Easy Mondays welcomes DA Yirgou

New York-based production company Easy Mondays has welcomed director DA Yirgou to its US, UK and Canadian roster. 

Yirgou is a first-generation American by way of Ethiopian roots, with his creative background fusing a wide range of cultural influences, from his early days as a musician and writer to his work as a creative director at award winning agencies. 

Yirgou's work is shaped by a love of performance, sport and heritage, and moves between intimate and epic, with visual confidence. Whether he’s working with icons like Usain Bolt for Peloton or Kid Cudi for Bose, says Easy Mondays, Yirgou brings a kinetic, emotionally charged eye to everything he touches. 

“The first thing that hit me about Danny’s work," said Asori Soto, Managing Director and Founder at Easy Mondays, "was its multilayered depth. It has a tactile quality that pulls you right into the screen. You feel the characters, the atmosphere, the energy. It all made sense once I met him and got to understand how he thinks and his creative director background. We already have a strong creative bond. Danny is an amazing collaborator and has a unique ability to connect with agency teams and move the work forward.”

“We’ve got so little time to make an impact, so I’ve always focused on finding the lasting feeling people will leave with," added Yirgou. "You’ve got to accept everything is going to keep shifting — day to day, minute to minute, sometimes on the spot. My way through that is holding onto the core emotion or throughline no matter what. I make sure every client, creative, and department head hears it from me personally, and understands what it means to make it their north star. With that clarity, the tone becomes a mirror through every detail. As long as we stay tethered to the same emotional line, we’ve got wind at our back.“

From campaigns for brands including Bose, Nike, 1800 Tequila, Peloton and Adidas, to deeply personal films, Yirgou’s range spans commercial and long form content, and his film, Long Live the King, a documentary on LeBron James, was shortlisted at Cannes for Best Film Direction and has amassed over 60 million views across platforms. 

“It’s no different from working with anyone, to be honest," continues Yirgou, on working with high profile talent. "Lean into their worldview and find a space that feels undiscovered and unique, maybe even to them. I try to learn, both beforehand and in the moment, what’s interesting and exciting beyond what’s in the deck or on Wiki, and help them self-author as much as possible.”

“Danny has a knack for asking the right questions - the questions that can take a straightforward script and make it an epic. We’ve worked on campaigns with him that started with a 'limited' scope, and to see how Danny stretches these pre-conceived boundaries to deliver an award-winning spot is always an incredibly fun process as a producer," said Saskia d’Altena, Executive Producer at Easy Mondays. 

“Everything is getting devoured everywhere, it doesn’t last long enough, and sometimes it lasts too long. That contradiction and urgency pushes experimentation and innovation, and I welcome the challenge of breaking out of what we’ve gotten comfortable with,” said Yirgou. “I wanted to partner with a team that shares an indomitable work ethic. At EM, there’s a real passion for what it takes to thrive today: hard work, determination, guts and grit. That’s energising as a creative, and I think it’ll be just as fun for the brands and agencies we’ll get to collaborate with ahead.”

"He’s the perfect example of the next evolution of Easy Mondays," concludes Taylor Powers, Easy Mondays’ Executive Producer. "With a strong roster that’s grown alongside us, we’re thrilled to welcome Danny into the fold and step confidently into the next chapter of his work. As the creative frontier continues to evolve, our shared vision and momentum ensure we stay ahead and keep pushing the bar higher.”