Interview with Jon Paley, DCODE

Do you use your parent company, Curious Pictures?

Sometimes. Curious is very much our secret weapon—not only is it a top animation and visual effects company, it also has tremendous design capabilities, and not just for the moving image. But we don’t have to use them. We go outside and inside—whatever is right for the client.

With that relationship, you sound quite unique.

I don’t know anybody doing it as successfully and for as long. A traditional agency could throw a lot of money at it and get close. However, they’re set up to use the people who work there internally, that’s about it.

How did you get to develop such a network?

From my time at Ogilvy, Cliff Freeman, Voyeur Films and Shots Magazine. I spent my career getting to know who’s talented. So when a project comes up for Starwood or The History Channel or ESPN or Tyco, we can put a number of individually-tailored teams to work on the brief.

And so what does DCODE deliver?

Advertising, brand strategic development, branded entertainment.

You’re an ad agency then?

I’m not afraid of that term at all. Many people who call us say they need an ad agency. We take on clients depending on what they require, not how our structure dictates. When you go to a traditional agency, it’s really like going out for dinner on Valentines Day—you have this Prix Fix menu and that’s what you get.

Can they change?

It will be an uphill battle, because of how they’re built and who built them.

Thank you.

DCODE