Production house True Gent has signed with Options–the indie rep firm headed by Doug Sherin and Kim Griswold–to handle representation on both the West and East Coasts. Director Jordan Brady, founder of True Gent, worked with Sherin and Griswold prior, and knew well of their connections to agencies all around the U.S. Sherin has also been a frequent guest speaker at Brady’s Commercial Directing Bootcamp….
Michael Tozzi has been named VP of marketing for SAHARA Las Vegas. Prior to his current role, Tozzi held varied marketing positions in Las Vegas, including VP of brand marketing and advertising for Drew Las Vegas and Resorts World Las Vegas. Additionally, he served as the VP of brand marketing for the luxury portfolio at MGM Resorts International. Tozzi also served ARIA Resort & Casino and Vdara Hotel & Spa as VP of brand strategy, and was director of marketing and advertising for The Mirage Hotel & Casino….
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