Big Spaceship
Encyclopedia
Big Spaceship is a digital creative agency located in Brooklyn, New York. The company, which specializes in interactive marketing and communications, was founded in 2000 by Michael Lebowitz and Daniel Federman. Lebowitz also co-founded SoDA (the Society of Digital Agencies) in 2008. Big Spaceship’s clients include Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox, ytmnd.com, Coca-Cola, OfficeMax, Corona, Warner Bros., HBO, UrbanDaddy, Epson, Glacéau, Nike, Royal Caribbean, Adobe and Target.
. During those years, interactive agencies emerged in response to demand for creative and marketing solutions for digital media, which largely defied the existing marketing standards of print and broadcast media. Through experiential, immersive work, Big Spaceship set out to improve the ways technology would evolve storytelling and interactive communications.
As digital agencies became more skilled at innovating within the rapidly evolving interactive space, traditional advertising agencies
increasingly sought to partner or contract digital work from them. This practice led to disputes about creative ideas and the expansion and execution of those ideas within interactive channels. Big Spaceship found itself at the center of such disputes at the 2008 Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival
, when BBDO
New York accepted several awards for The HBO Voyeur Project
. BBDO credited Big Spaceship as a production company, despite the digital agency’s larger role in evolving the creative concept for interactive media. Big Spaceship CEO Michael Lebowitz responded by encouraging an open dialogue within the industry, advocating for appropriate or shared credit when agencies of different specialties collaborate.
to redesign the user experience for Second Life
based on its strategic expertise. The agency is also known for developing visually rich, real-time multiplayer online games.
. The resulting case study, released in February 2009, posed the question of how Big Spaceship would continue to grow while maintaining the culture that has sustained its success.
The agency’s creative process and emphasis on collaboration were also explored in a 2008 Lynda.com documentary “Creative Inspirations”.
, The One Show
, Webby Awards
and Design Week
awards. It has received more Favourite Website Awards
(FWAs) than any other company and was the first American agency inducted into the FWA Hall of Fame. The agency was named one of the “World’s Leading Independent Agencies" in 2009 by thenetworkone and Campaign Magazine.
Background
Big Spaceship was launched during the dot-com bubbleDot-com bubble
The dot-com bubble was a speculative bubble covering roughly 1995–2000 during which stock markets in industrialized nations saw their equity value rise rapidly from growth in the more...
. During those years, interactive agencies emerged in response to demand for creative and marketing solutions for digital media, which largely defied the existing marketing standards of print and broadcast media. Through experiential, immersive work, Big Spaceship set out to improve the ways technology would evolve storytelling and interactive communications.
As digital agencies became more skilled at innovating within the rapidly evolving interactive space, traditional advertising agencies
Advertising agency
An advertising agency or ad agency is a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients. An ad agency is independent from the client and provides an outside point of view to the effort of selling the client's products or services...
increasingly sought to partner or contract digital work from them. This practice led to disputes about creative ideas and the expansion and execution of those ideas within interactive channels. Big Spaceship found itself at the center of such disputes at the 2008 Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival
Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is a global event for those working in advertising and related fields. The seven-day festival, incorporating the awarding of the Lions awards, is held yearly at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, France...
, when BBDO
BBDO
BBDO is a worldwide advertising agency network, with its headquarters in New York City. The agency began in 1891 with George Batten's Batten Company, and later in 1928, through a merger of BDO and Batten Co. the agency became BBDO...
New York accepted several awards for The HBO Voyeur Project
The HBO Voyeur Project
The HBO Voyeur Project was a theatrical multimedia experience and marketing campaign launched in the summer of 2007 using Voyeurism as a vehicle. Content related to the characters is scattered online in fictional web pages, in photo and video clips on media sharing platforms such as Flickr and...
. BBDO credited Big Spaceship as a production company, despite the digital agency’s larger role in evolving the creative concept for interactive media. Big Spaceship CEO Michael Lebowitz responded by encouraging an open dialogue within the industry, advocating for appropriate or shared credit when agencies of different specialties collaborate.
Company Evolution
Big Spaceship was formed when the commercial internet was in its formative years. The innovation the agency relied on then continues to drive Big Spaceship. Much of its early work was done for the movie industry, with Sony Pictures, Miramax Films and Paramount Pictures, among others. While it continues to do work in the entertainment field, it now partners with a wide variety of consumer brands. In 2008, Big Spaceship was selected by Linden LabLinden Lab
Linden Research, Inc., d/b/a Linden Lab, is a privately held American Internet company that is best known as the creator of Second Life....
to redesign the user experience for Second Life
Second Life
Second Life is an online virtual world developed by Linden Lab. It was launched on June 23, 2003. A number of free client programs, or Viewers, enable Second Life users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars...
based on its strategic expertise. The agency is also known for developing visually rich, real-time multiplayer online games.
Business Practices
Digital agencies have developed a variety of business models and production methods to meet the creative demands of digital media. Big Spaceship’s evolving structure, which focuses on a multi-disciplinary, team-based system, was studied by Harvard Business SchoolHarvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
. The resulting case study, released in February 2009, posed the question of how Big Spaceship would continue to grow while maintaining the culture that has sustained its success.
The agency’s creative process and emphasis on collaboration were also explored in a 2008 Lynda.com documentary “Creative Inspirations”.
Awards
Big Spaceship has received many accolades for its work, including Clio AwardsClio Awards
The Clio Awards are annual awards bestowed to reward innovation and creative excellence in advertising, design and communication. The categories include work in nearly all types of media, and the judges are advertising professionals from around the world....
, The One Show
The One Show
The One Show is a topical magazine-style daily television programme broadcast live on BBC One and BBC One HD, hosted by Alex Jones and Matt Baker. Chris Evans joins Jones to present the programme on Friday...
, Webby Awards
Webby Awards
A Webby Award is an international award presented annually by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences for excellence on the Internet with categories in websites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile....
and Design Week
Design Week
Design Week is a UK-based magazine launched in 1986 for the design industry. The publication was first published in October 1986 by Centaur Communications and currently [2011] published by Centaur Media plc...
awards. It has received more Favourite Website Awards
Favourite Website Awards
The Favourite Website Awards is a website awards program, established in England in 2000, showcasing websites who use cutting edge technology, together with inspirational ideas, that lead the way for future generations....
(FWAs) than any other company and was the first American agency inducted into the FWA Hall of Fame. The agency was named one of the “World’s Leading Independent Agencies" in 2009 by thenetworkone and Campaign Magazine.