Already a part of the Detroit post scene with its partnership in RingSide Creative, newly established Cutters Detroit is creating its own identity in the Motor City’s multibillion dollar ad market in its own new offices in the RingSide facility in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park.
Cutters Detroit has a staff of six, headed by executive producer Mary Connolly, who was recruited from Griot Editorial, where she worked for 12 years, starting as a rep and moving to a producer’s position.
Cutters Chicago introduced Connolly and the four Detroit editors, along with Nicole Visram, executive producer of Cutters’ Santa Monica office, to their clients, staff, suppliers and friends at an informal cocktail reception Thursday night.
The timing of the new office couldn’t be better, says Connolly, given the automotive industry’s resurgence and the opening of several branches of non-Detroit ad agencies with automotive accounts.
“Detroit is ready for a new model of creative collaboration and we’re putting together an unparalleled team of creative editors to share that vision and momentum,” she says.
The four well-known editors are Dave Mariani, Chris Moore, Kevin O’Brien and Byron Pink; assistant, Ray Straight.
Four editors have exhaustive national spot experience
Mariani and Moore, are also from Griot Editorial, where they worked seven and ten years, respectively.
Mariani has edited many national spots, the most notable of which include Ford, White Castle, Chrysler and Cox Communications.
Moore’s client list includes UPS, Jeep and Chrysler, Electrolux, Ford and The US Navy.
Kevin O’Brien, who has worked on brands including Blue Cross, GMC, Chevy and PNC Bank, joins Cutters Detroit after two years at Kinetic Post. Earlier, he spent six years at Milagro Post, where he edited the Pierce Brothers comedy zombie feature, Deadheads.
He also worked in Los Angeles with several editorial firms, including Inside Out, which was acquired by Beast Editorial.
At RingSide Creative, Byron Pink had been assistant to Chris Hafner, who recently moved to Cutters Chicago. On the rise in Detroit, his editorial work includes Warrior, Lincoln, Carhartt, Detroit Lions and GMC Trucks.
Cutters Studios’ Craig Duncan says “Detroit is taking notice of our national editorial roster. We’re not about who’s in which studio… we are focused on providing the right talent for any given project, anywhere.”
He points out that numerous projects already have utilized all three Cutters facilities, in Chicago, Santa Monica and now Detroit.
Cutters Detroit is located at 13320 Northend, Suite 3000, Oak Park, Michigan; phone, 248/548-2500.
