West Reading design firm brings fun and storytelling to national brands

When Paramount wanted to digitally land a 3D Enterprise starship on a billboard in Times Square to promote Star Trek Picard, who did the company call on to make it so? Not a big flashy New York or Los Angeles marketing company, but a self-described “scrappy” little design firm from West Reading -- NeoPangea.

Brett Bagenstos, founder of the firm, who bears the title, Baron of Pixels, said what sets NeoPangea apart from other firms is its willingness to boldly go where no other designers have gone before.

Even his title shows the creativity the firm brings to the table. Employees of the firm can choose their own title to express themselves, and Baron of Pixels was his.

When it’s not landing spaceships in New York City, NeoPangea can be found helping to bring together the magic of Harry Potter -- developing the interactive and immersive displays at the touring Harry Potter exhibition.

The firm also helped promote Nickelodeon’s Paw Patrol movie on digital and social media and created a campaign for the Smithsonian Channel’s Orangutang Jungle School.

They even had a game, Forensic Detective, that reached number two in downloads in the Apple Store.

“We use technology invisibly to tell a story,” Bagenstos said.

When it comes to storytelling, there’s not much NeoPangea doesn’t do. It creates websites, social media campaigns, immersive augmented reality experiences and much more with a staff of about 28 working out of a West Reading office.

But the office is no ordinary office. To show off their creativity in the real world, offices at their headquarters have themes ranging from Monty Python to Indiana Jones.

When a customer walks through the door, they’ll know they’re going to be working with a different kind of design firm.

While the company has been steadily growing over its 15 years, Bagenstos said even he is impressed by how far the small team has come.

“I didn't imagine that we’d grow to this size because we’ve always been pretty scrappy,” Bagenstos said.

He said being in LA trying to convince major companies they should go with us instead of an LA or New York firm is daunting.

“We’re just honored to be in the room sometimes,” he said.

So how does he sell his firm?

“We’re more fun,” Bagenstos said.

And the company’s commitment to fun and creativity is something that its clients appreciate.

One of NeoPangea’s clients is fellow Berks County business, Unique Pretzels.

NeoPangea designed the pretzel maker’s website and handles the company’s social media and some of its packaging design.

“They are super creative,” said Justin Spannuth, COO. “There are a lot of designers out there that are good at taking direction in design. They take the creativity to the next level. When I need that I go to them.”

His favorite project that Unique worked on with NeoPangea was the company’s “about 40% true” 100-year history on its website, which includes some slightly fabricated, but very funny moments in Unique Pretzels history. Memorable moments on the page include the pretzels preventing an imaginary war and how Johann Spannuth “crossed the Atlantic in a rowboat with only one paddle, the clothes on his back, and one seriously heavy pretzel oven to protest unfair British Pretzel Taxes in the American Colonies.”

Bagenstos said he appreciates working with clients who understand NeoPangea’s creative energy and those, like Spannuth who are willing to come along for the ride.

“It’s exciting to see what other people will rally around too,” he said.

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