Bicoastal production partner m ss ng p eces has added Ehsan Bhatti to its live action directorial roster for U.S. representation spanning commercials, branded content and music videos.
Born and raised in London, Bhatti sets out as a director to make space for authentic representation and to tell stories from fresh perspectives. He holds two degrees in architecture and graphic design, and has toured Europe as a professional DJ, giving him an international and atypical background that informs his directing. He began freelancing as a director in the fashion world and almost instantly gained international notice when his spot for Vertu received a YDA nomination at Cannes Lions in 2014. He has gone on to direct engaging work for brands such as Nike, NFL, Burberry, BMW, Lexus, Porsche and Adidas, and has earned accolades from Cannes Lions, Creative Circle, and others along the way. Prior to joining m ss ng p eces, Bhatti was repped in the U.S. by production house Skunk.
“Advertising’s place in today’s world is rapidly changing and when you take a step back and look at which production companies are evolving and thinking outside of the box, m ss ng p eces tops the list,” shared Bhatti. “My goals align with theirs in terms of thinking content-first instead of platform-first, and having a more experimental approach while telling thought-provoking stories. I’m glad to partner with m ss ng p eces for the next chapter in my career in the U.S.”
Ari Kuschnir, founder and managing partner at m ss ng p eces, assessed, “Ehsan’s work is just like him: thoughtful, stylish, and just weird enough to make you want to know more. He’s shown amazing versatility working across sport, packaged goods, and car work, but what unifies his style is a magnetic energy that’s feels like today and the future all at the same time.”
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