NYC Witnesses the Unveiling of Highdive
Highdive Expands to New York City, Focusing on KFC Account
Chicago-based creative agency Highdive is expanding its operations to New York City, with a strategic focus on its KFC account. The new office, located at 56 Greene Street in SoHo, is set to open in August.
Highdive won the KFC account in the fall of 2024 and shortly thereafter launched a multi-year brand campaign aimed at revitalizing the brand amid strong competition. The campaign has shown promising results, with KFC same-store sales rising 2% in Q2 2025, despite a 4% year-over-year decline in consumer spending in 2024 across the category.
To lead the work on KFC from the new office, Highdive has brought on executive creative directors Steven Fogel and Doug Fallon from Ogilvy New York. The agency is also hiring for several creative roles, with flexibility on location.
The NYC expansion is part of Highdive’s eighth consecutive year of double-digit growth. The move to New York, home to top industry talent, is viewed by CEO Megan Lally as a pivotal step to further enhance creative capabilities and client services. The Soho space is modeled on Highdive's early Chicago days and is designed to be just big enough to meet current needs.
The new office will support the agency's full client roster, not just KFC. Highdive has grown double-digits every year since it launched in 2016 and now employs more than 130 people. The agency's longstanding work with State Farm was nominated for an Emmy, and it recently extended its relationship with MSC Cruises following a Super Bowl campaign.
Megan Lally, co-founder and CEO of Highdive, made the announcement. She stated that the new campaign work and relationship with Highdive seeks to reset the brand's voice while tapping into its cultural legacy. The growth of Highdive is attributed to the quality of its work by Megan Lally.
In 2024, Highdive took private equity investment from Svoboda Capital, which brought "rigor" and "stability" to its operations while keeping leadership in control. The new office in NYC is a testament to the agency's continued success and growth.
It's worth noting that rival chains like Wingstop grew consumer spend 41% year-over-year, showing KFC is beginning to recover under Highdive’s creative direction but still faces challenges in the marketplace. The new office in NYC is a significant step in Highdive's journey to further solidify its position in the industry and continue delivering exceptional results for its clients.
In this expansion, Highdive's new office in New York City will provide credit to further finance their business operations and creative capabilities, aiming to solidify their position in the industry. With the addition of executive creative directors Steven Fogel and Doug Fallon from Ogilvy New York, the agency will continue to focus on the growth of KFC's account, hoping to maintain and even surpass the 2% same-store sales increase seen in Q2 2025.
