WOODINVILLE, Wash. – February 17, 2012 — Bensussen Deutsch & Associates, Inc. (BDA), the nation’s premier Merchandise Agency™ and recognized leader in sports and entertainment merchandise activation, today announced it has named Joe Ungari as Director of Creative Services. In this role, Ungari will be responsible for driving the company’s creative philosophy, methodology and capabilities to all levels of BDA’s global clientele, business departments and service lines. Specifically, he will direct cross-disciplinary development of BDA’s in-house award-winning design agency.

“Joe’s expertise in leading teams and creating disruptive product designs speak to a shared passion and sensibility for brands, consumers and attention to detail,” said Jay Deutsch, BDA co-founder and CEO. “As creative director, Joe will challenge our industrial design, graphic design and interactive design teams to think beyond what’s been done and continue to innovate. He will serve as a catalyst for inspiring change and reimagining the ways our clients’ products create a bond with a target market. His vast knowledge of emerging technologies will also help shape the evolution of our own consumer brands, POWER A and MUNITIO.”

Ungari brings to BDA nearly 30 years of international product innovation experience, having worked with companies in Europe, Japan and China. He led major emerging design efforts as Industrial Design Manager for Philips Electronics Medical Ultrasound Division, Senior Director for Advanced Product Design with Maytag Corporation, and Senior Director of Advanced R&D Global Footwear at Nike. He most recently served as Vice President of Advanced Product Creation Center for T-Mobile USA, where he played a pivotal role in building and sustaining robust innovation processes for emerging mobile technologies.

“As someone who has always been passionate about developing emotionally compelling products that enhance the brand-to-consumer relationship, I was immediately drawn to the BDA creative philosophy and capabilities,” Ungari said. “I’m confident in my ability to deliver breakthrough branding and design concepts that will help steer the company’s consumer and corporate brands to new creative heights.”

Ungari, who holds an M.F.A. and B.F.A in industrial design from the University of Washington, has lectured internationally on a variety of emerging technology topics and their effects on today’s consumer. He was a featured speaker at the MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge, 25th Anniversary, on the topic of “TechnoBios: the Athlete of the Future”, and has also presented at the Cal State University, California Design Forum and national chapters of the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA).

About BDA
Bensussen Deutsch & Associates, Inc. (BDA), the nation's premier Merchandise Agency™, provides marketing services and customized branded merchandise to Fortune 500 enterprises, major sports leagues and global entertainment holding companies. Clients come to BDA to extend their reach through custom branded-merchandise campaigns, integrated e-commerce marketing, and sports and entertainment sponsorship activation. Global brands such as Bank of America, Coca-Cola, Dell, ExxonMobil, FedEx, Ford Motor Company, GEICO and Major League Baseball are but a few of the household names that rely on BDA to bring their marketing campaigns to life through merchandise. BDA attained the coveted Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) certification in 2008 highlighting the company’s advanced quality assurance practices for importing products from overseas. For more information on the power of merchandise, For more information on the power of merchandise, visit www.bdainc.com.

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Media Contact:
Morgan Bradley
Barokas PR for BDA
206.264.8220
bda@barokas.com