Boutique ad agency DRIVEN has moved from its previous location of over two years at 310 Washington in Royal Oak, Michigan to a new location at 320 Nine Mile in Ferndale, Michigan.

“It’s a great feeling to be able to stay on the right track and keep moving forward during these harsh economic times,” says Kevin Woods, Principal and Chief Operating Officer. “Survive is the new thrive, and we’re excited that we’ll be able to continue to grow in Fashionable Ferndale.”

The new location, a former warehouse that had not been used for many years, has been renovated and built out to have a SOHO loft, industrial feel with a lot of open space. “We wanted to create an atmosphere that’s open and relaxed but still gives a nod to our Detroit industrial roots,” says Brian Cusac, one of DRIVEN’s four Principals and Chief Creative Officer.

DRIVEN, which was started by four young Detroit ad agency veterans over four years ago, is full-service agency with 10 full-time staffers and a rotating stable of seasoned creative professionals.

“Our mission is always about producing great creative product and effective solutions for our clients, but it’s always nice to have a killer space to do it in,” says John Cymbal, one of the four DRIVEN Principals. “As the client list continues to grow and the shop gains recognition for its work, we’ll have a great place to grow in.”

DRIVEN’s current client list is made up of many Michigan based companies including Wayne State University, Founders Brewing, United Road, Westborn Markets, Berger Chevrolet and several out of state companies such as Mike Bass Ford in Ohio.

“We just keep it simple, do smart work, and try to have fun,” says Sam Chiodo, Principal and Chief Marketing Officer for DRIVEN. “We work hard and our clients can see the results.”

DRIVEN is a small “think-tank” made up of professional renegades and rebels from the world of “big” advertising. They bring the experience of working on some of the largest brands in the world to the table for each client. Their solid relationships within the industry allow them to draw from the best in ideation and includes award-winning writers and art directors, as well as, artists, musicians, strategic thinkers, media planners, and dreamers, all of whom are DRIVEN to deliver cutting edge solutions for select clients.

http://www.detroitmakeithere.com/article/20080729/DM02/943478759

Everyone agency has one. This is ours. With Jet’s Pizza, DRIVEN was hired to create a new brand, increase awareness and grow sales. The strategy was to get noticed, be memorable, define the brand and have fun while doing it. Mission accomplished. For better or for worse.

When this spot hit the airwaves, the phones in the stores started to ring, but so did the phones in the corporate offices. Some people loved the spot, but others hated the fact that the guy’s tongue was hanging out. Some folks even went as far as to say the spot was about oral sex. Wow.

Anyways, the Reader’s Digest version is that sometimes, even when your client asks for something innovative and different – even if they sign off on a concept – they’re not always happy with the results. There has to be a tolerance for taking the bad with the good, and every client’s threshold is different.

In the end, we’re still very proud of the work that we created for Jet’s, because it was very different from anything else in the market that we were playing in. But, it was a lesson for our agency that even when things are going well for a client, business relationships and tolerance for risk can create a gap that cannot be bridged.

It’s become increasingly common to have a negative attitude regarding the current economic “situation”.  Sure, it’s difficult to grow business in today’s climate. But we need to look at the bigger picture. It’s about much more than trying to figure out how to get through these tough times. It’s about doing great things every day, both personally and professionally. It’s about going above and beyond to produce cutting-edge work that delivers results. It’s about doing smart work and helping those who help you. It’s about giving back and trying to change the world by doing more.

It’s not rocket science. It’s a pretty simple premise. So we’re going to try it. Driven Solutions Inc. is launching: “Project Give Back.” For each national advertising client we produce an ad for, a percentage donation on each campaign will be given to a charity of their choice. Ideally, we would include a “Project Give Back” logo on the clients ad representing that a portion of the ad went to charity in an effort to help those in need and make the world better for others.

So that’s our little big idea to try and make a difference. If you would like to participate in this program call Driven at 248 548 3393. Lets do some great work while helping those in need.