Amalgamated

Back in 2009, Eric Silver ended five years at BBDO, where he had collaborated on award-winning work for FedEx and Monster, and took over the creative reins at DDB New York. But after just over a year in the job, Silver decided to switch his chief creative officer role at the Omnicom agency for one at a small, independent shop – Amalgamated in New York City.

Rather than take the start-up route, Silver instead opted to reunite with his former Cliff Freeman colleagues, Amalgamated’s director of strategy Doug Cameron and CEO Charles Rosen. He’d worked with the pair back in the 90s, and with former creative director Jason Gaboriau moving on to new opportunities, Silver purchased a majority stake in the indie agency.

“I felt Amalgamated offered many of the perks of a start-up, with lots of the lessons already figured out, and I was attracted by the opportunity to join forces with Charles and Doug, our president, Fiona McBride, and a planning department that is flat-out brilliant.” he elaborates. “The truth is, my role and responsibilities are very similar. The biggest difference is the many fiduciary lessons inherent in being a small business owner.”

One of the first pitches the new team worked on was for used-car seller CarMax, and within months of winning the account the agency was producing high-profile spots for the Super Bowl. Other clients include Ben & Jerry’s, for whom Amalgamated just wrapped up a big digital campaign, and Coca-Cola’s health drink Fuze, for which the agency created the brand’s first-ever TV campaign.

And for Silver, the beauty of the agency lies in its independence and its size. “We are incredibly nimble. There is very little bureaucracy, and zero politics. I try to keep it simple,” he concludes. “I want us to grow quickly, with work we are proud of, in an environment where people are having fun.”

amalgamatednyc.com