Deutsch New York has made two key creative appointments: Miriam Franklin, whose first day as EVP, head of integrated production will be February 7; and Melatan Riden, who has already started as EVP, head of art and design. Franklin and Riden have both spent the past few years working full-time as part of the freelance gig economy, with Franklin consulting under the moniker of Miriam Produces and Riden under Not an Office.
“In today’s battle for smart, innovative, can-do business minds we are incredibly excited to have Miriam and Melatan joining our team,” said Val DiFebo, CEO of Deutsch NY. “We believe production and design are engines for creative expression. Miriam is a powerhouse who has produced all over the world, in every category and across every medium, and Melatan is an exceptional strategic-thinking creative leader and designer with passion. They bring a wide ranging creative perspective and will help our people and clients to push the boundaries at their inflection points.”
Most recently freelancing at Wieden+Kennedy, Franklin helped escalate the chicken sandwich wars with her produced work for McDonald’s new Crispy Chicken Sandwich, as well as working on the Duracell business. Prior to freelancing, she was director of content production at Translation, working across all content initiatives including TV, digital/interactive, music videos, experiential and print. Over the course of her career she helped produce numerous award-winning and culturally relevant content and experiences, including one of the most successful viral social campaigns and top 10 Super Bowl spots of all time–“Reebok presents Terry Tate Office Linebacker.”
“Production is an ever-morphing and integral part of growth at an agency, the possibilities are as endless as the imagination, and the leadership team at Deutsch NY really understands and supports this,” said Franklin. “I have been looking for a like-minded, forward-thinking home to help evolve with—where creativity, integrity, business savvy and kindness are part of the DNA, and Deutsch NY is all that.”
Engaged in the gig economy since 2018, Riden previously worked at agencies including Sid Lee, Anomaly, TBWAChiatDay and Mother serving an array of brands including Red Bull, H&M, TedX, WSJ, Target and McDonald’s. While at TBWA, she was selected as one of six design leaders from around the world to re-imagine the future global packaging system for McDonald’s in this first-ever experiment of its kind, in London. Following this, she freelanced at various agencies and consulted directly with brands like Oura and Tommy Hilfiger. During this time she also freelanced at Deutsch NY, working on key brands including Cetaphil and Johnson & Johnson and on new business initiatives. Passionate about women’s rights globally, she has served as executive creative director and board member of the United Nations’ UN Women National Committee since 2016. Over the course of Riden’s design career, she has held key positions leading the aesthetic and multi-platform creative output for big disruptive global brands and innovation-driven start-ups alike.
“True creativity is the result of seeing and embracing the world through a wildly curious and open-minded lens. No matter the brief, task, or conversation, there is always an opportunity to make results-driven work in an ever-changing culture that truly resonates,” said Riden. “Deutsch NY is that rare kind of place that encourages multidisciplinary collaboration and experimentation that gets you there immediately.”
