Factory Design Labs, a full-service agency delivering digital and traditional advertising solutions to premium lifestyle brands, has opened new offices in Verbier, Switzerland and Shanghai, China.
“Our expansion is not just about opening offices but extending and expanding our unique culture of creativity and proven intellectual property. Factory is committed to being a global partner to each of our brands, helping them craft a consistent brand vision not only in the Americas, but in key international markets like China and Europe,” said Scott Mellin, CEO of Factory Design Labs. “By hiring the best strategic, creative and developer talent in Asia and Europe, Factory will help our clients achieve cohesive authentic global branding, faster speed to market, locally-relevant campaign execution, and a laser focus on their core customers in key local markets.”
Factory's new global offices follow several years of rapid growth for the agency. Factory has grown over 300 percent in revenue in the past five years while remaining debt-free and profitable. In August, Factory hired international advertising industry veteran Bob Reimer as vice president of global operations. Reimer will be responsible for the overall strategy, staffing, and expansion of Factory's Swiss and Chinese operations.
“Factory and our clients are eager to rapidly accelerate brand growth in China and Europe, two of the most critical markets for premium lifestyle brands,” said Reimer. “We made the bold decision to open offices staffed with the best local and global creative talent because we didn't want to assume global market relevance. Our new teams in Europe and Asia will help our brands grow their businesses by connecting with culture-driven consumers in local markets.”
Factory is also engaging new clients in China and Europe in the premium lifestyle brands category. Scott Mellin is leading business development efforts in both regions.
Verbier, Switzerland
Factory's Swiss office is a European advertising industry first; it is the only full-service ad agency to be based in a ski resort. Factory chose to locate its European office in the Alpine village of Verbier for two main reasons; to work and live among its clients' core customers every day; and to attract unique creative talent who don't just have deep experience in the ad industry, but also are personally and deeply connected to the outdoor lifestyle.
“Our new office is 100 meters from the gondola, so we'll literally interact with our brands' core customers every day,” said Mellin. “By putting our office inside one of the world's leading alpine destinations, we'll bring the outdoor lifestyle point-of-view to all of our work, helping our brands connect with their key customers in a powerful and authentic way.”
Shanghai, China
Factory's China office will be based in Shanghai. Located in a historic 1920s era house in the JingAn district, Factory's China office will not just focus on creating campaigns to connect with sports enthusiasts, it will become a destination for them. Factory renovated the space to include a climbing wall, a fitness facility, a yoga studio, and more.
“Chinese consumers are just beginning to adopt the sports lifestyle, but our brand clients understand the huge potential of this massive market. We collectively believe the leader in the category will be decided in the next two years, and want to be first-movers,” said Reimer. “We didn't just open an office in China, we created an indoor-outdoor space that lives and breathes the lifestyle our brands represent.”
Denver, USA
Factory Design Labs is one of the only independent agencies to offer a full slate of digital and traditional services to brand clients via three worldwide offices. With a core focus on the premium lifestyle consumer, Factory acts as a strategic partner for its brand clients at every step — from initial product and creative positioning and go-to-market strategy, through multichannel campaigns, continual measurement and optimization, and long-term customer engagement.
About Factory Design Labs
Factory Design Labs is the leader in customer creation for global, culture-driven lifestyle brands such as The North Face, Callaway, Oakley, REVO, Jim Beam, Roth Distributing and Aspen/Snowmass. A full-service agency delivering digital and traditional advertising solutions to premium lifestyle brands, Factory offers industry-leading in-house digital expertise to create innovative web, mobile, and social campaigns fully integrated with traditional print, TV, in-store, and product-level positioning. Founded in 1997, Factory is headquartered in Denver, Colorado with offices in Verbier, Switzerland and Shanghai, China.
