Writer-director Ezra J. Stanley, an alum of SHOOT’s 2010 New Directors Showcase, has teamed with producer Michael Axtell to win the Best Commercial Award at the 2016 HollyShorts Film Festival for Toymail’s “Pancakes.” This marks the second time Stanley has earned the HollyShorts honor; back in 2011 his Levi’s “Post-Mortem” topped the commercial category at the HollyShorts competition.
In “Pancakes,” a genius boy uses his cutting edge stuffed Toymail animal to respectfully tell his father how to make a better breakfast. Toymail is a new plush version tech toy that allows children to text and communicate without using a screen. The recorded voice goes to the stuffed animal and the voice goes to the guardian’s phone. They then can respond back to the app, and the voice is reinterpreted in the character of the toy.
“Pancakes” made its world premiere at HollyShorts.
With the momentum of his recent HollyShorts win, Stanley is in the market for a commercial production house affiliation while he currently continues to maintain his own AboveGrey Pictures.
Mike Pierantozzi joins Movers+Shakers as exec creative director
Creative agency Movers+Shakers has appointed Mike Pierantozzi as executive creative director. In this new role, he will help guide the creative direction of Movers+Shakers’ socially-native campaigns. Pierantozzi will report to co-founder and chief creative officer Geoffrey Goldberg.
With nearly two decades of experience as a copywriter, creative director, and multi-platform storyteller, Pierantozzi brings a wealth of knowledge from his work with major brands including Kraft, Unilever, IBM, and Walmart. He has led the creation of award-winning campaigns for agencies like Red Tettemer, Ogilvy, The Brooklyn Brothers, TAXI, Saatchi & Saatchi, and most recently, Vayner, where he spearheaded culturally iconic work for Planters including “Death of Mr. Peanut.” He led the National Down Syndrome Society and Luvs account, whose “First Kid. Second Kid” campaign was awarded by the Effies, ADC, Clios and LIAs.
Outside of the office, Pierantozzi practices what he teaches brands. He’s gone viral multiple times on his own TikTok account, featuring comedic interactions with his son and a trombone. He’s accumulated 15K followers on TikTok.
“Mike brings a rare and awesome combination of deep social and platform experience, a keen eye for excellent storytelling, and a humble and kind approach to leadership,” said Goldberg. “Mike’s got a knack for turning brand stories into cultural movements, making him the perfect fit for Movers+Shakers. He’s got the kind of bold vision and attention to culture that fits perfectly with our mission to push creative boundaries and drive industry firsts. Plus, as a creator himself he has the innate ability to make people stop, laugh, and share--which is exactly what we’re about.”
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