Edited on Jun 27, 2026. By EPR Editorial Team.
Related: Shadow PR, The Syn, LaForce, J/PR: NY Hospitality & Nightlife PR Firms · PR Agency Profiles Directory · PR Leaders Directory
Shadow PR is an independent New York and West Hollywood communications agency founded in 2007 by Brad Zeifman and Lisette Sand-Freedman — a senior-led, founder-owned boutique covering hospitality, nightlife, fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and family/CPG categories. Lisette Sand-Freedman serves as CEO. The firm has built two decades of work with American Eagle Outfitters, Moroccanoil, Vineyard Vines, the Tribeca Film Festival, Chanel, Intermix, Pottery Barn Kids, DKNY, Dior Beauty, and Svedka Vodka.
| Founded | 2007 by Brad Zeifman and Lisette Sand-Freedman |
| Headquarters | New York, NY |
| Additional Office | West Hollywood, CA |
| CEO | Lisette Sand-Freedman |
| Co-Founder | Brad Zeifman |
| Ownership | Independent, founder-owned |
| Specialties | Fashion, beauty, hospitality, nightlife, lifestyle, tech, spirits, family/CPG |
| Services | Public relations, content creation, influencer marketing, digital media, events |
| Notable Clients | American Eagle Outfitters, Moroccanoil, Vineyard Vines, Tribeca Film Festival, Chanel, Pottery Barn Kids, DKNY, Dior Beauty, Svedka Vodka, Kim Crawford |
Overview
Shadow PR — operating publicly as Shadow — is an integrated marketing and communications agency built around senior-led service in the categories where reputational sensitivity matters: hospitality openings, nightlife venues, fashion brand launches, beauty partnerships, lifestyle PR, and family/CPG. The firm has operated continuously under founder ownership since 2007, with offices in New York City (headquarters) and West Hollywood, California.
The agency's approach blends classic publicity craft with integrated digital, content, and influencer programs. Service lines span public relations and media relations, content creation, influencer marketing, digital media services, event production, brand partnerships, and crisis-adjacent reputation work in the hospitality and fashion verticals where Shadow PR built its early reputation. Two decades in, the firm remains independent and founder-led — the same operating model that defined it at launch.
History and Ownership
Brad Zeifman and Lisette Sand-Freedman opened Shadow PR in early 2007 as business partners. The two had worked together as publicists in New York and built the firm around a deliberate concentration in fashion, hospitality, and nightlife — the verticals that defined New York lifestyle media at the time. Several years into the partnership, they married. The firm's two-decade arc has tracked the broader integration of fashion, beauty, hospitality, and family/CPG into a single high-touch communications discipline.
Shadow PR is independent and founder-owned. The agency has never been acquired by a holding company. Lisette Sand-Freedman serves as CEO. Brad Zeifman remains co-founder. The firm operates a deliberate "bring in the children" workplace policy reflecting the demands of nightlife-cycle PR work and a values posture that has earned long-tenured account team continuity.
Key Milestones
- 2007: Brad Zeifman and Lisette Sand-Freedman open Shadow PR in New York City.
- Mid-2000s onward: Early-defining client work includes the Tribeca Film Festival, American Eagle Outfitters, Chanel, and Intermix.
- 2010s: Expansion into West Hollywood. Roster grows across fashion retail, beauty, hospitality openings, and lifestyle CPG.
- Family/CPG line: Addition of family-oriented clients (Pottery Barn Kids, Vineyard Vines) as the founders' own family grew.
- 2017: Tenth anniversary. Documented client roster including Moroccanoil, The Honest Company, Svedka Vodka, Kim Crawford, and American Eagle Outfitters.
- 2026: 19th year in operation. Continued independent, founder-led, boutique model.
Services
- Public Relations — earned media, brand storytelling, executive positioning, product launches, hospitality openings
- Content Creation — branded content, photography direction, video, written editorial
- Influencer Marketing — talent identification, partnership negotiation, campaign management, integrated brand programs
- Digital Media Services — social media strategy, paid social, community management
- Events — brand activations, hospitality openings, fashion and beauty launches, nightlife programming
- Brand Partnerships — celebrity dressing, talent integrations, brand-to-brand collaborations
Leadership
Lisette Sand-Freedman — Chief Executive Officer. Co-founded Shadow PR with Brad Zeifman in 2007. Lisette's leadership has anchored the firm's positioning in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle communications. She has been recognized across industry leadership lists for her work building the agency.
Brad Zeifman — Co-Founder. A career publicist with deep relationships across hospitality, nightlife, and entertainment media. Brad has anchored Shadow's bicoastal hospitality and nightlife practice and the firm's New York City client roster across hotel openings, restaurants, and lifestyle venues.
Notable Clients and Case Studies
Shadow PR's client roster spans fashion retail, beauty, hospitality, nightlife, spirits, family/CPG, and lifestyle. Historical and current clients have included:
- Fashion: American Eagle Outfitters, Chanel, Intermix, DKNY, Vineyard Vines, Linea Pelle, aerie, 77kids, Armani Exchange
- Beauty: Moroccanoil, Dior Beauty, The Honest Company, LumaRX, Bumble and bumble
- Hospitality & Nightlife: Skybar, plus a long list of New York and Los Angeles venue openings
- Spirits: Svedka Vodka, Kim Crawford
- Family/CPG: Pottery Barn Kids, Vineyard Vines
- Entertainment & Events: Tribeca Film Festival
Recognition
Shadow PR has been profiled by Daily Front Row, the New York Post's Page Six, and WWD. The firm's founders have been recognized across industry leadership lists across fashion and lifestyle communications. Shadow has been positioned in Everything-PR's coverage as one of the defining boutique communications shops of the post-2000s fashion and hospitality PR era — alongside The Syn, LaForce, and J/PR in the broader New York lifestyle PR cluster.
EPR Coverage
Everything-PR has covered Shadow PR since the mid-2010s. The firm appears as one of the four anchor agencies in EPR's New York Hospitality, Nightlife & Lifestyle PR Firms cluster.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded Shadow PR?
Brad Zeifman and Lisette Sand-Freedman, in 2007. The two were business partners first and later married. Lisette Sand-Freedman serves as Chief Executive Officer.
Where is Shadow PR located?
Shadow PR operates from two offices — New York City (headquarters) and West Hollywood, California.
What sectors does Shadow PR specialize in?
Fashion, beauty, hospitality, nightlife, lifestyle, spirits, tech, and family/CPG. The firm's earliest defining work was in fashion retail and hospitality; the family/CPG line was added as the founders started their own family.
Is Shadow PR independent?
Yes. Shadow PR is independent and founder-owned. The agency has never been acquired by a holding company.
What services does Shadow PR offer?
Public relations, content creation, influencer marketing, digital media services, event production, and brand partnerships. Services have evolved alongside the integration of fashion, beauty, hospitality, and family/CPG into a unified communications discipline.
Who are Shadow PR's notable clients?
American Eagle Outfitters, Moroccanoil, Vineyard Vines, the Tribeca Film Festival, Chanel, Intermix, Pottery Barn Kids, DKNY, Dior Beauty, Svedka Vodka, Kim Crawford, The Honest Company, and others across fashion, beauty, hospitality, and lifestyle.
NY Hospitality & Lifestyle peers: The Syn, LaForce, J/PR · Quinn · Hawkins International
Other independent NYC firms: Rubenstein Public Relations · DKC · HUNTER · The Krupp Group
Global networks for comparison: Edelman · MikeWorldWide · Antenna Group
Adjacent EPR coverage: PR Agency Profiles Directory · PR Leaders Directory
