About ceft and company

"i think what we do is quite special. i don't want to say that its better, as 'better' is rather subjective. i also don't want to falsely quantify better as something that is related to prosperity as no vision can ever guarantee that otherwise it wouldn't still be the billion dollar question." –ucef hanjani, founder and creative director of ceft and company

although ceft and company may appear as an advertising agency, or at times an event agency, or even an interactive agency, the company in its core has always been a small creative lab. a think tank of sorts that solves communication challenges with no limits on its resources, executions, or delivery options. the agency's modular structure has allowed it to work on local and global projects alike by pulling in relevant, top level resources when needed and avoiding permanent pass through costs associated with traditional agencies. it's this "focus on quality" and this tight, lean operation that has given the agency its intimate, word-of-mouth reputation.

natacha dzikowski, current director of global advertising and marketing at Christian Dior, and ex-managing director of publicis 133 on Lancôme worldwide and Sephora, a person with both agency and client experience had this to say about her experience with the agency; "…ceft and company is much more than a creative agency. it's a creative lab that invents new territories and new languages which have an enduring effect on brands, in ceft and company I found 'une perle rare' – ucef hanjani is a creative director who is a genius strategist and can think outside of the traditional avenues of advertising. each time I am impressed not only by the strength of the ideas and the quality of their execution but also by the ability ceft and company has to work in a 360º approach under pressure."

the agency was founded in 2004 by award winning creative director ucef hanjani, who had previously spent over a decade creating work for brands in the U.S. and abroad at such reputable companies as TBWA chiat day, kirshenbaum bond & partners (KBP), lloyd & company (lloyd & co.), levis, deutsc inc., j.walter thompson (JWT), GAP, and ogilvy & mather (O&M).

creative director and founder of ceft and company, ucef hanjani

hanjani's strategic and creative work has received numerous awards (graphis, AIGA, SXSW, obie, APG, effie, WADC, ADDY, clio, etc) and the work he has produced has been credited by anchors at ABC to have helped blue chip company's out of bankruptcy. his commercials have created such press and buzz that an entire TV spot has been aired on news hours clocking over 43 minutes of airtime for a single 30 second spot.

"… of course it's always more fun to work on an underdog brand…" hanjani remarks, "like karl lagerfeld had done with chanel at the time or steve jobs on his return to apple, or mickey drexler with j.crew now. it seems harder, but it's actually easier as you have a clear goal and you are part of a team that is looking for change…"

the singular approach for hanjani has always been to create work that is noticed, but even more importantly, relevant to each and every brand.

"we don't have 'a style' per say here at ceft and company. we have worked on such diverse clients as nike, salvatore ferragamo, and pepsi co. we have many interests and influences and we are always hungry to explore new things. we are more like actors, than designers, we are looking for an exciting character role" says hanjani.

"i don't understand agencies that indulge themselves in decorative exercises. not only do I find that boring, i could not create relevant work for a brand without seriously taking into consideration their personality, what they are about, where did they come from, and where they want to go. amazingly enough, even some of the most respected people in our business, lets say fabien baron (barron & barron), whom I admire as a stylist, seem to create work that ignores these principles… I look at the david yurman and the donna karan logo, both created by baron & baron, and they are one and the same. how can that be? they are two different brands lead by two strong and opinionated people. how could they warrant the same identity? this is also true when you look at brands and their campaigns… you can swap logos from one to another and no one will notice…"

2 logos created for two brands by the same agency, Baron & Baron Inc

2 campaigns for 2 respected Italian brands, the first campaign for Salvatore Ferragamo created by Publicis in spring of 2005 and later a second campaign, Tod's created by Lloyd & Co

unfulfilled with his search for a perfect agency that could deliver to his clients what they so desperately needed, he started the small ad agency ceft and company back in 2004. within a few months, the agency was working with nike (U.S.), moet & chandon (france) and kosé cosmetics (japan). they began creating a slew of programs from global campaigns to web based films and TV spots, from radio show content, to event spaces and viral/web based programs. since then, projects from brands like zegna, fendi, l'oreal, LVMH, ralph lauren, toto, benjamin bixby (andre 3000) and krug champagne have joined their ever expanding roster.

"we didn't start ceft and company because we thought… oh why not? we can start an agency too... or, we want to make a billion… we started ceft and company because there was nothing like it out there. we wanted to spend our energy on work that was exciting and challenging but a kind of work that fulfilled a goal… solved a problem..."

Robb High, CFO and consultant whom had worked with Hanjani for years before the launch of ceft and company

regarding his search hanjani recalls "there was no agency out there that was both strategic and aesthetically modern/chic. on one hand you had the lloyd & co. and baron & baron inc., which were chic and modern, but rather formulaic and decorative, and on the other hand you had the publicis' and the goodby, silverstein & partners who were thoughtful and strategic but lacked a sense of aesthetic and style…"

ceft and company's own "chic factor" and credibility comes from it's past involvement in fashion editorial work. hanjani's personal experience and contributions as creative director/art director in fashion publications such as big magazine (U.S.), numéro magazine (france), sleek magazine (germany), soma magazine (U.S.), and doing bird magazine (australia). These experiences have given him a sharpened vision for up-and-coming talent. ceft and company's hand selected creative staff also contribute to this roster an impressive list of magazines such and visionaire, V magazine, pop magazine, and the face magazine to name a few.

with Vanity Fair's editor in chief, Graydon Carter on the set of LVMH uber luxury Champagne Krug

ceft and company's efforts have brought to its clients the collaborative forces of such reputable celebrities, artists, and photographers as guido mocafico, david lynch, terry richardson, ryan mcginley, angelica huston, ellen von unwerth, karen collins, solve sundsbo, glen luchford, graydon carter, liz collins, hrafnhildur arnardottir, jean nouvel, claudia knoepfel + stefan indlekofer, sofia sanchez & mauro mongiello, dusan reljin, thomas lagrange, denis darzacq, barnaby roper, camilla akrans, larry clark, and buzz aldrin.