: Kevin Meagher
Photographer: Neil DaCosta
Design Director: Juan Carlos Pagan
Designer: Brian Gartside
Retoucher: James Cullinane
Director of Integrated Media: Karen Benson
Director of Integrated Production: Joe Calabrese
Director of Digital Production: Suzanne Molinaro
Asst. Digital Producer: Libby Carespodi
Print Producer: Donald Odell
Producer: Joe Pernice
Post Producer: Francess Tom-Sahr
Senior Editor: Eric Grush
Editor: Pete Slife, Marcus Land
Digital Designer: Alex Miller
Developer: Shane Akins

Deustch LA launched the final spot in its campaign for the 2015 Volkswagen Passat TDI Clean Diesel, entitled “Mom.”

The 45-second spot depicts three young boys running wild in a gas station convenience store causing all kinds of destruction. Filmed in slow-motion and set to the classic country song “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” (as performed by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson) the comic approach makes for an entertaining scene of wheezing the juice, soda explosions and excessive amounts of cheesy sauce. After the boys’ shenanigans, and a shot of the mom filling up at the pump, the spot cuts to a mom in the 2015 Volkswagen Passat TDI Clean Diesel, with three well-behaved boys in the backseat. The perfect marriage of the boys’ destruction in slow motion and the music selection make for a fine sendoff spot to the campaign and follow-up to the “Old Wives Tales” spots starring the Golden Sisters.

Credits:

Agency: Deutsch LA

Chief Creative Officer, North America: Pete Favat
EVP, Executive Creative Director: Todd Riddle
SVP, Group Creative Director: Heath Pochucha
VP, Creative Director: Paul Oberlin
Partner, Director of Integrated Production: Vic Palumbo
VP, Executive Integrated Producer: Erik Press
Integrated Producer: Kaitlin Moore
Associate Integrated Producer:  Alex Saevitz
Music Director: Dave Rocco
EVP, Group Account Director: Tom Else
SVP, Group Account Director: Monica Jungbeck
VP, Account Director: Alex Gross
Account Supervisor: Aleks Rzeznik
Account Executive: Ashley Broughman
VP, Director of Product Information Jason Clark
Product Information Supervisor: Eddie Chae
Chief Strategic Officer: Jeffrey Blish
Group Planning Director: Susie Lyons
Director of Integrated Business Affairs: Abilino Guillermo
Group Director Integrated Business Affairs: Gabriela Farias
Business Affairs Manager: Jade McAdams
Director or Broadcast Traffic: Carie Bonillo
Broadcast Traffic Manager: Courtney Tylka
CEO, North America: Mike Sheldon
President, Los Angeles: Kim Getty

Live Action Production Company: Hungry Man
Director: Hank Perlman
Executive Producer: Nancy Hacohen
Executive Producer/Director of Sales: Dan Duffy
Line Producer: Caleb Dewart

Editorial Company: Spot Welders
Editor: Haines Hall
Assistant Editor: Oliver Hecks
Managing Partner: David Glean
Executive Producer, Director of Development: Victoria Guenier
Executive Producer: Carolina Sanborn
Producer: Evan Hunningham

Post Facility: Color Correct: Apache
Executive Producer, Managing Director: LaRue Anderson
Producer: Caitlin Forrest
Senior Colorist:  Steve Rodriguez

Post/VFX: Arsenal FX
Executive Producer: Ashley Hydrick
Senior Producer: Pravina Sippy
Lead Flame Artist: Matt Motal
Flame Artist: Jeff Aquino

Licensed/Composed Music, Credits and Track Info:
Track: “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys”
Performed by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson
Composed by Ed Bruce and Patsy Bruce
Courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment
By arrangement with Sony ATV Music Publishing

Audio Post Company: LIME Studios
Executive Producer: Susie Boyajan
Mixer: Mark Meyuhas
Assistant Mixer: Matt Miller

Your cranky straight-talking grandmother might not think much of diesel engines, but Volkswagen would like her—and you—to reconsider.

“Old Wives Tales,” a new campaign from Deutsch LA for the automaker’s Passat TDI, features the Golden Sisters, who rose to fame with their salty commentary on Kim Kardashian’s sex tape back in 2012. Now, the trio are riding around in a VW, sounding off on diesel cars—and getting it wrong.

