Godfrey Dadich Partners Joins the kyu Collective ​- Acquisition Adds Journalistic Approach and The New Editorial to kyu Capabilities

From documentary films and longform journalism to corporate strategies and global campaigns, GDP enables brands, organizations, and movements to tell their own stories to engage audiences. The firm will continue to be led by founders and co-CEOs Patrick Godfrey and Scott Dadich.

“Since its founding five years ago, kyu has very selectively sought one-of-a-kind firms to add to our creative collective. We noticed the unique work of Godfrey Dadich Partners some time ago, and as we’ve engaged in their peerless approach, it became clear that they represent new and powerful forms of storytelling,” said Michael Birkin, CEO kyu collective. “GDP is a future-thinking firm, that when combined with talents from other kyu companies, can create new kinds of positive impact in business and in greater society.” 

Godfrey Dadich Partners help brands and organizations define their “why” and articulate it in the best narrative form. Their singular journalistic approach helped drive record revenue growth in 2019. The firm partnered on a comprehensive editorial strategy and redesign of National Geographic magazine, which was named Hottest Redesign of 2018 by Adweek, won a National Magazine Award for General Excellence from the American Society of Magazine Editors, and earned a gold medal for Members’ Choice from the Society of Publication Designers. GDP introduced Adyen to the U.S. market with a visually striking ad campaign and produced films for Nike. Scott Dadich created and executive produced Abstract: The Art of Design on Netflix, an anthology series about the visionary designers shaping the world around us. Abstract was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2018, and received the award for Best Episodic Series of 2019 from the International Documentary Association.

“GDP is purpose-built for the complex times we live in. The time has come for leaders to take control of their own narratives and tell the stories they want—and need—to see out in the world,” said Patrick Godfrey, founder and co-CEO Godfrey Dadich Partners. “Shifts in the world warrant new partnership and collectivism, and we are confident kyu will provide a powerful propellant to our mission. We're proud of the work, clients, and initiatives we've accomplished as a firm so far and believe our future ambitions and aspirations are best achieved with a collective of partners at our side.“

“Our team of journalists, strategists, and designers have pioneered The New Editorial to help organizations and movements fundamentally change how they communicate,” said Scott Dadich, former editor in chief of WIRED, and founder and co-CEO Godfrey Dadich Partners. “By embracing the qualities that drive the very best journalism–curiosity, openness, integrity, and rigor—we enable organizations to tell their own stories, foster trust, engender understanding, and compel action. We know kyu’s expertise, experience, and global reach can help us do more, faster, than we would be able to do on our own.”

"More is expected of brands and the companies they symbolize than ever before. Call it the rise of stakeholder capitalism or the responsibilities of business in an age of fake news and deepfakes. With brands accounting for an increasing amount of the world’s digital news and information, they have a responsibility to shape more than commercial activity. Brands influence private conversation and public discourse. They contribute to our collective understanding of what is factual, real, and true,” said Jon Iwata, former SVP and chief brand officer at IBM and current chair of the Cooper Hewitt Museum. "This is why, in an industry crowded with ‘content’ creators, Godfrey Dadich is both rare and vital. They stand apart in helping brands think, speak, and perform authentically. Their work not only breaks through creatively and intellectually, it earns trust. Their editorial and creative product adheres to standards of quality and integrity that were once the exclusive domain of the Fourth Estate. This makes Godfrey Dadich difficult to categorize. Others will inevitably do what they do. But, for now, they are one of a kind."

“Scott Dadich is an innovator pure and simple. He thinks way beyond the printed page and completes pictures or concepts with many layers of meaning and beauty. My personal experience with Scott during the shooting of Abstractrevealed a man who can engage in fun conversation and switch to thought provoking concepts in one fell swoop. I especially like his ability to provoke thoughts and action but also step back and let people do their thing,” said Tinker Hatfield, Nike’s VP of Creative Concepts.

“The team at Godfrey Dadich worked tirelessly to quickly understand us, our unique challenges, and design opportunities to communicate our belief that exploration is essential to human progress. Two years in, we’re still growing into the work and finding new ways to leverage the ideas they brought to the table,” shared Emmet Smith, National Geographic Creative Director.

“Joining the kyu collective presents new creative and business opportunities for GDP that will expand our reach and impact while maintaining our creative freedom and independent spirit,” added Janice Trichon, head of finance and partner, Godfrey Dadich Partners.

“Most of the companies in the kyu collective employ story and narrative in our work with clients. I believe that the Godfrey Dadich team adds depth of professional journalistic experience and skill, editorial design, and a way of thinking that will make our efforts to harness creativity to propel business and society forward more tangible, more effective, and more meaningful,” said Keith Yamashita, a co-founder of the kyu collective.

About Godfrey Dadich Partners

Godfrey Dadich Partners (GDP) brings together the best of journalism, strategy, and design to deliver The New Editorial—engaging and meaningful communications. From documentary films and longform journalism to corporate strategies and brand campaigns, GDP helps brands, organizations, and movements tell better stories. GDP was founded in February 2017 by co-CEOs Patrick Godfrey and Scott Dadich. Godfrey co-founded Godfrey Q in 2003 and fourteen years later, Dadich joined to lead a new kind of firm.

About kyu

kyu is a strategic operating unit of Hakuhodo DY Holdings Inc. (HDY). It was created in May 2014 to help drive the continuous enhancement of specialization and innovation in the Hakuhodo DY Group. The kyu collective is headquartered in New York and its member companies include ATÖLYE, BEworks, C2, IDEO, Kepler Group, RedPeak, Sid Lee, and SYPartners.