Autodesk awards its creative business to Giant Spoon

Autodesk has hired Giant Spoon as its first creative agency of record following a competitive review. Giant Spoon will manage the San Francisco-based design software company’s brand campaigns, creative assets and strategy. The independent agency will also support Autodesk’s media efforts, working closely with the company’s in-house team. Agency Review Tracker Stay up to date with the latest account reviews Click here Under the leadership of Chief Marketing Officer Dara Treseder, Autodesk’s marketing approach has focused on linking itself to newsy events, such as its role in restoring the famous Notre Dame Cathedral. Hiring Giant Spoon is the next step in Autodesk’s evolution, according to Treseder, who said in an email that she aims to build a brand that’s “not only known but also beloved and deeply relevant to our audiences.” While Giant Spoon is Autodesk’s lead creative agency, its appointment will not “change our relationships with existing partners who specialize in specific areas,” Treseder said. Autodesk previously worked with Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort on spots for the 2023 Oscars. Omnicom Group’s Goodby Silverstein & Partners worked on its “Make Anything” campaign in April 2024. And an ad promoting Autodesk’s role in Notre Dame’s restoration was co-produced with Handshake and Shadow Lion, a creative studio co-founded by Tom Brady. Treseder previously told Ad Age there’s an opportunity to implement a marketing strategy that creates “a-ha moments,” helping consumers “grasp the significance” of the company’s role in their everyday experiences. (Autodesk’s software is quite extensive, powering products across industries including architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing, media and entertainment.) In August, Autodesk was named the “official design and make platform” of the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Los Angeles and for Team USA. Autodesk’s U.S. ad spend is on the upswing. It had U.S. measured-media spending of $22 million in the first three quarters of 2024, according to MediaRadar, compared to $18 million for all of 2023. The brand’s advertising expenses totaled $64 million in fiscal 2024, $69 million in 2023 and $80 million in 2022, according to its latest annual filing. Departures at Giant Spoon Giant Spoon, largely known for experiential work, recently restructured some of its business, leading to the departure of six employees, including Julie Berger, its first chief media officer. (It currently has 94 staffers.). Co-Founder Trevor Guthrie is now leading the media team. “Due to some shifts in our business needs, we made the decision to transition out a few of our people across strategy, media and operations,” an agency spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “Giant Spoon is an integrated business that encompasses different crafts and teams, and as our clients’ needs evolve, we have to adjust. These decisions aren’t taken lightly, and we’re grateful for each individual’s contributions to the agency.” Autodesk comes on the heels of another win for Giant Spoon, which was recently named EV maker Lucid’s lead creative and strategic agency in the U.S. after a competitive review. The shop also works with brands such as Google Play, Walmart and MassMutual. Contributing: Brandon Doerrer

Autodesk awards its creative business to Giant Spoon

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