DEARDAN & FRIENDS Danny John Debisarun - DEARDAN & Irene Trimp. Photo: Chris & Mischa Bonis
Marketing with purpose TEXT: MAYA WITTERS | PHOTOS: DEARDAN & FRIENDS
‘Make it simple but significant’: that’s the motto of Rotterdam-based strategic and creative branding agency DEARDAN & Friends. Founder Danny John Debisarun, aka DEARDAN, started the agency almost six years ago in search of work that would give him a sense of purpose. Today, it creates campaigns for national and international companies who aim for more than just monetary profit. “We want to awaken people with a gentle kiss.” DEARDAN (41, creative strategy director) spent over a decade working for agencies but found himself facing a deficit of meaning in his work. “I was no longer happy working for clients who don’t 66 | Issue 73 | January 2020
use profits to make a significantly better product or service, so I started over from scratch. At DEARDAN & Friends, our common driver is to create meaningful and inspiring communication for brands that want to create a positive impact on people’s daily lives, the environment and society.” “I simply want to contribute to something meaningful with like-minded people and have fun while doing so,” DEARDAN attests. “I now co-manage the agency with Irene Trimp: a former client turned independent content marketing strategist. Our collaboration was so synergetic that we decided to join forces for other clients, as well. We work with a network
of specialists who are on the same wavelength to create campaigns with impact and heart.”
More meaning, less clutter To achieve said impact, DEARDAN is a firm believer in clarity and simplicity. “We want to move people with our campaigns and change their view in the long term – but not through loud, shocking statements. It’s not our style to grab people by the throat: we prefer to awaken them with a gentle kiss.” “I also believe honesty is key. We always search for the positive side and make people rethink their set beliefs,” explains DEARDAN. “But we don’t want