Creative and media agency Deep Focus is taking back its name. The agency was most recently known as Big Village Agency is returning to its previous name under the new ownership of Bright Mountain Media.
Deep Focus, originally founded in 2002, was acquired by Engine USA in 2010 and was rebranded as Big Village Agency in 2022. This return to its original name represents a refocus on the culture and values that made Deep Focus so successful against all odds over the past two decades.
“The DNA of Deep Focus was always there, and we still have a significant number of people that joined us before all the rebranding started as well as some brilliant people we’ve collected along the way. This is just a return to our roots—a story about people who wanted an agency that didn’t fit the mold of other agencies, so they built one from scratch and protected it through the years. For us, it’s always been Deep Focus, and it feels right to make it official again,” said Matt Steinwald, Deep Focus executive creative director in a statement.
Deep Focus will continue to be led by Steinwald, managing director Steve Scutellaro, head of strategy Lindsey Allison and head of media and analytics Kyle Krueger, under Bright Mountain Media CEO Matt Drinkwater.
Back row left to right: managing director Steve Scutellaro, executive creative director Matt Steinwald, head of media and analytics Kyle Krueger.
Front row left to right: creative director Nadine Cheung, head of strategy Lindsey Allison, executive producer Melissa Brown.
Deep Focus has longtime clients including HBO Max and won the 2023 Webby for Best Overall Social Presence—Media/Entertainment and a 2019 Clio Entertainment Gold Award, among other awards. The agency’s client roster also includes NBCUniversal, Nickelodeon, the Aruba Tourism Authority, Avis Budget Group and Ace Hotel Group, along with recent work for brands including Angi, PF. Flyers, American Public Education, Inc., Credible and Liberty Science Center.
Ian Schafer, the original founder and CEO of Deep Focus, will support the team as founder emeritus in an advisory capacity.
“The name Deep Focus brings with it a reputation for understanding how people use, create, and engage with their media, and what it takes to earn their valuable attention. But then again, Deep Focus has always been about people—including the people who make it so great. I’m so happy the team gets to take back ownership of their identity, and I’m excited to support them as they help their clients win with great, new assets around them,” said Schafer in a statement.
Deep Focus and Big Village’s Insights division joined Bright Mountain earlier this year, rounding out the new owner’s growing portfolio of media assets including BrightStream, a stack of programmatic technology, and Wild Sky Media, a collection of high-profile owned and operated audience destinations offering global reach through engaging content and multicultural audiences. Big Village Insights will continue to operate as Big Village and will serve as a partner to Deep Focus for continuing consumer research and business intelligence.
“This is a group of immensely talented people who have continued to produce amazing work and grow revenue regardless of the circumstances around them. We were fortunate to have an opportunity to acquire an agency of this pedigree and at the same time strengthen Bright Mountain’s portfolio of complementary businesses,” said Bright Mountain Media CEO Matt Drinkwater in a statement.