Think of NY-based Brand New School’s name as a rallying cry of sorts.

After studying at CalArts, BNS Executive Creative Director Jonathan Notaro landed a job at Fuel/Razorfish, and rose quickly to become art director.

But he found himself unhappy with what he saw as industry design trends dictated by more business-oriented bosses, and decided to hang his own shingle to strike out in a brand new way.

His goal: create “an avant-garde atmosphere for creating compelling forms of visual communication.”

Fast forward 15 years to a company that now has offices in L.A. and New York, working on everything from animation to branding to experiences and apps.

Brand New School also has assembled an enviable roster of directors, including Robert Bisi, Dennis Go, Ben Go, and the recently arrived Chris Dooley, who previously founded design and animation studio National TV. Dooley has also made a name for himself as a music video director, working with Selena Gomez, Scissor Sisters, and Demi Lovato.

“We’ve been working on projects with a lot of incredible brands recently. We’re producing some of the best work we’ve done in 15 years, and I think a lot of that is due to the current creative alchemy,” Notaro told Brief. “Some of the best talent is working under the Brand New School umbrella and it’s a great time here. I’ve always valued collaboration, and it’s more enjoyable to produce great work when your team is as talented as ours.”

A sense of playfulness permeates all of their work, for a client roster that includes National Geographic, Cartoon Network, BBC, Syfy, and ESPN.

Last year, Brand New School worked with National Geographic on Brain Games promos that featured host Jason Silva and blended live action and animation.

BNS wanted to challenge the viewer’s perception of reality with the spots, which earned the company an Emmy nomination last year.

In 2010, the agency delivered a major brand expansion for Cartoon Network, including a top-to-bottom graphics overhaul, redrawing the CN logo, and creating a typographic system that could play across all platforms, including on-air, on-line, and print.

The concept imagined the checker as a game board that’s ready to be played:

Lower thirds, bugs, idents, and endpages all embraced the gameboard idea.

Nickelodeon and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America engaged Brand New School to create this animated PSA for the Halo Awards, which honor teens making a difference in their communities across the U.S.

Brand New School showed off their digital and experiential chops in 2010 when W + K New York tapped them to produce ESPN’s new interactive storefronts in New York, Boston, and Chicago.

These gesture-recognizing touchscreen billboards invited pedestrians to catch a pass from some of their favorite quarterbacks—and scored Brand New School a Cannes Silver Lion for Outdoor/Ambient: Digital.

Looking ahead, Notaro says his team is making huge strides in interactive and creating work that reflects how modern brands and consumers interact. But that passion for design which propelled him to launch Brand New School 15 years ago isn’t going anywhere.

“By nature, our work is always evolving to keep up with trends, but good design is something that never goes out of style,” he said.

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