Director Andrea Jade Colomb has secured her first commercialmaking representation in the U.S., coming aboard the roster of production boutique Slash Dynamic. The South African-born director, a.k.a. AJ, currently resides in the U.K. and has built a body of performance driven comedic work, infused with humanity. She has directed spots for the likes of eBay, Phillips, T-Mobile, and Esso, to name a few, and is currently in post on four commercial launches. AJ also directed the official music video for Gerry & The Pacemakers’ “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
AJ and Slash Dynamic just wrapped an upcoming AMEX campaign which was shot in Kiev, Ukraine. This spot was a dream project for her, as she was able to work with her favorite type of talent–adorable French Bulldog puppies, inspired by her beloved Frenchie sidekick Jessie.
AJ got her start collaborating with directors in different capacities to support the creative process, which paved the way for her eventual move into directing herself. She’s quickly gained momentum worldwide, winning her category at YDA in Cannes for her film “Visit Iceland.”
Tanya Cohen, managing director of Slash Dynamic, shared, “I’ve been following AJ’s path for a while, and was massively impressed with her style and sensibility. Then we had an opportunity to shoot AMEX together, and I got to see her in action. Her passion, mad skills as a filmmaker and thoughtful and collaborative approach to the process were way beyond expectations. A partnership and friendship was formed during the shoot, which is the start of big things to come in the U.S. market.”
“Proud to be joining Tanya and the team at Slash Dynamic and get working more in the U.S. Also to be amongst a roster of directors whom I’ve looked up to for many years feels pretty good too,” said AJ whose international representation in the ad arena includes Caviar in the U.K., ACNE in Sweden, CZAR in Amsterdam and Banjoman in Ireland.
Changes Afoot For Cannes Lions 2025, Including Increasing Festival Access For Underserved Communities
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is putting plans in motion for its 72nd edition, set to take place from June 16-20, 2025 in Cannes, France. The Festival has announced that it will double funding to provide €2m (some $2,150,000) worth of complimentary passes to underrepresented talent and underserved communities through its Equity, Representation and Accessibility (ERA) Pass, returning for a second year.
Frank Starling, chief DEI officer, Lions, said the increased investment was “crucial to continue to drive progress for both Cannes Lions and the industry.” Starling added, “The ERA pass plays an important role in fostering a global representation of talent within the creative communications industry at Cannes Lions, and to date our funded opportunities have reached creatives in 46 countries globally. With the Festival being the destination for everyone in the business of creativity, we recognize the importance of creating equitable access to it, and this is why we’re prioritizing increased representation from the Global South to support a greater range of voices and perspectives from the region at the Festival.” Applications for the ERA pass are open now and close on December 5, 2025. More details can be found here.
With submissions into the Cannes Lions Awards opening on January 16, 2025, innovations to the Awards have also been announced today. Glass: The Lion for Change celebrates 10 years since its introduction. The Glass Lion was launched to champion work that used creativity to drive a shift towards more positive, progressive and gender-aware communication, and Marian Brannelly, global... Read More