Creativity That Wins: 72andSunny Featured in Graphis Journal #371

Globally renowned advertising agency 72andSunny are featured in our newest Graphis Journal #371 (available for preorder), and offer our readers pearls of wisdom on all things advertising.

With offices in Amsterdam, Los Angeles, New York, Singapore, and Sydney, 72andSunny pride themselves on their global clients and work that transcends borders. Their mission is to expand creative boundaries and to keep pushing the status quo to create bountiful, groundbreaking advertisements that shake up the industry. With a client list composed of industry giants like Adobe, Coca-Cola, Google, Smirnoff, and Tinder, 72andSunny’s work has notably been recognized by company CEOs and creators alike. Some of the awards they’ve won include Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Company” for two consecutive years, and two “Agency of the Year” awards from Advertising Age and Adweek.

On 72andSunny’s work ethic, Stephen O’Kelly, Smirnoff’s SVP global brand director, shared that “we partnered with 72andSunny to tell our history, a story they told with attention to detail and craftsmanship. They were the perfect partner to bring our history into the world.” Likewise, Luke Atkinson, Pabst Blue Ribbon’s CMO, expressed similar admiration towards the agency and complimented them on “achieving great work while living up to our promise of celebrating creativity.” 

Here is a snippet of 72andSunny’s insightful Q&A:

What’s the story behind your company’s name? 

Bart Graziana (B.G.), Senior Art Director (Adobe Photoshop, Fantastic Voyage), and Scott Reedy (S.R.) Creative Director (Adobe Photoshop, Fantastic Voyage): “72andSunny is an homage to the year-round weather in Los Angeles and reflects the agency’s bright-eyed mindset.”

Marcus Yuen (M.Y.), Senior Creative (Tinder, Swipe Night), and Reilly Baker (R.B.), Senior Writer (Tinder, Swipe Night): “72andSunny is about embodying an optimistic state of mind.”

What is your work philosophy? 

S.R.: “We want to make imaginative things worthy of your attention; things that can become a part of culture. 72andSunny likes to call that creativity that wins. On every assignment, Bart and I close our eyes and imagine that we’re on a flight seated next to an anthropomorphic manifestation of our work. We’re off the tarmac. The belts are fastened. If it were to turn and speak to us, would we be interested? Reciprocate? Make a new friend? Or would we slowly lean toward the bulkhead and pray for sleep, or a different seat, or an errant seagull?” 

Laura Visco (L.V.), Executive Creative Director (Coke, Open Like Never Before): “If you want to make everybody happy, you are not making anything new. And that applies to clients, consumers, YouTube commenters, even colleagues. Always challenge the status quo. Being polarizing should be embraced a lot more.” 

What is about advertising that you’re passionate about? 

Erwin Federizo (E.F.), Group Creative Director (Pabst, Grab a Pabst): “I’m passionate about helping young creatives, working alongside POC from diverse backgrounds, and helping them weave their own personal perspective into their work. I appreciate brands that are able to share their ethos through a diverse lens. For me, it’s unbelievably rewarding to see creatives on my team infuse their personal voice and perspective into the work.” 

L.V.: “Brands have much more power than they realize. What people see shapes their perception and influences the way they see the world and themselves. I truly believe what we see out there defines the norm. That motivates me every day: to have the power to challenge and redefine the standard.” 

To pre-order your copy of Journal #371, visit graphis.com for more information.