Kim Getty went to UCLA thinking she would become a doctor, but her life changed after picking up a part-time job at a local ad firm. Now president of Playa Vista agency Deutsch LA, Getty said that first taste of the advertising world got her hooked and she has since devoted her career to helping brands solve problems in creative ways. Getty, 43, has called Deutsch LA home for the past 13 years – an anomaly for an industry known for its high turnover rate. She joined the firm in 2003 from San Francisco’s Kirshenbaum Bond + Partners and was named president in January of last year. Since its launch in 1995, Deutsch has grown into a firm of more than 500 employees with clients such as Target Corp., Volkswagen, and Taco Bell. The agency started a music division last year and Getty is gearing up for next year’s scheduled opening of Steelhead, its production studio, across the street from its headquarters.
NAME: Kim Getty
AGE: 43
HOMETOWN: Alamo
COMPANY: Deutsch LA
TITLE: President
Why build a standalone production studio?
Production is creative, so the more we can influence the actual making of the ideas the more impact we can have for our clients. There’s just more and more need for content, and being able to have a resource and a tool to create that content in a fast, efficient, and creatively driven way was really the mission of Steelhead.
So it’s just for Deutsch?
We have the Steelhead functionality – and our production and postproduction – crammed into this building, which means that, for the most part, we’re only making for our current client roster. By creating the additional capability – having a bigger footprint, having more people, having more flexibility – we’re a bigger resource for both the entertainment industry and our entire creative community here in Silicon Beach.
Are other agencies making similar moves?
It’s something we’re seeing in the industry, and I think it’s something we’ll see more and more of. One of the things that’s happening, which is a bit Darwinian, is we’re all getting into one another’s business. There’s that convergence of tech companies, media companies, creative companies, and brands. We’re all starting to make things and create things.
How does DeutschMusic fit with this?
One of the things we did this year was serving as the ad agency for singer Charlie Puth and his record “Nine Track Mind.” We designed the cover art. We helped come up with the narrative for the album itself. We’re not interested in becoming a label, but we are excited about partnering with artists to help define who they are as an artist and helping them get their vision out in the world.
How has Deutsch changed since you joined the firm in 2003?
The spirit of the place is the same. The thing that’s really changed is all the tools we have. There’s so many platforms to create on. There’s so many different ways to express a point of view or solve a problem. We have invested so much in technology that I really see us as as much of a digital agency as we are a design agency as we are an ad agency, and that’s really exciting.
What attracted you to the advertising world?
I loved the people. There is a bit of a type, and it tends to be people who are really high energy, short attention span, and people who get really excited about things. That is a pretty intoxicating environment to be around. I would be lying if I said I was in preschool drafting my first ads, but I will tell you I cannot imagine not doing it now. I was with Deutsch before I married my husband, before I had my two daughters, and so this place really feels like a piece of who I am.
You’re pretty much alone as a female executive in the industry. That seems like a big problem.
Women are an incredibly critical audience for the brands that we serve. If our job is to connect, create, and invent for people, the folks doing that should be in tune and reflective of the people that they’re trying to serve and that’s about women and diversity in all respects. That’s why it matters so much.
How do you go about fixing it?
You see a lot of women get into advertising and then leave. One of the places we saw a significant drop-off is when women have children. We’ve done a few things here to be really supportive of parents – and not just women but men. We have a new parent policy where you work four days a week at full salary so you can work through the transition. It’s really doing what we can to keep people who we value and who we know are enormous contributors.
