Bill Dickinson has returned to Shelly Ward Enterprises (SWE) to assume the post of general manager. He brings 20 years of experience in the car prep industry, commercial film and management. Dickinson is well known within the agency and production communities for his long stewardship of the Saturn and BMW North America accounts.
Dickinson’s mission is to enhance the Shelly Ward Enterprises brand established 38 years ago by car prep pioneer Shelly Ward. In addition, Dickinson will be assisting in the launch of WPA (Ward Production Associates) based out of Austin, Texas.
Kimberlee Augustine, partner and CFO at Shelly Ward Enterprises, noted, “We have for decades witnessed first-hand the interplay within the agency-production-car prep triad. The combination of SWE and WPA will ignite the untapped synergy inherent in uniting director/production, driving/stunt coordination, car prep and logistics talent all under one roof.”
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