Skateboarder Tony Hawk starts hybrid brand consultancy in Detroit
Legendary skateboarder and entrepreneur Tony Hawk has launched D/CAL, a hybrid brand consultancy and creative agency, with co-founders Adam Wilson (Carhartt, Mcgarrybowen), Jared Prindle (Tony Hawk Inc., 900 Films) and Ryan Maconochie (Arc, Leo Burnett, Trisect).
Tony Hawk (center) and his team at D/CAL
With a diverse team of agency execs, brand marketers, cultural entrepreneurs, and a growing network of creators, D/CAL hopes to solve an equally diverse spectrum of business problems.
"As the next generation continues to favor meaningful brands, the ones that can reconcile cultural relevance with commercial success will endure," said Wilson. "We're here to help make that happen."
The company, with offices in Detroit and San Diego, offers a full suite of brand consultancy and agency services, but, according to a release, branches outside of industry norms by involving strategic and creative minds from outside the agency world.
"I've worked with many brands and their agencies over the years and even as a relative outsider looking in, I understand the challenges between clients and agencies. Our approach is unique, with an emphasis on authenticity," added Hawk.
To help brands of all shapes and sizes succeed at the intersection of culture and commerce, the firm states it sets itself apart with four integrated components. The first is brand consultancy, designed to deliver a range of actionable, insight-driven strategies. The second is a cultural advisory board (CAB), which D/CAL created as a diverse, independent group from key categories that collectively influence culture at-large. CAB Directors Rick Williams (Burn Rubber) and Cathy Goodman (Skateistan, Tony Hawk Foundation) oversee a group that includes Atiba Jefferson (HipHop, Skate, Pro Sports Photographer), Paul Blair (DJ White Shadow, Producer for Lady Gaga), Joe Gall (Adventure Photographer), Jessica Murnane (One Part Plant), and Jon Gray (Ghetto Gastro).
"They're an extension of our consultancy. A trove of street-level, here and now insights," said Wilson. CAB allows the company to connect cultural verticals ranging from music, design, food, gaming, and of course, action sports. "It's safe to say we have a solid panel of Action Sports experts," added Hawk.
Third is a creator network, which hopes to “turbocharge” creative development with a re-imagined briefing process designed specifically for collaboration with next-generation creators, many of whom have never seen a marketing brief.
"We mine for conceptual raw material that can be polished into authentic work," said Maconochie.
Fourth is a group of specialized partners. From an in-house partnership with Hawk's production company 900 Films to a preferred partnership with the world-class app development shop, Detroit Labs D/CAL believes it delivers on focus and flexibility.
"We can build a full-service offering, or complement a brand's in-house agency without putting the burden of scale squarely on our clients," added Katherine Huber, director of client services for the agency.
Current D/CAL clients include Michigan-based Drought, HoMedics, San Diego-based Tony Hawk Foundation, and Chicago-based CityBase.