DEPT® strengthens US presence with digital design agency BASIC®

International digital agency DEPT®’s latest addition in the U.S. bolsters both agencies’ services and geographic reach with a client and culture-first perspective.

San Diego-based branding and digital design agency BASIC®, best known for their work for Google, KFC, Patagonia and Airbnb, has joined Dept, the leading digital agency in Europe. This marks an exciting new chapter of growth as DEPT® continues its expansion into the United States. Together, both companies will broaden their geographic footprint as well as strengthen end-to-end digital services for clients across the globe.

With offices in San Francisco, San Diego and St. Louis, the 120-person company has been the Webby Awards most recognised independent agency for the past four years, and has seen 600% growth during that same time period.

“BASIC® exists to solve challenges for brands we believe in,” said Matt Faulk, CEO at BASIC®. “In a digital-led world, our expertise in customer experience strategy, digital products and e-commerce has helped these brands to thrive and move fast. Now, as more people rely more on digital platforms in the face of the pandemic, they have greater potential than ever to shift perceptions and drive cultural conversations. Joining DEPT® greatly strengthens this positioning by bringing data and technology into the mix. We see our agency as a place for our shared values to collide. In DEPT®, we’ve found a partner that boosts our entrepreneurial spirit with the global scale and service expansion that both our clients and people are looking for in the world of today.”

Headquartered in Amsterdam, DEPT® is one of the fastest-growing digital agencies in the world, represented in 13 countries with over 1,500 people across the globe. With a purely digital DNA, it brings together creativity, technology and data experts in integrated teams for clients like Bose, Ganni, Mizuno, Netflix, Fujitsu and Triumph Motorcycles. BASIC® joins DEPT® as its second agency in the U.S, after Boston-based product agency Rocket Insights joined in 2019. Outside the U.S., DEPT® also recently added renowned Danish strategic design agency Sorthvid and premiere Swiss agency Hinderling Volkart.

“Our goal is to build the best agency in the world,” said Dimi Albers, CEO of DEPT®. “One of the key steps in achieving that goal is to build a leading agency in the U.S. that helps our clients further build and accelerate their digital business. After making a strong start in technology with our Rocket Insights team, we were looking for the best digital experience and e-commerce design agency out there to join us on our journey and form the heart of DEPT® in the U.S. BASIC® is rapidly growing while working for some of the biggest brands in the world, and shares our cultural values when it comes to running a people business. Simply put, it’s a perfect match.”

Going forward, BASIC® will operate under the leadership of BASIC® Founder and CEO Matt Faulk, VP of Operations Ashley Reichel, VP of Creative Steve Denekas, and VP of Strategy Ryan Parkhurst.

The deal is DEPT®’s first in the U.S. since being backed by the Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest investment firms, early this year. In the next 18 months, the agency aims to have a solid presence across North America, and a complete capabilities portfolio across creativity, technology and data.