We develop and curate content for brands.
full creative | branded content | AI integration | post
The Culprits is a boutique-style full service micro agency with with a strong background in production, and post-production. We strictly work with brands to help launch, curate, and execute their content. Who are we? We are a small group of veteran commercial and content creators, founded by director + creative Marcos Zavitsanos. Add a short list of other talented individuals and the result is a fast track to better, faster, and more efficient creative and production execution. In today’s advertising and marketing climate, we believe that this is a good thing. Creative. Streamlined. Efficient. Fun.
We work with people that think differently - brands, non-profits, organizations, and companies that see the value in placing their marketing budgets with us, not multi-level agencies with a large staff and a big overhead. Try us, you’ll like us!
Our Story
The Culprits was started in 2018 by Director and Creative Marcos Zavitsanos. Having spent two decades helming content for such popular brands as Nike, Reebok, Toyota, Heineken, ADIDAS, Walmart, Nokia, NASCAR, Gatorade, Budweiser, VW, and many others, and also writing ads for various agencies and brands, Zavitsanos saw a need for a less-is-more approach to content creation. He also decided that encompassing all disciplines under one roof is far more cost-effective for his clients. Zavitsanos’ work has garnered awards at Cannes, the London International Advertising Awards, Telly, Media, Mobius, Pencil, 4A's, and other prestigious award circuits.
Zavitsanos grew up in Bethesda, Maryland, where he studied advertising at a local community college. Instead of transferring to the University Of Maryland’s film program, he opted to move to Los Angeles to pursue a job at the legendary production company, Propaganda Films. While there, he learned from such directors as David Fincher, Michael Bay, Antoine Fuqua, Spike Jonze, and Mark Romanek. He later gravitated and worked for other directors such as Ridley Scott, Sam Bayer, and Zack Snyder, the latter co-signing his DGA initiation. During his time as a production assistant, Zavitsanos wrote, produced, and directed five commercials that resulted in an award-winning spec reel. The reel was widely circulated and well-received, ultimately resulting in his signing at a top-tier production company.
Throughout his 20-plus year career, Zavitsanos has had the pleasure of covering multiple genres and working with such public figures as Kevin Garnett, JJ Watt, Kevin Hart, Neyo, Karl-Anthony Towns, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick and many others. Aside from directing, Zavitsanos conceives, develops and executes original content for advertising agencies and brands.
What we do for our clients.
CODE: By Gentry
direction | production
When Gentry Humphrey, ex-VP of Nike Air Jordan and overall sneaker legend, offers you a chance to help launch his new shoe line, CODE: By Gentry , you jump at the chance. And we did! We were tapped to replace CODE’s AOR and work singlehandedly as a creative and production partner for roughly one full year. We aided Lloyd Exeter, CODE’s CMO (and past collaborator with Zavitsanos), in launching the brand with a series of spots and other online content, including a five-minute documentary piece about Gentry. The CODE team also planned and executed a live launch party at Worre Studios, a new cutting-edge studio with 360’ screen capabilities and worldwide zoom access to hundreds of thousands of viewers. The event would consist of Gentry on stage talking about the brand while massive screens show the product behind him. Zavitsanos and Gentry devised a plan to show “walking footage” of the product shot in 8K at various film speeds, projected on Worre’s gigantic 360’ screen. Immersive Design Studios from Montreal assembled all of the footage and assets through their proprietary software and ran the screens during the event. Zavitsanos directed the live event with 9 cameras and thousands of live feeds around the world.
What we do for our clients.
Dick Carriers: by Richard Carrier
art direction | copy | direction + production | print | outdoor
What do you do with an underwear company called Dick Carriers? Yes, Dick Carriers. You lean into the obvious, of course. More on the name in a minute. The mission was and is (besides showcasing great underwear for men), convincing consumers that the brand isn’t being crass or overtly controversial with its name, but that the brand is just simply using the founder’s actual name. That’s right, the Founder and CEO’s name is Dick Carrier. So by writing and directing a 60-second anthem spot entitled “Name Therapy,” (coming soon) we can have fun with the family's name and the brand, explaining how the moniker is being used and why. So in the spot’s therapy session, Dick Carrier will be sitting next to the likes of Lynn Gweeney, Howie Dewitt, and Willie Makit. We also highlight a very well-designed and well-built garment using proprietary components, showing consumers how they are making the fast-growing brand one of the best supportive men’s underwear on the market. We also designed a print and outdoor campaign that highlights the brand’s specific features.
When DICK CARRIERS wanted to up their social media game, what better topic to choose from than the many generations of men wearing underwear. Since their budget was stretched extremely thin, we utilized AI to create some great social media posts.
We also compared the lift and support quality of their patented BallBustier technology, with the suspension of a monster truck, the physical support of a bridge pier, and the mental and emotional support of a therapist.
Then there’s the difference in fabric quality, highlighted in the rough cactus-like fabric of their competitors versus DICK CARRIERS’ proprietary cloud-like Sandaluxe fabric.
What we do for our clients.
Agaso Outdoor is an ambitious company. Not only do they build world-class vintage Broncos, along with specializing in older off road vehicle restorations, they have recently expanded their sights into the unscripted TV arena. Presently we are helping them develop a show based on the shop and its vehicles. In addition to shooting branded content for their shop (that’s a given), we have filmed their build videos, offering auto enthusiasts a glimpse into how they build these incredible works of art.
Agaso Outdoor : Early Bronco Specialists
development | direction | production | photography
What we do for our clients.
direction + production
Shot on iPhone
When a friend and fellow Creative Director approached me to help her solve a huge budget problem for one of her clients, I answered with three words; the new iPhone. Her/our client, Beyond Slim, was struggling with budget issues with their new product(s) and they needed to crank out some video content quickly. With a limited budget, we were able to get what they needed by shooting with two iPhone 15 Pros in 4K LOG Mode, several lights, and a drone. The client couldn’t have been happier.
What we do for our clients.
AUTOGRAVITY
ideation | art direction | copy | direction
Auto Gravity, a front-runner in the auto purchasing app space, couldn’t afford all the standard services of an ad agency. So Zavitsanos was tapped by Deutsch Los Angeles to come in-house for one month and write and direct a broadcast spot through Deutch’s production arm, Steelhead. Zavitsanos art-directed the spots, wrote the copy, and directed the work. He chose a comedic, misdirected approach
“The idea was to poke fun at regular car ads that have big titles and small print. Who wants to read that!?! So I wanted to make the spot as matter-of-factly as it is to use the app. So what starts as a typical car ad with a couple leaving for a weekend getaway, turns into our talent breaking the fourth wall by looking directly into the lens and speaking to the camera. By halting the entire commercial and simply talking about the easy user experience of the app, the couple gets their point across and still drives away for their vacation. We just cut through all of the regular car ad BS.”
- Marcos Zavitsanos