Multiplatform integrated production company Tool of North America has signed director Leigh Marling whose work spans such brands as Pizza Hut, Smirnoff, Snickers, T-Mobile, Nissan, Bacardi, Nescafe, Comcast, Target, Living Social, Verizon, Hyundai and Wrigley’s. He has built a reputation for smart humor and inventive storytelling and design, winning various awards including Cannes Lions, The One Show Silver and Bronze Pencils, ADDYs and Clios.
Marling has also co-directed music videos for Fatboy Slim, New Order and Dirty Vegas. For the latter, he earned a Best Music Video Grammy nomination for “Days Go By.” Marling additionally co-directed The Avalanches’ single “Since I Left You” which went on to garner an MTV Europe Best Music Video Award.
“From our very first meeting, I was bowled over by Tool,” Marling said. “Not only are they an elite production company and leaders in their field, but I loved their drive and energy, as well as their evident commitment to embrace the future of creative communication in a fast changing media environment. As a committed artist and storyteller I couldn’t ask for a better partnership.”
Marling is the latest addition to Tool’s talent roster which is curated by Oliver Fuselier, managing partner, live action. Prior to joining Tool, Marling had most recently been handled in the U.S. by production house Persuade.
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