SOUTH, a music production company with bases of operation in Santa Monica and Nashville, has brought Ann Haugen on board as executive VP/director of production. She comes over from Elias Arts where she spent over a decade as EP and general manager.
Haugen led the musical production behind global campaigns for Apple, Adidas, Nike, Audi, Google, Reebok, BMW, Toyota, Visa, Sony, Sprint, Honda, Intel, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Microsoft, among others. Her body of work has garnered over 700 major industry accolades worldwide, including numerous Clios and Cannes Lions, and an Emmy Award for the benchmark-setting score in Nike’s “Move” campaign. Haugen first tapped into her innate understanding of what brands are seeking during her time at TBWA/Chiat/Day, where she began her career as an account executive on the iconic Energizer Bunny campaign.
Since joining SOUTH, Haugen has overseen the production of projects for Levi’s, Nikon, AT&T, BMW, and Google alongside partner/ECD Jon Darling. Both classically trained and an experienced touring musician as the lead singer and principal songwriter of Crash Kills Four and The Trauma Club, Darling had his first foray into commercial composition shortlisted for a Cannes Lion. Darling continued to offer his services as a freelance composer for other top-tier music companies, scoring hundreds of spots, until he founded SOUTH in 2009 with fellow partners Dan Pritikin and Britt Fredensburg.
Haugen remarked, “The thing that attracted me to these guys is that they are doing the most inspired music out there, from orchestral to punk rock and everything in between, and their production is really smart and innovative. It’s rare when those two things come together at such a high level.”
SOUTH has created the bespoke musical story for brands such as Samsung, Target, Sprint, E*Trade, and Chevy, to name a few. In 2010, the partners opened the Nashville office to give advertising clients access to the emerging hotbed of fresh musical talent there. Darling continues to pursue his passions as an independent artist and has a new record entitled High Forest due out this summer.
A series of new business ventures have already been set into motion with the arrival of Haugen, including partnerships with Quiver, headed up by top music supervisor Kenny Ochoa, and with mixing company Noise Floor, which shares its L.A. market offices with SOUTH.
Oscar and Emmy-Winning Composer Kris Bowers Joins Barking Owl For Advertising, Branded Content
Music, audio post and sonic branding house Barking Owl has taken on exclusive representation of Oscar and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers for advertising and branded content.
Bowers’ recent film scores include The Wild Robot and Bob Marley: One Love, alongside acclaimed past works such as The Color Purple (2023), King Richard and Green Book. His contributions to television are equally impressive, with scores for hit series like Bridgerton, When They See Us, Dear White People, and his Daytime Emmy Award-winning score for The Snowy Day.
In addition to his work as a composer, Bowers is a visionary director. He recently took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for his directorial work on The Last Repair Shop. The emotionally touching short film spotlights four of the people responsible for repairing the musical instruments used by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The Last Repair Shop reflects the positive influence that musical instruments have on the youngsters who play them, and the adults in the LAUSD free repair service who keep them working and in tune.
Barking Owl CEO Kirkland Alexander Lynch said of Bowers, “His artistry, diversity of style and depth of storytelling bring an unparalleled edge to the work we create for global brands. His presence on our roster reflects our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound and music in advertising.”
Johanna Cranitch, creative director, Barking Owl, added, “Kris first caught my attention when he released his record ‘Heroes + Misfits’ where he fused together his jazz sensibility with a deeply ingrained aptitude for melody, so beautifully.... Read More