Deutsch North America chief digital officer Winston Binch announced that Trevor O’Brien has been appointed partner, chief technology officer in New York, and in L.A. Pam Scheideler has been promoted to partner, chief digital officer.
“Digital’s a big part of who we are. Forty percent of our revenue comes from it, and some of our most innovative work is happening in the space,” said Binch. “As we push boundaries and develop new powerful and inventive products and campaigns for our clients, having the talent and business smarts that Trevor and Pam both have gives us a real edge.”
O’Brien will report to Binch and to NY CEO Val DiFebo and lead the office’s technology team—working across all accounts to ensure ideas and solutions are at the forefront of emerging technologies. In addition to client work, O’Brien will also be focused on building partnerships and new ventures with the tech start-up communities in both New York and Silicon Valley. O’Brien’s most recent position was co-founder and technologist at The Experiment, a small design and technology studio.
Over the years O’Brien has worked on innovative solutions—including enterprise software that powers some of the largest digital out of home networks to mobile experiences and large corporate brand sites—for clients such as Nike, Volkswagen, Bank of America, PlayStation, Nintendo, Virgin, and Taco Bell. In addition to working at fellow ad agency McKinney, he is a Deutsch boomeranger, having worked in the LA office from 2011-2014, as an executive creative technology director. He has also worked with startups Motobias and Roobrik.
Binch described O’Brien as having been “a key figure in helping our LA office make the transition from advertising to product innovation and enterprise-level technology development. It’s great to have him back.”
Pam Scheideler
Scheideler, who joined Deutsch in 2013, will continue reporting to Binch. Promoted from executive director of digital, she will lead the L.A. digital team and continue to innovate Deutsch’s approach to digital platform projects, developing products that have never been made before, as well as focusing on social business growth.
At Deutsch, she has led development on key marketing efforts, including Taco Bell’s new ecommerce platform—Ta.co., and the online “Unleash Your Rrrr” AI experience for Volkswagen’s Golf R. Prior to Deutsch, Scheideler was the head of production and operations at Google Creative Lab where she led both video and interactive production for advertising campaigns and product innovations. She has also worked at JWT NY, as director of digital production, and at CP+B as VP, executive integrated producer. Scheideler was also a founding partner of interactive production company Fuego5.
Review: Director James Watkins’ “Speak No Evil”
Quick. Has there ever been a horror film set in a country home with a decent cell signal?
Nope, and there's no signal at Paddy and Ciara's house, either, deep in the English countryside. Soon, that land line will be cut, too, but we're getting ahead of ourselves.
Paddy and Ciara are that fun-but-somewhat-odd British couple whom Louise and Ben, early in "Speak No Evil," meet on their idyllic Tuscan family holiday. Americans based in London, Louise and Ben are at loose ends, with both job and relationship issues. And so, when the new acquaintances write to invite them for a country weekend, they decide to go.
After all, how bad could it be?
Don't answer that. There are many such moments in the first two-thirds of "Speak No Evil," a Hollywood remake of the 2022 Danish film, here starring a deeply menacing James McAvoy. Moments where Louise and Ben, out of mere politeness and social convention, act against their instincts, which tell them something is wrong – very wrong.
Director James Watkins and especially his excellent troupe of actors, adult and children alike, do a nice job of building the tension, slowly but surely. Until all bloody hell breaks loose, of course. And then, in its third act, "Speak No Evil" becomes an entertaining but routine horror flick, with predictable results.
But for a while, it's a way more intelligent film. And the jumpy moments work — I'll confess to literally springing out of my seat when someone uneventfully turned on a power drill.
We begin in stunning Tuscany, where Louise (Mackenzie Davis, in the film's most accessible and empathetic performance) and Ben (Scoot McNairy, all nerves and insecurity) are vacationing with 11-year-old daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler). At the pool, they... Read More