R/GA

R/GA was founded as a design company that focused on motion graphics, live-action film, and video production. By incorporating computers into the film-making process, R/GA created the first integrated computer-assisted production process. The company became known for creating the opening title sequence for Superman in 1978.[6] R/GA's commercial work also includes trailers, special effects, and promotions for feature films like, Alien,[5] Xanadu, Zelig, The World According to Garp, Altered States, Weird Science, Predator, Beverly Hills Cop, and Ghostbusters.[3]

R/GA created a digital studio that combined three separate media—print, television commercials, and feature films—under one roof. During the period R/GA was doing this, its body of work spanned approximately 400 feature films, including The Untouchables, Seven,[9] Braveheart, Silence of the Lambs, Home Alone, Goodfellas, Die Hard, and Dirty Dancing, and 4,000 television commercials, including Diet Coke and Reebok.[10] In 1986, R/GA won a technical Academy Award,[11] and Richard Greenberg left the company to pursue other interests.[5]

In 1993, R/GA Interactive was founded as part of R/GA Digital Studios.[12] Its purpose was to extend R/GA's scope to include original interactive content, such as video games.[12] R/GA Interactive co-developed the 1996 video game Gearheads (with Philips Media),[13] which was co-designed by Eric Zimmerman and Frank Lantz (who were working at R/GA Interactive at the time).[14][15][16]

In its third nine-year cycle, R/GA changed into an interactive advertising agency and secured IBM as a client. At the time, IBM was consolidating advertising agencies and selected R/GA to redesign the company's five-million-page website.[17] The agency also developed websites for companies such as Levi Strauss & Co.[18] and Ellis Island Museum. In 2001, R/GA expanded its client roster by becoming the Interactive Agency of Record for Nike and Verizon in 2003.[19][20] The agency also started a retail practice and built location-based interactive displays, co-designed by John DiRe and Jakob Trollback, for the flagship Original Levi's Store in New York City in 1996.

R/GA changed its agency model to account for the changing business needs of its clients in the digital age. The agency expanded globally, and built a more diverse offering including mobile, social, digital advertising, and brand development. R/GA also created digital marketing options for its clients and developed the Nike+ platform.[21] The agency expanded its client roster to include Nokia (2004),[22] L'Oréal Paris (2006),[23] Walmart (2009),[24] MasterCard (2009),[25] Ameriprise Financial (2009),[26] and Taco Bell (2009).[27]

In 2011 the New York Times reported the company would begin to offer clients event marketing and data visualization services[28] followed by the additions of consulting and product innovation in 2012.[7] Bob Greenberg felt that the company had become too large to manage and so decided to split the company into groups of 150 people. The Financial Times reported that Greenberg planned to expand the company into new countries through hiring people to establish new offices rather than acquiring existing businesses.[29]

Created the opening title sequence for Superman by visually enhancing each name so it appears to be flying into the screen. The visual imagery and special effects developed for this film launched R/GA (then known as R/Greenberg Associates) as a visual-effects company.[3][30]

Created an online brand platform that gives runners a tool to record, track, and share their running data. Nike+ connects runners to an online community and archives their training history to measure progress over time. In 2007, Nike+ won top honors at six separate shows, including Titanium and Cyber Grand Prix awards at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, Black Pencil at D&AD, GRANDY at The International ANDY Awards, Grand Clio at The Clio Awards, and Best of Show at One Show Interactive. In 2009, Adweek named Nike+ "Digital Campaign of the Decade",[31] Campaign named it the "number one digital ad of the Noughties",[32] and Advertising Age named it one of the "best non-TV campaigns of the decade."[33]