Full service media company Bandito Brothers has added Keith Rivers to its director lineup for commercial representation. Hailing from Seattle, Rivers jump-started his directing career creating commercials for Microsoft. Among his projects, Rivers conceptualized and directed a global marketing campaign for Internet Explorer and created the instantly viral Microsoft “Surface” commercial, which received 8 million views and won a Gold ADDY award.
Rivers got his start in his hometown of North Bend, Wash., making short films for 24 Hour Film Races. An avid skier, Rivers perfected many daredevil moves all for the love of capturing them on film. He is currently directing a follow-up to his short documentary film “Salt and Pepper,” which shortlisted at the One Screen Film Festival, and just recently finished a campaign for Fuhu. In addition to Microsoft, Rivers’ previous commercial work has included helming projects for such brands as Chevrolet, Alaska Airlines, Tesla, Hershey’s, Taco Bell, and Volvo.
Bandito Brothers is comprised of partners/directors Mouse McCoy, Scott Waugh, and Jacob Rosenberg, along with a roster of directors that includes Rivers, Larry Charles, Loni Peristere, Benzo Theodore, Tim Damon, Walter Robot, Elliott Lester, Michael Polish and Tim Wilkerson. Recent Bandito clients include: BMW, Kia, Gatorade, Toyota, Sprite, Lexus, Ford, EA and the Gold CLIO-winning Hot Wheels For Real campaign.
Eleanor Adds Director Candice Vernon To Its Roster For Spots and Branded Content
Director Candice Vernon has joined production house Eleanor for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content. She has already wrapped several jobs at Eleanor, which waited to announce her until they had a body of work together.
Via Eleanor, Vernon made history as the first Black director on a Febreze commercial. The “Small Spaces” campaign marks a major departure from Febreze’s typical blue-and-white world. The home of the “Revolving Door” commercial is a beautiful array of bold sunset hues, African prints, and African art.
Vernon said, “I asked myself, what feels right to me? What feels new? I wanted to bring an essence of not just Black Americans but the full diaspora. I wanted to make a statement that we’re not a monolith.”
Following the success of the “Small Spaces” campaign, Febreze brought Vernon back for a comedy-infused trifecta exploring the hilarious situations that call for an air freshening hero.
Febreze Brand VP Angelica Matthews said, “About two years ago, we realized the consumers that were the most loyal to Febreze were the African American consumers. And the more we learned, the more we realized the richness that we were really missing. So we said we have to go beyond just Black casting, we need to get Black directors that truly understand the culture that truly understand how to bring authentic performances out on screen. We really looked around the industry and noticed there’s actually a shortage of African American directors who have experience doing commercials. When we all saw Candice’s reel, we could all tell the passion for the craft, passion for really trying to help us from where we are to where we’re trying to go.”
Vernon brings a unique lens to... Read More