Director Brian Johnson has signed with Santa Monica-based The Joneses for exclusive national spot representation. The deal marks his first formal production house affiliation. Over the past three years, the Seattle native has worked as a freelance helmer on more than 70 campaigns through the in-house production department of Pacific Northwest-based retailer The Bon Marché.
"I discovered Brian’s work on e-CreativeSearch.com and thought it was very fresh and innovative," related Dan Bryant, executive producer of The Joneses. "After meeting with Brian and seeing what he has been able to do with limited budgets and resources, I knew that with the right opportunities, he could elevate his craft to compete with the best fashion and retail directors out there."
Johnson’s first career stop was in 1992 at Seattle television station KTWB as creative director for on-air promotions. In that role, he helped the station, which had become a WB affiliate, retool its image to appeal to a youth market. In just three years, Johnson wrote and produced more than 1,000 on-air promos, also directing many of those.
"Whenever celebrities would come to town on press tours, I would talk the network into letting me shoot them," recalled Johnson. "That way, I was able to localize our marketing campaigns for new shows. It also helped me to build my reel."
Johnson’s work, which ranged from comedy/dialogue to fashion, began to catch the eye of local and regional advertisers when he created spec spots for Microsoft and J. Crew. The latter led directly to his hiring by The Bon Marché. In addition, he bolstered his reel with PSAs for such organizations as Northwest AIDS and the Boys and Girls Clubs.
In 1997 Johnson went freelance full-time. Since then, his biggest client has been The Bon Marché, and he has directed scores of spots for the department store’s in-house production arm. This work covers a broad stylistic range from MTV-influenced fashion fare to straight comedy. A spot called "Chase," promoting Levi’s SilverTab line of jeans at The Bon Marché, features a tug-of-war between a man and a terrier, over a pair of pants. The battle ends outdoors, where a couple of young women spot the man in his boxer shorts.
Recently, Johnson began seeking to apply his talents on a national level. He placed a copy of his reel on the online service e-CreativeSearch.com and started researching major market production companies, looking for a fit. Upon meeting, Johnson and Bryant struck up an immediate rapport, and the director was impressed by the work of the shop’s other helmers: Jim Manera and Doug Harper.
Johnson expects to continue doing retail work—only for national-scale clients. He also sees himself expanding beyond that niche. "I believe I can be very successful in directing for the youth market—youth-oriented storytelling and comedy/dialogue spots," he said. "I’ve done a lot of that type of work."
Johnson has won several awards for his spots. A Back to School campaign that he directed last year for The Bon Marché won two awards from the Retail Advertising Association. His work for the retailer has also earned Telly and Emerald City Awards.
