The advertising world is kind of denigrated by "real filmmakers" but it isn't only a way to make a living for creative people but also a format that is frequently free of prejudices and where true artists can also coexist within the Machiavellian selling of a product. Here below I give you a list of true visionaries that have made great audiovisual pieces for different brands helping capitalism to stay as flawless as always. The list follows an alphabetical order and includes the most awarded directors of the last decade:
The Layzell Bros are animation brothers and their work oscillates between different medias and art forms but always imprinted with their distinctive flashy, psychedelic, mind-fucked, dark humored style. It's a trippy experience to explore their visual universe and their unorthodox approach to everything without condescending concessions or moral responsibility. I invite you to check their website to see their boundless creativity, as the pair create edgy, visually striking animations for a wide variety of brands. Let's focus on their controversial but brilliant ad for Harvey Nichols titled Shoplifters, winner of the Film Grand Prix in Cannes Lions 2016 and a D&AD Yellow Pencil. The piece features real CCTV footage of shoplifters, where their heads are masked with 2D animated ones to promote Harvey Nichols’ Rewards app.
Director: Layzell Bros
Production company: Blinkink
AGENCY: adam&eveDDB
CLIENT: Harvey Nichols
Lindsay came from the American Midwest and Martin was raised in Seattle. After film school, the duo made together the Oscar winning documentary “Undefeated”. Their follow-up documentary, “LA92,” which garnered an Emmy in 2012, uses rarely-seen archival footage to examine the tumultuous days of the 1992 Los Angeles uprising in the days following the Rodney King verdict. “The Truth is Worth It” Martin + Lindsay’s groundbreaking six-part campaign for The New York Times with Droga5 NY, emphasized the importance of thorough and investigative reporting. The campaign earned two Grands Prix at the 2019 Cannes Lions, two Black Pencils at the D&AD, the Black Cube at the 2019 Art Directors Club, Best of Film at The One Show, and Best in Show and Best of Advertising at the AICP. The duo was also honored in AdWeek’s 2019 Creative 100 as one of 11 Commercial Directors Who Are Elevating the Craft of Storytelling. The duo have helmed commercials for The New York Times, Comcast, Facebook, Gatorade, MET-Rx, and Prudential with agencies including, Droga5, 72andSunny, Wieden + Kennedy, Leo Burnett, and TBWA/Chiat/Day.
Director: Martin + Lindsay
Production company: Furlined
AGENCY: Droga5
CLIENT: The New York Times
Kim Gehrig is a multi-award-winning Australian director. She has a refreshing gaze, equally honest and witty. She has made numerous iconic films including Sport England’s “This Girl Can”, John Lewis’ “The Man on the Moon”, Gillette’s “We Believe”, “Dream Crazier” for Nike, starring Serena Williams and her UKMVA winning music videos for Wiley’s “Cash in my Pocket” and Chaka Khan’s “Like Sugar”. Kim was the most awarded female director in 2016’s Gunn Report and was named Campaign Magazine’s Director of the Year in 2015. She directed the Viva La Vulva iconic spot for Librese, that changed the tone and the discourse of the advertising of feminine hygiene products. We can see numerous metaphors to talk about the vagina in this video clip for a Vulva's hymn. A piece that defies the taboo, not talking about menstruation directly, but celebrating everything that makes vaginas great. Work of the AMV BBDO agency, “Viva La Vulva” is much more than an advertisement. It is a visually appealing video that combines animation with an inspiring art direction. This ad has been praised and awarded all around the world and that's why she deserves to be in this list.
Director: Kim Gehrig
Production company: Somesuch
AGENCY: AMVBBDO
CLIENT: Bodyform
Steve Rogers in an Australian filmmaker with a globally diverse commercial portfolio. After completing art school in Sydney, Steve started his own production company, Revolver, in 1996 with partner, EP/MD Michael Ritchie. In that time, Revolver has been awarded Production Company of the Year twice by New York Festivals as well as Australian Production Company of the Year by AWARD more than any other company. After running the successful motion graphics company in his native Australia for eight years, Steve was approached by Sky Television in the UK to direct a documentary about a new band that was being put together by the former manager of the Sex Pistols, Malcolm McLaren, and the owner of Island Records, Chris Blackwell (both teenage heroes of his). Inspired by this filmmaking journey which took him through Southeast Asia, Los Angeles and London, Steve has been making his mark on the commercial world ever since. Since signing with Biscuit Filmworks in 2003, Steve has been consistently recognized amongst the top 10 directors in the world, directing work for a range of international clients. His accolades include 6 Cannes Gold Lions, D&AD Yellow Pencil’s, a Clio Grand Prix, a Gold Addy, Gold at The One Show, and multiple awards at London International Awards, Best in show at AICP, the New York Festivals and AWARD. He has also received two Emmy nominations and was most recently nominated for the DGA awards in 2016. Rogers always delivers a strong visual style informed by his extensive background in design.
Director: Steve Rogers
Production company: Somesuch & Co
AGENCY: Droga5
CLIENT: Amazon Prime Video
Traktor is a group of filmmakers based in Venice, California. They are best known for Tide, Lego, Ubisoft, Argos, PepsiCo, Three, GE, Nike, Fed Ex, Stella Artois, Miller, Booking.com, Heineken, Diesel, Levi’s, Fox sports, MTV, Adidas, and Virgin Atlantic. They have also created music videos for artists including Fatboy Slim, Basement Jaxx, The Prodigy, Flaming Lips and Madonna. They have twice been officially the most award-winning directors in the world and have won in Cannes, Clios, Emmys and nominated for the Grammys. They are an eclectic collective but they always maintain a playful and joyful spirit. Their aesthetics can go from emulating a vintage TV Style as in their Miller Lite commercial 'Evil Beaver' to a grandiloquent super production for the Super bowl as in their Tide Super bowl 'It's A Tide Ad Campaign', where they become meta-linguistic, quoting in a satirical way other ads.
Director: Traktor
Production company: Rattling Stick
AGENCY: Saatchi & Saatchi
CLIENT: Tide
Malik Vitthal was born in Los Angeles, he's a man of the world, an Eastern philosophy erudite and a filmmaker with a politic view and social activism. He attended to the USC School of Cinematic Arts. He has made six short films that have been screened at festivals worldwide. He co-wrote his feature directorial debut Imperial Dreams, which was developed at the Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab and the Jerusalem International Film Lab and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award: Best of NEXT. He was the recipient of the Gold Screen Award in Commercials at 2018 Young Director Awards, a D&AD Yellow Pencil, a Clio Gold and a Cannes Lions Grand Prix for “The Talk”.
PRODUCTION Director: Malik Vitthal
Production company: The Corner Shop
AGENCY: BBDO New York
CLIENT: P&G
Wilson, is a warm and charming filmmaker with a special ability for creating memorable characters like Ikea’s "Ghosts", (colorful spooks that gatecrash a dull house party). He conjures beautiful and fine stories always finding and emotional connection with the viewer. He's always collaborating with Adam & Eve/DDB and John Lewis, Wilson was also behind the 2016 Paralympics film "Yes I Can" which resonated well beyond the shores of Adland. In the last years he has received multiple awards, D&AD Yellow and Black Pencils, a Gold and the Grand Prix in Cannes Lions.
Director: Dougal Wilson
Production company: Furlined
AGENCY: Apple
CLIENT: Apple
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