Chicago-based creative agency Highdive is opening a New York office in SoHo to support its work for KFC.
“This is a big moment for us,” Megan Lally, co-founder and CEO of Highdive, told ADWEEK. “We’ve been talking about it for a while: ‘one day we’ll be in New York.’ That day is here.”
The new location at 56 Greene Street will open in August. Highdive has brought on executive creative directors Steven Fogel and Doug Fallon from Ogilvy New York to lead work on KFC from the new office.
Lally said the New York office will initially focus just on KFC, but may expand to other accounts.
“Doug and Steve are going to be instrumental in helping bring that to life,” Lally said. “We’re starting small, but with big talent.”
Highdive won the KFC account in the fall of 2024, and earlier this month launched a multi-year brand campaign aimed at luring customers back to the chain amid heightened competition in the fried chicken category. KFC same-store sales rose 2% in Q2 after consumer spending declined 4% year-over-year in 2024, according to Circana. Meanwhile, rival chains like Wingstop grew consumer spend 41% year-over-year.
The new campaign work and relationship with Highdive seeks to reset the brand’s voice while tapping into its cultural legacy.
Highdive is hiring for several creative roles to support the account, including creative directors, with flexibility on location. “New York allows us to look beyond Chicago,” Lally said. “It’s not about staffing an office—it’s about finding the right fit for our clients.”
Lally said the Soho space is modeled on Highdive’s early Chicago days—just big enough to meet current needs.
“We never go bigger than what we need,” she said. “We outgrow it and then move on.”
Highdive has grown double-digits every year since it launched in 2016 and now employs more than 130 people, Lally said. In 2024, the agency took private equity investment from Svoboda Capital, which Lally said brought “rigor” and “stability” to its operations while keeping leadership in control.
The agency recently extended its relationship with MSC Cruises following a Super Bowl campaign, and its longstanding work with State Farm was nominated for an Emmy.
“All the credit to our growth goes to the work,” Lally said. “Great work attracts clients who want to do great work.”