published in HOW magazine
Now and Then
History repeats itself triumphantly at this ad agency as it revamps with retro wares.
“I’m a history nut,” he says. Steven Grasse is the founder and CEO of Gyro Worldwide Advertising, and just by simply taking a step into the agency’s Philadelphia office space, you can tell he isn’t kidding.
Down every hall, on nearly every wall is some unexpected (and often offbeat) artifact from a bygone era. Upholstered chairs crisscrossing aesthetics and ages, a gilt mirror, kitschy paint-by-number pieces and 19th-century prints are scattered throughout the 12,000-square-foot space. It’s a life-size conversation piece.
“The space mixes antique with modern,” Grasse says, noting that in the midst of all the vintage is enough contemporary to keep it from feeling frumpy: Modern Vitra desks from Europe, a funky tree-stump stool and paintings by emerging artists add edge.
It’s that knack for being able to balance the old and new that speaks directly to the firm’s work. Gyro’s client base includes brands steeped with heritage (Camel, Hendricks Gin and Puma, for example) that, while still celebrating their legacies need to remain as relevant as ever. Gyro’s own brand is no different.
“We’re 18 years old. And we figured it’s about time that we started acting like it,” states a Gyro press release about the firm’s rebranding that accomplished its move to its new digs last year. With this came a new logo (in the shape of a keystone, a tribute to Pennsylvania’s status as the Keystone State) and slogan (“Serving The Commonwealth Since 1988,” poking fun at the fact that Pennsylvania is a commonwealth, not a state).
From festive flea market finds to these impromptu history lessons, Gyro’s ability to give the antiquated a new, nostalgic lease on life is epitomized nowhere better than within its own studio walls. As Grasse says, “I love the fact that we have a space that reflects the interesting style of the agency.”
