Successful
new business streak
sparks hiring
of ACDs
Lauren Hystead
and
Lauren Swago
On the heels of an impressive new business streak that has resulted in seven new clients being added to its agency roster over the past few months, as well as a year-over-year revenue surge of nearly 70 percent, SOCIALDEVIANT has hired Lauren Hystead and Lauren Swago as associate creative directors. The creative duo will work across multiple pieces of new business.
Hystead and Swago first worked together at FCB Chicago from 2012-15, where their creative director thought it would be fun for two Laurens to work together – with Hystead as copywriter and Swago as art director. Their work together proved so successful that they joined Chicago’s Trisect Agency as a creative team in Dec. 2015, where they remained through 2018.
Net, what started as one project for Valsar Paint developed into a partnership that’s going on six years and their third agency together. Other clients the pair has worked on include Kmart, Slim Jim, and the Chicago Bears, among others.
“From our first conversation with agency President Linda Johnson and COO Dave Shuck, we could feel the energy of SOCIALDEVIANT,” said Hystead. “There’s an immediate sense that big things are brewing and we really just want to be a part of that.”
Added Swago, “With all the work coming in, we’re excited for the opportunity to help SOCIALDEVIANT expand their capabilities and grow relationships with new and existing clients.”
According to agency CEO and founder Marc Landsberg, SOCIALDEVIANT’s revenues shot up by almost 70% in 2018, leading the agency to actively recruit to fill these and several more roles.
“We’re so delighted to have Lauren and Lauren join us. With their amazing talent, speed, and hyper-collaborative spirit, they are a perfect addition to our growing team. How lucky are we and our clients to have them on our side?” said Landsberg.
Hystead graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a B.A. in journalism and strategic communication in 2011, joining FCB Chicago shortly after graduation.
Swago attended the University of Georgia, graduating with a B.B.A. in finance in 2007. She taught English for a year before switching gears and attending The Creative Circus from 2010-12. She landed at FCB Chicago in Aug. 2012, where the seeds of the Hystead-Swago creative partnership then took root.
About SOCIALDEVIANT
Founded in Chicago in 2012, Social Deviant is a modern creative agency for modern brands who need to do more with less. As a partner in growth, SOCIALDEVIANT helps brands grow quicker, more efficiently. The agency prides itself on delivering high-impact, collaborative creativity while taking time and cost out of the system for such clients as the Disney Channel, Red Wing Shoes, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, and Procter & Gamble. In 2018, agency revenue shot up nearly 70 percent, as SOCIALDEVIANT attracted a wide range of new clients, including CareerBuilder, Columbia College Chicago, Dairy Management, Inc., The Disney Channel, Hanna Andersson, Lagunitas, and the National Restaurant Association Show. More recent wins include noted winemaker E. & J. Gallo, among others.
Send your staff updates to Reel Chicago Editor Dan Patton, dan@reelchicago.com.