They weigh in on rappers (dismissively, of course) and play “Who’s on First” with the question of whether the car is even running—because aren’t diesel engines supposed to be loud? While looking for a gas station, they start obsessing over food—Italian, in this case (the real-life siblings were all born Conticchio, in the Bronx)—though their heritage could, in many moments, just as easily be another variety of old, white and loud.

In other words, the four spots are all set pieces that showcase a certain type of gleefully abrasive charm—a shtick that will appeal best to the demographic that knows and loves the caricature. It’s a nice vehicle for the message. People who bear these misconceptions are likely more concerned with volume than accuracy, so don’t be like them (even if you think they’re funny).

The best moment by far is a close-up of what might be the world’s ugliest dog (a cameo that deserves credit for extra cutting against the grain of everyone everywhere putting adorable puppies in their ads). And in a discovery on which more mercenary brands should capitalize, it turns out even marketing hashtags like #tunameltsmyheart are less obnoxious when yelled by an old woman—probably because you don’t have a choice but to forgive them for being cheesy.

CREDITS
Client: Volkswagen
Agency: Deutsch LA
Chief Creative Officer: Pete Favat
Chief Digital Officer: Winston Binch
Executive Creative Director: Todd Riddle
Digital Executive Creative Director: Jerome Austria
Group Creative Director: Heath Pochucha
Group Creative Director: Tom Pettus
Art Director: Alice Blastorah
Copywriters: Shiran Teitelbaum, William Sawyer
Director of Integrated Production: Vic Palumbo
Executive Integrated Producer: Erik Press
Integrated Producer: Win Bates
Group Account Director: Tom Else
Group Account Director: Monica Jungbeck
Account Director: Alex Gross
Account Supervisor: Aleks Rzeznik
Account Executive: Ashley Broughman
Director of Product Information: Jason Clark
Product Information Supervisor: Eddie Chae
Chief Strategy Officer: Colin Drummond
Senior Digital Strategist: Brendon Volpe
Group Planning Director: Susie Lyons
Director of Integrated Business Affairs: Abilino Guillermo
Group Director Integrated Business Affairs: Gabriela Farias
Business Affairs Manager: Jade McAdams
Director or Broadcast Traffic: Carie Bonillo
Broadcast Traffic Manager: Courtney Tylka
Production Company: LMNO Productions
Director: Eric Schotz
Executive Producer: Ed Horwitz
Editorial House: Union Editorial
Editor: Paul Plew
Assistant Editor: Otto Mertins
President: Michael Raimondi
Senior Producer: Rob McCool
Post-Facility: Resolution
Sound Studio: Resolution
Producer: Logan Aires
Mixer: Milos Zivkovic

Deutsch LA is taking Mophie to the Super Bowl with an apocalyptic 60-second ad that is also the brand’s broadcast debut.

The spot, entitled “All Powerless” depicts all kinds of doomsday events, from gravity ceasing to function properly, to flying penguins, natural disasters and, for some reason, dogs walking their owners. Drawing in viewers with its visual imagination and mysterious premise, the ad finally brings everything together in its final seconds with the reveal that the preceding events were God’s cell phone losing power.

“All Powerless” was built around the insight that cellphone users feel powerless when their phone dies, which can have all kind of disastrous effects on their day. Deutsch LA places the dilemma on an epic scale by imagining what it would be like for a higher being.

“When your phone loses power, you lose power,” Pete Favat, chief creative officer, Deutsch LA, told Adweek.  “We’ve all had that feeling of vulnerability…For us, that might mean missing important meetings, getting lost while traveling or being unable to make that one important phone call. For the most powerful being in the universe, losing power truly means losing power.”

Favat went on to explain the strategy behind the fledgling brand’s costly broadcast debut, telling Adweek, “We’re trying to establish a new market with this ad. There’s 10 percent category awareness, 9 percent brand awareness for us. There’s no better opportunity than the Super Bowl to get attention for your brand.”

Mophie will support the broadcast spot with a promotional sweepstakes, giving away one million dollars worth of prizes should the game go into overtime (currently a 16:1 shot), and $10,000 in prizes if it does not.

Donny Deutsch may be out at the agency that bears his father’s name, but he’s all the way in at The USA Network.

