By Robert Goldrich

LOS ANGELES --

Director John O’Hagan has joined bicoastal RSA USA and its London-based sister shop RSA Films for representation in the U.S. and Europe, respectively. O’Hagan comes over from bicoastal/international Hungry Man, a house he had been with since its inception.

At press time, O’Hagan was set to embark on his first job under the RSA banner: a campaign for Milwaukee’s Best Light, out of agency Mother, New York. His last project at Hungry Man was a Saab campaign for Lowe, New York.

O’Hagan related that Hungry Man had been his first and, up until recently, only commercial roost. “I had a great run there for the past six years,” he said. “It’s a tremendously successful company where I enjoyed good relationships. It’s hard to leave that behind.”

Nonetheless, O’Hagan said he thought “the time was right for a change, to stir things up a bit. Different companies have different relationships in the industry and RSA is positioned to open up some other doors for me in commercials and advertising. RSA has a great track record but I’m more excited about where they’re going than where they’ve been. Over the last few years, they have helped take advertising into places it hasn’t gone before, like the Amazon.com shorts [a.k.a. Amazon Theater] and the [second round of Web-based]  BMW films….I’d like to be part of these new opportunities that are opening up.” (The Amazon and BMW shorts both came out of Fallon, Minneapolis.)

O’Hagan also cited the diversity at RSA–“comedy work from Acne, the visual work being done by Tony and Ridley Scott, the effects projects, work in films, music videos, TV, longer format projects, it’s a great range. That plus the chance to work with [RSA president] Jules Daly and being a long-time fan of the Scotts’ work drew me here.”

O’Hagan made his first major directorial splash with off-the-wall comedy, embodied in Outpost.com’s “Wolverines” spot for Cliff Freeman and Partners, New York, and EDS’ “Cat Herders” via Fallon, Minneapolis. The latter premiered during the 2000 Super Bowl telecast and went on to earn several honors, including a primetime Emmy nomination.

However, while continuing to be active in comedy spots, O’Hagan has also branched out into subtler humor and more serious conceptual fare. The recent Saab campaign consists of a series of strong conceptual spots, which he wasn’t at liberty to discuss since the work hadn’t yet debuted on air at press time. In terms of more low-key humor, his commercials for Timberland via The Martin Agency, Richmond, Va., and Land Rover of North America for Young & Rubicam, Irvine, Calif., elicit more smiles than belly laughs.  In Land Rover’s “Hitchhikers,” for example, two American students are walking down a snowy road in Europe when one of them declares that he has finally figured out his major: ceramics. Describing it as more of a “life calling” than a major, the young man says that he envisions himself living in a yurt and making plates in 10 years. Suddenly, a Range Rover pulls over to pick up the two hitchhikers. Excitedly, they climb into the vehicle and marvel at its luxury and style. “You could always minor in ceramics,” offers the friend, sensing that his buddy’s goals may have shifted.”

O’Hagan broke into commercialmaking on the strength of his thesis film at NYU Film School, a documentary titled Wonderland, which went on to gain exposure on the festival circuit, including Sundance in ’98. Through that film, he met director Bryan Buckley, who was about to partner in the launch of Hungry Man. Buckley gave him an opportunity at Hungry Man, leading to O’Hagan building his spot directorial career.

Among O’Hagan’s other recent credits are commercials for Cingular via BBDO New York, Toyota Trucks for Saatchi & Saatchi LA, Torrance, Calif., and a comic trailer, “Love Story,” which promoted last year’s Tribeca Film Festival.

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