Executive Producers Ben Morris and Ron Cicero have launched Clutch, a production studio specializing in an integrated approach to design, live-action and visual effects work for both traditional and non-traditional media.
Morris and Cicero chose the company name, Clutch, with the idea that innovation and excellence are the results of small, yet critical, decisions made at just the right time.
“These days, the most innovative campaigns come from the seamless blending of storytelling with the most current technologies,” says Ben Morris, who previously co-founded full-service post company Fulltank in 2001. “With advertising being consumed across borders, it made sense to us that right now is the time to launch a visually driven, integrated production and design studio.”
Between the two EP’s, Morris and Cicero have produced a broad range of projects including live action spots, motion graphics, a video game, a Gold Pencil winning pop-up museum, branded web content shortlisted at One Show Entertainment, flash mobs, and video content for an Opera at MIT.
“Design based thinking is at the core of much of today’s best marketing,” remarks Cicero, who was a partner at innovative design collective, The D4D, in addition to producing projects with @radical.media, Crossroads and Prologue for many years. “In so many ways, design tends to be medium-agnostic. Thinking about projects in those terms gives us a broad lens that that defies the typical approach to form and process.”
Indicative of their integrated approach is one of Cicero’s most recent projects: a pop-up fragrance museum for Sephora titled “The Sephora Sensorium.” As one of two projects to win a Gold Pencil in the 2011 One Show Design competition, the experiential museum embodies the Clutch philosophy of examining the creative development of a project to offer a multi-faceted approach even when the end concept is something that hasn’t been done - or even conceived of - before.
“We both thrive in that place where we have to leverage our diverse experience to solve problems,” explains Morris. “We take pride in having the reputation for making sure the client gets exactly what they want and even more.”
Clutch, will represent a roster of six directors: David Edwards, Daniel Levi, Kevin Lau, Clement Bolla, Jens Gehlaar and Eric Stoltz.
“We’re positioning ourselves to develop projects that offer a lasting narrative,” said Cicero. “It’s that emotional jolt you get when you see a great ad, interact with an app you can’t put down, or find yourself immersed within the fabric of a brand.”
Source: Clutch