• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, March 28, 2012

While much of Adland is focused on tapping into growth markets overseas, three former vice presidents at MDC’s Crispin Porter + Bogusky are taking the opposite tack with a new shop called MADE -- as in “made in America.” Its focus is on breathing more life into American brands and getting consumers to buy more American products.

The Boulder-based start-up has been formed by the trio of Dave Schiff, Scott Prindle and John Kieselhorst.

The new shop’s mission is to help American companies “thrive and compete” with a marketing approach that will revolve around the concept of an integrated consumer-brand community.

Schiff, a 10-year veteran at CP+B, was most recently vice president and executive creative director at the shop. He claims that more than 5.5 million U.S. manufacturing jobs have been “lost or outsourced” since 2001. He asserts: “If the average American spent just 1% more on American-made goods and services, it would create 250,000 new jobs. We feel like we can help make that happen.”

Prindle was executive technology director at CP+B, while Kieselhorst was executive design director. While their new focus is on American companies, at Crispin the trio did work for big multinational firms, such as Coca-Cola, Volkswagen, Burger King, Mini Cooper, Molson and Ikea.

While Crispin has its own media department, it’s not clear to what extent MADE will offer media planning and buying services to clients.

Also unclear is whether the MADE founders -- who claim to have venture capital backing from undisclosed sources -- approached Crispin or its parent MDC first about funding their shop.

Reps at both MDC and CP+B declined to comment on the new company. “It’s really a story about them, not us,” said the Crispin rep.