The bus pulls up, the crowd gathers, the lights dim, and the band emerges to eager fans. The first note rings out—not in a theater, stadium, or club, but right in our office.
In 2008, while serving as Group Creative Director at WPP's Team Detroit (now VML), I initiated "Stereo 550," an in-office concert series leveraging my extensive music industry connections. This initiative transformed our workspace into a dynamic concert venue, featuring performances from renowned bands such as Portugal. The Man, Third Eye Blind, The Magnetic Fields, Los Lonely Boys, Tegan & Sara, among nearly a hundred others.
Launched amid the recession, Stereo 550 provided a much-needed morale boost to our hardworking colleagues and became a strategic tool in attracting top talent to Detroit. Recruiters coordinated interviews with concert days, and account directors invited clients to experience their favorite bands live, enhancing client relationships and our workplace atmosphere.
By 2019, when I rejoined WPP, Stereo 550 had become a cornerstone of agency culture, often cited as one of the top reasons for the agency's recognition as one of the "Best Places to Work."
If you'd like to hear some of the bands who have played live in the office at 550 Town Center Drive, you can listen here:
With the onset of COVID, Stereo 550 seamlessly transitioned to an online format. I produced the virtual episodes, ensuring that the spirit of live music continued to enrich our agency culture remotely.