Bicoastal production company Durable Goods has added Australian director Karima Asaad to its roster for commercials and branded content in the U.S. This marks her first commercial representation in the American market. She continues to be repped in Australia by production agency Loveridge.
From her new home base in New York, Asaad said she was drawn to Durable Good’s reputation and had received recommendations about the company from major industry players
From still photography to live-action, Asaad has an unconventional portfolio spanning advertising and photojournalism that’s made its mark Down Under.
Previously, Asaad’s commercial directing career has seen her partner with companies including DDB, BMF, M&C Saatchi, The Special Group, Virgin, Samsung, We Are Social, The Australian Government, Commonwealth Bank, McCann, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Getty, and the Australian Geographic. With an eye for daring composition, Asaad has turned out work that draws the viewer into the scene, creating intimate and slightly voyeuristic performances.
“Karima’s avant-garde and unapologetic style, coupled with her aesthetic composition, immediately caught our attention,” said Hani Selim, EP/managing director at Durable Goods. “She has an acute ability to capture talent in a way that is modern and confident yet somehow vulnerable at the same time.”
Coming from a technical background at the Australian Institute, Asaad began her journey with a love of travel, which she then parlayed into an impressive photojournalism career–from capturing everyday life in the Middle East to snapping shots of a gunman in Darwin, to being on the ground during the Je Suis Charlie protest in Paris.
Through all of her adventures, however, Asaad’s true passion has been documenting the people she encountered. “Going to a new town meeting people and documenting everything, I just wanted to showcase them in the most beautiful light–all of their laughs, weirdness, and fantastic energy.”
From there, Asaad expanded into commercial photography, quickly coming to be known as one of the top advertising photographers in the Australian industry. After years spent bringing her intensely youthful and authentic visual sense to branded campaigns for Westfield Shopping Center as well as more challenging subject matter, like the Australian Government’s Violence Against Women campaign, Asaad is eager to bring her talents to the U.S. market with Durable Goods.
“There’s so much creativity here,” concluded Asaad. “It’s a bigger market that’s willing to experiment more, which is really lovely. And when you find a company like Durable Goods that wants to truly develop an artist, rather than only focus on the bottom line, then the artist really gets to evolve.”
