Creative director/designer Susan Armstrong has come aboard New York-based Headlight Design+VFX, part of the Crossroads family of companies. She first made her mark at Topix/Mad Dog, Toronto, beginning what has proven to be a longstanding collaborative relationship with director Floria Sigismondi. Armstrong and Sigismondi first teamed on David Bowie’s “Little Wonder” music video, which caused a stir with its dark, disturbing visuals.
Armstrong went on to work as a designer/artist on such Sigismondi-helmed clips as Tricky’s “Makes Me Wanna Die,” Sheryl Crow’s “Anything But Down” and Canadian signer Amiel Larrieux’s “Get Up.” The latter featured a unique pixilated look that Armstrong created with an Inferno plug-in she helped to develop.
After her four-year tenure at Topix, Armstrong joined Eyeball/New York, where she worked on such projects as promos for HBO and the WB Network, as well as a spot campaign for Michelin. In 2001, Armstrong moved on to Click 3x, New York as a designer/effects artist before elevating to a creative director there, designing packages for Showtime series Queer As Folk and Huff, as well as the opens for two Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) Shows. Her work for the ’04 AICP Show garnered a Gold Broadcast Design Award.
Over the years, Armstrong has worked on spots for assorted clients, including Verizon, Samsung, Canon, AOL, Haagen Dazs and Coca-Cola. The latter’s “Groove” was a much-lauded commercial on the industry awards circuit.
Armstrong has also worked in visual effects for long-form fare, most notably the bus scene in Atom Egoyan’s Sweet Hereafter, a ’97 film which received two Oscar nominations (best director, screenplay), and the Grand Jury, International Critics and Ecumenical Jury prizes at the Cannes Film Festival.
Armstrong is currently editing her first documentary film, Doormat, in collaboration with filmmaker Christy Garland. Armstrong is also designing the film’s titles. Shot in India and Canada, the film follows the life of a household doormat and the stories of all the people whose livelihoods depend on this simple handmade consumer item.
Formed in ’04, Headlights, a creative studio specializing in design-based effects, is headed by creative director Christine Lin, visual effects director Steve Zourntos and executive producer Sara Mills.
By Robert Goldrich
AD&Co. Launches Studio A; Davida Hall To Head New Venture As Sr. Director of Creative Content
Female-founded and led creative marketing agency AD&Co. has opened Studio A. The new venture will serve as AD&Co.’s in-house social brand content division, focused on developing and producing digital programming for advertising, social media, and influencer marketing campaigns designed to reach today’s audiences on the most popular and pivotal platforms. Davida Hall has been named to head Studio A as sr. director of creative content. She shifts over from AD&Co. where she held the same title since December 2023. Hall’s affiliations prior to AD&Co. include PopSugar and Studio71.
Amy Demas, founder and chief creative officer of AD&Co., said, “We understand content is king-—or queen—and that our clients need to engage their customer communities where they live. That inspired the logical expansion of AD&Co with Studio A, which is committed to producing only the most engaging and authentic brand stories.”
Studio A will harness both AD&Co’s and Hall’s deep expertise in the lifestyle sector, as content creators and avid consumers. Specializing in reaching audiences where they spend their time, the studio is immersed in social media, pop culture, and current trends, expertly crafting visuals, language, and storytelling to reinforce client brand identities and cut through the noise.
Studio A debuts with the “This Is Me” campaign for Love + Craft + Beauty, a brand dedicated to embracing and promoting diversity within the beauty space. “This Is Me” highlights Gen Z’s affinity for radical self-expression that allows individuals to tell their own stories, free from labels, using beauty and fashion as tools of authenticity. The campaign showcases models celebrating their unique qualities to present... Read More