Firstborn (digital agency)

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Overview

Firstborn is a digital creative agency founded in 1997 by Michael Ferdman and headquartered in New York City’s Film Center Building located in Hell's Kitchen. The company is made up of strategists, designers, producers, and technologists. Their collective goal is to create great ideas and translate them into engaging, intelligent and innovative user experiences. Firstborn works in any medium associated with digital technology and has both direct clients and agency partners. Past projects include 2010 Mustang Customizer for Ford, along with numerous projects for Wrigley and SoBe.

Capabilities

Firstborn provides digital and social media strategy, research, planning, information architecture, creative direction and design, front-end and back-end development, 3-D modeling, motion graphics, HD video and copywriting. Some of the things they create include online marketing campaigns, brand destinations, new product launch websites, CRM tools, online advertising units, content management systems, kiosks, outdoor installations, mobile and software applications.

Clients

Firstborn works with a mix of direct clients such as Pepsi, Aflac, Wrigley, JetBlue and Lands’ End as well as agency partners including Wunderman Team Detroit, Ogilvy, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, Rogers Townsend and Cramer Krasselt. Their projects span a wide range of industry sectors such as automotive, beverages, spirits, airlines, fashion, beauty, insurance, technology and consumer packaged goods.

Staff

Firstborn has a cross-disciplinary staff of designers, developers, producers, strategists and copywriters. It also has an in-house team of 3D developers and an in-house video department. People come to work at Firstborn from all parts of the globe—including Brazil, Korea and France—many of whom are world leaders in their fields.

Awards and Publications

Firstborn has earned over 200 awards from shows such as One Show, Cannes, SXSW, OMMA, W3, Webby Awards, Telly and theFWA. Other honors include being named to AdAge’s A-List in 2009 and twice to OMMA’s Agency of the Year. Firstborn was listed in Fast Company’s 50 Most Innovative Companies in 2010 and second on their list of best Advertising and Marketing companies.

Firstborn’s work and employees have been featured in such publications as Contagious Magazine, Creativity, Wired, AdAge, OMMA and Communication Arts.

Executive Leadership

Michael Ferdman

Michael is founder and CEO of Firstborn (www.fborn.com), the award-winning digital creative agency based in New York City. Working with agencies and brands alike on a full range of digital marketing services, Michael is responsible for managing Firstborn’s internal business operations while maintaining the shop’s high level of commitment to client relations. Michael founded Firstborn in 1997, on the cusp of the digital era. Early on, Firstborn found its footing in the fashion industry, helping to bring the likes of Calvin Klein and Antonio Fusco to the digital space. Today, Firstborn’s digital strategies and unique design aesthetic can be seen across the automotive, beverage/liquor, retail, sports, entertainment, finance, and social responsibility categories. Michael is a founding member of SODA (Society of Digital Agencies) and remains an active participant of the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau). He has served as a judge for the Webby’s, The One Show, The Tokyo Interactive Awards, HOW and other industry competitions.

Michael serves on the National Advisory Council of the North Shore Animal League and has spearheaded several non-profit events including Cycle for Survival and Hoops4Hope.

Dan LaCivita

Dan joined New York-based digital agency, Firstborn, in 2003 as a Flash Developer. Today he is the President of the agency, leading the brand development and creative strategy teams within Firstborn, while overseeing the shop’s full range of creative production services and emerging R&D practices. Dan has supervised high-profile digital projects for brands such as: Ford, IBM, Kodak, M&M’s, Puma, Lowe’s, Aflac, HP, AirTran, SoBe, Nokia and more. Under his guidance, Firstborn has enjoyed recognition from industry organizations, including: The Clio Awards, The One Show, The Webby Awards, The London International Awards and The FWA. In 2008 and 2009, Dan led Firstborn to achieve OMMA Magazine’s Creative Agency of the Year and Agency of the Year titles respectively, with Firstborn also being named to Advertising Age’s 2010 Agency A-List. In the March 2010 issue of Fast Company, Firstborn was named one of the world’s 50 most innovative companies and listed as #2 for Advertising and Marketing. Dan has presented at leading industry events such as: Creativity and Technology (CAT), Flash in the Can (FITC), Boards Summit, UGCX 2009 and OMMA Global. He serves on judging and speaking panels and is frequently quoted in industry publications such as Advertising Age, Adweek, Creativity and Mediapost on trends in digital marketing, interactive strategies and digital design and technology. Dan graduated with honors from Boston University’s College of Communication with a BS in Advertising. In his free time, Dan enjoys reading about the history of magic and deception, and honing his performance skills in the art of close-up magic.

