Director Lloyd Stein, best known for his brand of quirky ad comedy, has joined bicoastal Headquarters. He comes over from bicoastal Epoch Films, where he spent the past year.
Stein’s recent endeavors include a two-spot package for 989 Sports video game "Jet Moto 3" out of agency Butler, Shine & Stern, Sausalito, Calif. The commercials combine Stein’s penchant for humor with a documentary feel, à la reality-based TV series Cops. In "Raven," for example, a guy driving a wheel-less hover motorcycle, like that in "Jet Moto 3," is pulled over by a policeman for speeding. Realizing he’s been caught dead to rights, the biker bolts off on foot in a futile attempt to elude the cop. The requisite pursuit sequence follows.
Stein said he was drawn to Headquarters by its people, including partner/executive producer Alex Blum and partner/ head of sales Tom Mooney. Blum has been a longtime fan of Stein’s work, dating back to when the director was at bicoastal/international Propaganda Films. "When he [Stein] left Propaganda to go to Epoch, we were disappointed," recalled Blum. "We wanted to talk to him then but couldn’t connect."
Mooney cited Stein’s ability to contribute creatively to projects, perhaps nurtured during the director’s tenure in the promotions department of MTV, New York. "He can help take a concept further," said Mooney of Stein, describing the helmer’s reel as being "idea-driven, refreshing and entertaining."
Stein said his departure from Epoch was amicable and he described that company as being "a great shop with talented directors." He explained that he felt Headquarters was the right place for him at this juncture of his career, particularly in helping him to uncover spotmaking opportunities for dark, off-the-wall comedy.
Prior to Epoch, Stein spent two years at Propaganda, his first production company home. Previously, he served for four years as a senior writer and producer in on-air promotion at MTV, where he conceptualized, directed and edited promos. Earlier, he was a writer/producer in the on-air promotions department at TNT, Atlanta.
At Propaganda, Stein’s directorial credits included spots for such clients as Sony, Heineken and Denny’s for Lowe & Partners/SMS, New York (now Lowe Lintas & Partners); Budweiser out of DDB Chicago; Sprint for J. Walter Thompson, San Francisco; Kinko’s via Hal Riney & Partners/Heartland (now Publicis & Hal Riney), Chicago; and European fare for Snickers candy bars.
Another notable Stein-helmed job was an award-winning campaign for Nike mountain biking apparel via Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, that parodied public safety films of the ’50s and ’60s (see SHOOT "Top Spot," 7/4/97, p. 10). Individually and/or in various combinations, the six spots—"Mountain Lions," "Hunting and Gathering," "Mosquito," "Shrubbery," "Poison Oak" and "Tourniquet"—earned several silver Clios as well as honors from The One Show, the ADDYs, the San Francisco Show and the British D&AD Awards.
