Director Jim Manera has signed an agreement with Santa Monica-based The Joneses for exclusive spot representation. Known for his work in people and storytelling, Manera comes over from Venice, Calif.-headquartered Cucoloris Films, where he spent the past year and a half.
His last project at Cucoloris was a Barilla Pasta commercial out of Young & Rubicam, Chicago. Manera also recently helmed a Canadian market commercial-done via Sparks Productions, Toronto-for Tim Horton’s Restaurants, which underscores the director’s affinity for character-based storytelling. The offbeat ad profiles Shorty Jenkins, a spry older man whose pink cowboy hat makes a fashion statement as he tends to the ice at a hockey rink.
Dan Bryant, executive producer of The Joneses, noted that Manera’s "more pictorial, storytelling style of directing" complements the comedy of the company’s other resident director, Ali Selim. The signing of another helmer is also in the offing.
Manera said that his parting from Cucoloris was "amicable." He described the advertising business as "changing rapidly and I want to change with it, to reach further, to create new work, to pursue new clients, and I felt that I could best do that through a boutique sized company. I believe The Joneses is the best place to take an aggressive approach to my career." Manera also cited Bryant’s "good feel for contemporary advertising" and his willingness to try new unorthodox approaches.
Prior to Cucoloris, Manera had a brief stint at Bandit Films, a Santa Monica-based independent feature company, where he was charged with spearheading a diversification into spots. He came to Bandit from Pavlov Productions, the now defunct live action commercial production division of Culver City-headquartered Sony Pictures. Before his yearlong stay at Pavlov, Manera had a seven-year tenure at bicoastal Bedford Falls and its predecessor shop, Michael/Daniel Associates. Michael/Daniel was Manera’s first production company roost after an ad agency career that saw him serve as a creative at Chicago shops Leo Burnett Co., Tatham Laird Kudner (now Euro RSCG Tatham) and DDB Needham (now DDB).
During the last seven months of his two years at DDB-where he was group creative director on Anheuser-Busch-Manera helmed select jobs (including PSAs for Anheuser-Busch and some Busch Beer spots) through the agency’s former in-house production arm, Zone One. That directorial work began to elicit serious interest from several production houses, ultimately resulting in his signing with Michael/Daniel.
Manera has since compiled directing credits for such notable advertisers as Dr Pepper, McDonald’s and Levi’s, but he is perhaps most recognized for his Chevy Trucks’ "Like a Rock" work from Campbell-Ewald, Warren, Mich. He has contributed to the campaign every year since it debuted in ’92. "When we first set out to create its message to the U.S. public, I urged them to consider showing blue collar workers in a way that conveyed truth, honesty, dependability and empathy," recalled Manera. "I thought it would be much more effective than a truck slamming along some muddy road. It’s the people that made that campaign relate-able, not the trucks. They-the workers-are the foundation of the country. It goes beyond advertising."
