A Common Thread has taken on exclusive U.S. representation for the directing team of Enno Jacobsen and Kristina Slade, who work as Jacob/Slade. The pair has directed spots for such brands as Target, Mitsubishi and the Kansas Lottery. In their first outing for A Common Thread, Jacob/Slade has directed two spots for Ford and GTB promoting Ford Truck Month.
Jacobsen, who is originally from Germany, has been directing commercials for 14 years and has executed award-winning campaigns for Volkswagen, Target, Toyota and others. Slade has a background as an agency creative, including stints at Ground Zero, TBWAChiatDay and AKQA. She has earned numerous accolades for her work, including Cannes Lions, D&AD, One Show and Belding awards.
Jacobsen and Slade have been working as Jacob/Slade since 2013. They were previously handled by production house Superlounge. Their work together benefits from Jacobsen’s skills as a filmmaker and storyteller, Slade’s experience as a creative thinker and brand strategist, and the fluid collaboration that has developed between them. “We’re excited by storytelling,” noted Slade, “and we like the challenge of telling stories in a short period of time that both meet an advertising agenda and impact people, especially when we can do it with a smile and a wink.”
Jacob/Slade’s new Ford work involves elaborate daydreams as visitors to a Ford dealership lay their hand on a new truck and immediately imagine themselves carrying out adventurous deeds. While the concept presented excellent storytelling potential, it also involved a complex production with four days of shooting across nearly a dozen locations, intricate off-roading sequences, set builds, and creating inclement weather.
For such complex projects, it can be a real benefit to have two directors, observed Jacobsen. It allowed them to manage a myriad of details and keep the production on track, without losing the ability to experiment and explore. “We want to be sure we retain the spontaneity of inspiration,” he explained. “When we come to set we’ve thought everything through and are fully prepared, and that frees us to look for the opportunities for magic.”
Regarding their decision to join A Common Thread, Slade says that she and Jacobsen feel a kinship with company executive producers J.P. McMahon and Tristan Drew. “J.P. and Tristan are hands-on producers, who invest themselves into their company and their projects,” she observes. “That struck us because we have that same commitment.”
