• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, June 29, 2022

Los Angeles-based creative agency Phenomenon has changed its name to Human Standard and elevated Chief Brand Officer Tara Mellett to president. Former CEO Krish Menon departed the agency last year and Mellett has been the de facto head of the operation since then.

According to the agency, the new name reflects its commitment to bringing human insights, inspirational creative and design services to clients.

“The world has certainly changed since we were founded 16 years ago, and we’ve also been on a transformational journey,” said Mellett. “We looked back and saw an experienced, established team that exists to do great work, trusted client partners and a skillset that crosses a range of human talents and experiences. It felt right to affirm all of these important elements and present ourselves to the world as Human Standard.” 

Human Standard has adopted a fully remote workplace with employees now working from both the East and West Coasts as well as Europe and South America.  

The agency, whose roots are in strategy, branding and design, has evolved to offer a suite of services that includes advertising, content, growth marketing, product and customer experience.

Agency clients include DC Entertainment, The Nature Conservancy, American Express and Stash Tea.

As part of the transition to Human Standard, Phenomenon’s Detroit-based performance marketing arm is being rebranded as Posthuman, reflecting its connection to Human Standard while also punctuating its data-and-digital focus. It will continue to be led by its founder, Shane Bliemaster, now President of Posthuman. 

Joining Mellett on the leadership team are current agency executives Gabe Miller, Head of Creative; Rudee Bagsby, Head of People and Culture; and Martin Heaton and Michael Allen, both Co-Heads of Strategy.