Yesterday, we caught word from TV Guide that Deutsch the younger will soon star in his own old-style television programme called Donny!. No, it won’t be a Trump-style reality competition to find the hottest young advertising creatives — it will be “a half-hour satire that centers on his professional life, as well as his personal life as a single dad looking for romance” in the vein of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

The “professional life” mentioned in the press release will not have anything to do with advertising. Rather, it will follow Donny’s adventures as the host of a daytime talk show also called Donny!.

Here’s a key line:

“…his very put-together public persona is in stark contrast to his private reality as he struggles to find love and also to be a good parent.”

Six episodes will premiere in late 2015. But who will be the Jeff to Donny’s Larry?!

Deutsch Inc. has big plans for 2015, according to an agency-wide internal memo that went out this afternoon.

Following the Pizza Hut and Sprint wins, the year begins with several big staffing changes at the agency, most prominent among them being the appointment of LA CEO Mike Sheldon to the position of North American CEO and the departure of Donny Deutsch, who has been “a non-active Chairman for the past several years.”

Deutsch LA is the big winner in the new arrangement, which also sees CCO Pete Favat promoted to chief creative for the entire North American organization.

COO Kim Getty will assume the presidency of the West Coast office while LA-based SVP/Director of Business Development Jeff White will be North American EVP/CMO.

The biggest surprise in the announcement may be the fact that very little will change at the agency’s New York office.

Here’s the note from current North American CEO Linda Sawyer, who will soon replace Deutsch as chairman:

Deutschers –

I am pleased to share with you some exciting news about the future of Deutsch. I am announcing our succession plans and appointing Mike Sheldon as North American CEO overseeing both the LA and NY offices. Mike will report to me as I take on the role of Chairman. Donny, who has been a non-active Chairman for the past several years, becomes Chairman Emeritus. He will formally end his relationship with the agency at the end of March 2015 as he begins work on his recently announced new USA Network show.

Those of you who have had the pleasure to work with Mike know he has a big heart and big brains to match. Under Mike’s 17-year run, the LA office has grown from a handful of people to what is now the largest agency on the West Coast. He has built strong client relationships, has an innate ability to attract top-tier talent, land new business and to foster our culture. Beyond Mike’s business skills, you’ll find a down to earth guy who is the epitome of a fearless leader. It will be exciting to see how Mike helps write the next chapter of our agency.

New York will continue to be run under the strong leadership of Val DiFebo, CEO, and her management team. Val’s tenaciousness and unstoppable passion has made her a true force at the agency. She is an inspiring leader focused on influencing client’s business results through creative solutions.

Additionally, Mike and I are making a few other changes. To help grow both offices we have tapped Winston Binch as Chief Digital Officer North America, and Pete Favat as Chief Creative Officer North America. They will work hand-in-hand with both offices to maximize talent, share best practices and sharpen the tools in our toolbox.

Winston is a highly respected digital leader in our business. Since joining four years ago he has built a team of 190 digital specialists. As a result, digital is now

35% of the LA office’s revenue. Pete has been with LA for just over a year. In that time he has attracted top-tier talent, helped the office win eight pieces of new business, and bought home eight Lion’s from Cannes.

Mike and I are also happy to announce that current Partner, Chief Operating Officer Kim Getty is being appointed President, Deutsch LA. Over the years Kim has been responsible for helping manage LA’s fast-paced growth. Under her ambitious and get-it-done leadership, Kim has nurtured a world-class department of entrepreneurial thinkers and expanded services in experiential, public relations, and multicultural marketing.

And finally, SVP, Director of Business Development in LA, Jeff White, is being promoted to EVP, Chief Marketing Officer, North America. Deutsch LA has had some banner years, and working with the vast talent in both offices, Jeff will help generate even more new business for Deutsch.

Donny’s legacy, along with his father David’s, will be an enduring part of who we are. Every one of us will continue to make them proud. The Deutsch brand has always been dynamic, passionate and progressive. This leadership team, along with the strong and talented teams we have in NY and LA are going to be an unstoppable force in this industry.

Next Wednesday, January 21st, Val will be arranging an agency meeting in the afternoon to introduce you to Mike, and hopefully Winston, Pete and Jeff will join. It will be a nice opportunity for everyone to have a chance to connect with one another. More details to follow on this.

Please join me in congratulating Mike and the entire team of executives. 2015 is going to be a landmark year for us.