JoonYong Park

JoonYong is a creative catalyst. As Firstborn’s Chief Creative Officer, Joon is not only an active designer, but he plays an instrumental role in the concept development and creative execution of most Firstborn projects. Bringing ten years of interactive design experience to Firstborn, he is an inspiration and a mentor. Always full of big ideas, Joon contributes much of his energy to project conceptualization for new business pitches. He works closely with the producers at Firstborn—making sure the design concept of every project stays on brand, is strategically optimal and relevant to the appropriate target audience. He also regularly collaborates with Firstborn’s Studio Director and Director of Interactive Development to uncover exciting new ways to bring brands to life. Prior to joining the team, Joon served as Creative Director of the Orion Group BNM and before that he was the Head of Interactive Branding and Art Direction for Nutility. His work on the Nutility “Samsung & the Matrix” site was awarded the Electronics Winner Prize in the interactive media sector at the 18th London International Awards.

Joon began his Firstborn career as a Senior Art Director in 2004 and was promoted to Creative Director in 2007. He is the genius behind Firstborn’s incredible 3D department, and his talents have led to the successful production of various high-profile projects, including Lowe’s Welcome Back Spring, Smirnoff James Bond, JBL Destination Anywhere Tour, Microsoft Zune Journey, the Microsoft Live installation for Operation Smile and numerous projects for Ford. He is also responsible for designing and programming some of Firstborn’s most recognized work during his early years, including the Giftmixer 3000 and the global website for Kohn Pederson Fox Architects.

History and Timeline

• 1997 - Firstborn was founded with three employees
• 1998 - Completed a CD-ROM for Calvin Klein’s fall runway show; Landed work for Redken and L’Oreal; Designed the official Belmont Stakes website
• 1999 - Picked up new clients including Business Week, Federated and Antonio Fusco; Completed projects for Columbia University, Dell, Calvin Klein, L’Oreal, and fragrance giant Dragoco
• 2000 - Launched site for fashion designer Yigal Azrouel; Worked with Ralph Lauren, Lancome, and Lam Research
• 2001 - Continued working with Redken, Estee Lauder, Ralph Lauren; began working with Sergio Rossi, Madstone Films and John Frieda; Expanded to the suite next door and increased staff
• 2002 - Clients included Lam Research, NYRA, L’Oreal and Calvin Klein; Designed Video on Demand interface for Diet Coke, a touch-screen kiosk for Shiseido and websites for Bacardi and the VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards 2002; Threw a fifth anniversary party for 250 friends and clients; Ended the year with 11 employees
• 2003 - Created a unique website for Victoria’s Secret new denim line; More clients, including Cosmopolitan Cosmetics, Puig Beauty and Vitamin Water; Notable CD-ROM project for The Chrysler Crossfire Experience and BBDO, with nearly 4 million CDs distributed; Released interactive holiday greeting card, TYPEflake*
• 2004 - Added new designers and developers to the team; Worked with the Sci Fi Channel and USA Network to feature several miniseries; Added clients including the Museum of Modern Art, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, the Atlantis Resort and Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
• 2005 - Worked with Adobe, Borders, Burger King, Fila, Lee Jeans, NBC Universal, People, Target, Toyota, USA Networks; Opened an L.A. office to serve existing West Coast clients and expand the Firstborn network
• 2006 - More clients, including Saatchi & Saatchi, JWT, TBWA, Publicis, TM and Lowe Worldwide; Collaborated on JBL, Smirnoff, Toyota, Nationwide Insurance and Perdue; Continued to work directly with brands like McGraw Hill, creating a web-based application that allows professors to create custom classroom presentations; Built an interactive kiosk for Fila that scanned users’ feet and provided a custom-fitted shoe in-stores
• 2007 - Expanded offerings to 3D modeling and high definition video production, exemplified by projects for Microsoft Forefront, Zune, HP and Axe; Engaged the “physical space” with an outdoor installation for Microsoft Live that was developed with Processing and projected onto a 7 story sphere at the South Street Seaport; Worked with Starwood to create an application for Le Meridian Hotels that changed the way the organization designs their hotel rooms; Celebrated their 10th anniversary; Started the Luger's tradition: Their version of a “holiday party,” held at Peter Luger’s Steakhouse; Spyline Studio of the year; Grew to 28 employees
• 2008 - Reclocated their offices to a space on the 9th floor of the Film Center building; Filmed a guy wearing an animatronics bear costume for Lowes with Tribal DDB Chicago; Projects for clients including Microsoft Office for Mac, US Treasury, GE, XM Radio, Northwestern Mutual, Ping Golf, National Grid, Corona, Porche, Malibu Rum and Nokia; Inducted into The FWA’s Hall of Fame for their 38 FWA Sites of the Day; Named Creative Agency of the Year by OMMA Magazine; FWA site of the month – Nokia Music Almighty; Belmont tradition begins: A day at the races, full of betting, food and drink
• 2009 - Hired Copywriters for the first time; OMMA Agency of the Year for Best Web Design and Development; Gained SoBe, Wrigley and Aflac as clients; Continued to work with Team Detroit on various Ford projects; Adage Agency A-List
• 2010 - Listed as top 50 most innovative companies in Fast Company magazine, listed in AdaAge's Agency A-List, release first iPad application-Dofl Ball, ended the year with 60 employees