New Media 2

R/GA: Innovation

R/GA is an advertising agency that serves top companies, helping them develop digital communications and strategies. The agency was founded in 1977 by Bob Greenberg and his brother Richard. Since that time, the firm has grown exponentially and now serves many Fortune 500 companies. They have offices across the world, including San Francisco, London, Sau Paulo, and Singapore. They are one of only four global advertising companies and have been very influential in the development of design and integration of advertising with many forms of medis.

While it was first a design company, Bob and Richard sought to include new technology and cutting-edge motion graphics into their products. It was through this balance that they were able to successfully take part in many films and television projects, helping to create groundbreaking visual effects. Essentially, their company was a production house and sought to use computers to better create effects. While others feared this new technology and thought it would negatively impact film, Bob and Richard embraced it and were able to create a company that quickly grew. One of their most influential projects was in the 1977 film, Superman. In it, they were able to make the titles in effect fly onto the screen. This was a technology that was unknown at the time and through their efforts made it a reality.

In the 1980s, they were able to combine film, video, and computer graphics all under one roof. This was extremely innovative at the time, and they were soon creating commercials that became iconic to Americans. It was during this time that R/GA won an Academy Award for technical achievement. They worked on over 400 feature films and 4,000 commercials.

In the mid 1990s, Richard left the company and Bob decided to transition R/GA into a multiplatform advertising agency focusing on e-businesses. He put his focus on digital, and another revolutionary move to most agencies at the time. He worked with various companies, helping them become more organized in their approach and collaborative in efforts. When IBM had 5 million websites scattered in various places, R/GA worked to create one user-centered destination.

Recently, they have worked with Verizon to recreate their brand from a phone company to a broadband company. This resulted in a do-it-yourself film campaign that circulated quickly online. They also serve Nike and teamed up with Apple to create Nike+. They are able to take a brand and combine it with technology to create a whole new product that consumers are vying for. This project earned a lot of press for the company, earning top honors at six separate design shows. Adweek even declared it the "Digital Campaign of the Decade," an impressive feat for the firm.

The company has over 550 employees and its base location is in New York. It does not outsource its projects -- Greenberg says that the strongest ideas flow from the technology itself. They are an extremely innovative company that seeks to utilize technology for new products and services. They will continue to create strong, innovative ideas that will have an impact on the world.