DeVito/Verdi

Some campaigns sell products. This one ended up defending a freedom. Here's the story of one of DeVito/Verdi's earliest First Amendment battles. 🇺🇸 🐟 The Challenge: Legal Sea Foods was a Boston institution, but it was starting to be seen as "old and tired." Competition was growing, marketing budgets were tight, and the brand needed a fresh voice. 💡 The Idea: We launched Fresh Fish—a campaign of witty, irreverent ads featuring talking fish with plenty of attitude. The goal wasn't just to advertise. It was to get Boston talking. 🚆 The Spark: The campaign expanded across Boston's MBTA transit system with ads poking fun at train conductors. The response was immediate. 🚫 The Censorship: The MBTA ordered two ads removed, claiming they violated advertising guidelines. Soon after, the conductors' union threatened to stop driving trains if the ads remained. We and our client objected, but the signs came down. ⚖️ The Fight: What started as a campaign quickly became a First Amendment battle. The story exploded across the country, earning front-page coverage in The Boston Globe and spreading to The New York Times, USA Today, Fortune, Forbes, BusinessWeek, and the national networks. We doubled down by issuing a faux apology in the form of a radio commercial that further insulted the conductors. The next day, a boycott of Legal Sea Foods was announced by the union 📣 The Response: Renowned First Amendment attorney Martin Garbus joined the fight, arguing the MBTA had no legal basis to censor the ads. We leaned into the moment with "Censored" versions of the campaign—turning the attempted suppression into an even bigger story. 🏳️ The Capitulation: As press coverage intensified, the MBTA said it will approve the ads as long as Legal promises not to pursue further legal action against them for violating its First Amendment rights. (Legal never agrees to this.) 🎆 The Ending: On July 4, the "Censored" ads returned to Boston's transit system—a reminder that great advertising can do more than build brands. Sometimes, it stands up for free speech. Some of the most memorable campaigns don't just capture attention. They make history. #advertising #marketing #creative

Here's a lap around the track with Gold Medalist Erin Jackson to show why this UF Health spot works. Building curiosity, stoking emotional investment, and laying out her journey come together in constructing a compelling story. #creative #marketing #advertising

With the renewed attention to JFK Jr's life coupled with today's anniversary of his tragic death, we're reminded of this simple ad from that sad week.

Excited to be creating again for BayCare Health System. It's all connected 🧬. Our new spot touches on how, as humans, all of us are intertwined. "When we help one, we help everyone." Rob Slosberg Uri Schutzer Daniel Miller Anthony Marinelli Rex Recker Susan Poor Barbara Michelson Summer Ward #advertising #marketing #healthcare

At DeVito/Verdi, we've always believed the best client relationships aren't built on agreement. They're built on the willingness to challenge each other in pursuit of the best work. Andrew Brief, Director of Client Services at D/V, was recently featured at LBBonline - Little Black Book in the "The Art of Account Management" series, sharing insights from his 30+ years of experience in advertising and client relationships. 🤝 The best account management is built on trust—not taking sides. 💬 Productive disagreement creates better ideas. 🎯 Leadership starts with education. Read along as Andy shares his perspective on trust, collaboration, and what makes great account work. https://lnkd.in/gkQr9ATg #advertising #agency #accountmanagement

Wayne Winfield wrote work that stayed with you. This reel celebrates just a small sample of the extraordinary work he leaves behind. A true writer's writer, Wayne brought intelligence, emotion, and humanity to every assignment. From Mount Sinai to Meijer, Kohl's, Brandeis, and countless others, his words didn't just sell; they made people feel. Wayne helped shape DeVito/Verdi during a defining chapter in our history, elevating our work with his remarkable talent and passion. His influence can still be seen in the campaigns that were created. Thank you, Wayne. Your words and legacy will endure. #advertising #creative

America turned 250. A look at some D/V work that has helped preserve America's freedoms. The “crime” of Driving While Black was real. Not only were civil liberties infringed, but the penalties and outcomes were often much worse. To us, the issue was literally black and white. The facts were simple. And so, too, was our response with this famed print ad of two men: One good, one bad. One black, one white. The campaign spoke volumes about racism in this country and the need to fight for justice.

America turned 250. A look at some D/V work that has helped preserve America's freedoms. In the post-9/11world, it became common to ask, “What if America, wasn’t America?” So, immediately thereafter, we went to work to depict a harrowing world where our unalienable rights were now a crime. This campaign served to remind us all of the need to fight for, and cherish, our country’s freedoms. We needed to show what we weren’t to best show what makes us so special. #America250 #advertising

America is turning 250. A look at some D/V work that has helped preserve America's freedoms. We helped this country get back on its feet after the attacks on Sept. 11 with clear messaging that talked to people about who we were as a country. It wasn’t upbeat, rally-round-the-flag patriotism we sought, but messaging that would run deeper. With a nod to the McCarthy era and the fear of living in authoritarian regimes, we depicted an everyday existence where America isn’t the America we inhabit. #America250 #advertising

America is turning 250. A look at some D/V work that has helped preserve America's freedoms. If Anne Frank, Dr. Seuss and Shakespeare can have their writings banned from libraries, it’s not far-fetched to imagine it being a crime to simply read them. That was the premise of our work following the attacks of 9/11 amidst the immediate fear and uncertainty of where our country was headed. We wanted to show the extremes of what can happen when the First Amendment no longer exists. Books are banned, information and ideas are withheld, and searching them out becomes illegal. The commercial captured the paranoia and powerlessness of people in unsettling times. It also assured them of the rights and freedoms we possessed, and the need to always fight for them. #America250 #advertising #