Why “Dadascope”? The Meaning Behind Our Name
“Dadascope represents a way of seeing: finding clarity (scope) within chaos (Dada).”
When I founded Dadascope in 1999, I was 26, fresh off a three-year crash course in PR at Edelman, and ready to forge my own path. I wanted to craft a career where I could think independently, act boldly, and tell stories that inspired and educated.
Naming the Vision
Back then, I launched the agency with my original partner and former Edel-colleague, David Hawk. David had worked at Artforum, and, during my senior year at Barnard, I had interned as assistant to the photo editor at Art in America. We had unknowingly worked just across Broadway from each other at “rival” art magazines, and that synchronicity had seemed cosmic at the time. We knew art — and the shared first syllable of our names — had to be woven into the DNA of our new endeavor.
The Dadaists—those early 20th-century artists and provocateurs—were a natural inspiration. In response to the devastation of World War I and the rise of modern machinery, they used absurdity and irrerevance as tools of resistance. They questioned the very systems they were supposed to operate within.
As we brainstormed names, we came across an experimental Dadaist film, Dadascope. It immediately struck a chord. To us, Dadascope represented a way of seeing: finding clarity (scope) within chaos (Dada). It captured what we wanted our agency to stand for—appreciation for disruption paired with a drive to make sense of it.
This ethos has guided the agency ever since (although David, one of my dearest friends to this day, left Dadascope in 2002 and is currently Associate Director of Publicity, Clarkson Potter and Ten Speed Press, Penguin Random House).
Still Dada after all these years. Me and my Dadascope co-founder, David Hawk (second from the right), at a recent reunion of Edelman friends.
A Lens for the Modern Media Age
The media landscape has only gotten more chaotic since we began. From the rise of social platforms to the splintering of traditional journalism, we’ve seen story formats change, attention spans shrink, and trust erode. But our job remains the same: to bring focus, clarity, and meaning to the stories that matter.
That’s why the name Dadascope still resonates so deeply. It’s a reminder to stay grounded in curiosity and creativity, even when the landscape shifts around us.
Today, Dadascope is a trusted partner to mission-driven brands like Corto Olive Co., GoodSAM, Lotus Foods, PACHA bread and Cuzen Matcha. Over the years, we have proudly called many of our media heroes, like Sunset, Grist, FERN, Radiotopia and KCRW, clients.
The constant throughout the past 26 years: Our clients are changemakers, innovators, and truth-tellers. We’re honored to help amplify their work.
What We Stand For
“Dadascope captured what we wanted the agency to stand for—appreciation for disruption paired with a drive to make sense of it.”
So, what does Dadascope mean? For us, Dadascope will always be where creativity meets clarity, and where rebellious thinking meets real results. We believe in telling stories that matter, and doing it in ways that surprise, engage, and challenge expectations.
In a world built on algorithms and automation, we think a little art and anarchy still go a long way.