Bicoastal Headquarters, headed by New York-based president Tom Mooney, has extended its reach internationally while also putting a new face on its West Coast operation and launching a satellite. These three expansive company moves have resulted directly from the coming aboard of Pablo Cruz, founder of The Lift, a noted international production house with shops in Barcelona and Mexico City.
Cruz has relocated to Southern California to take a lead role at Headquarters, where Scott Flor continues as executive producer. In concert with Mooney, Cruz will help to shape Headquarters’ sales and its West Coast base. Cruz will also serve as president/executive producer of the newly formed Donkey, a satellite of Headquarters, that is set to bring several of The Lift’s leading directors to the American ad market. That directorial lineup includes David Alcalde, Martin Aamund, Jose Maria de Orbe and the mono-monikered Felix from The Lift, Barcelona.
Mooney and Cruz believe this ensemble of international directors will translate well and transition successfully into U.S. advertising. Alcalde is no stranger to American agencies, having helmed work for Procter & Gamble’s Ariel via Saatchi & Saatchi, New York. Alcalde is known for his storytelling and visual prowess. Plans call for him to move to New York from Barcelona later this year.
Felix ‘s reputation is in visuals and vignettes, with credits that include a pan European campaign for Audi. Orbe has garnered considerable attention as a visual artist, perhaps most notably with BMW’s “Crossroad” spot in Europe, which went on to gain recognition at last year’s Cannes International Advertising Festival. And comedy director Aamund is well established in Europe while making stateside inroads with a McDonald’s assignment for Leo Burnett USA, Chicago.
Through The Lift’s offices, Headquarters expands worldwide, picking up footholds in Europe and Mexico. Conversely The Lift gains an American base of operation, continuing that shop’s geographic expansion. Cruz launched The Lift in Spain four years ago. He opened the Mexico City operation last year, and now he has a major stateside presence through the established Headquarters.
With Cruz relocating to the L.A. area, The Lift’s day-to-day operations have been put under the aegis of executive producers Ana Laura Soliz in Barcelona and Aublino Rodrigues in Mexico City.
CRUZ CONTROL
Beyond the global footprint and an infusion of international directorial talent, Headquarters secures certain other intangibles, according to Mooney, who specifically cited Cruz’s prowess in bringing agency decisionmakers and directors together, as well as in helping to build helmers’ careers. He sees Cruz as a strong counterpart on the West Coast in cultivating business and agency relationships.
Cruz’s joining comes at a juncture when Mooney himself is getting more hands-on involved in sales. In fact, he and Cruz will serve as co-directors of overall sales for Headquarters and Donkey. Additionally, Mooney has recently named staffer Virginia LuPone as East Coast rep. Jill Reehl of Get Reehl, Chicago, continues to handle the Midwest. Indie rep firm Short List is handling the West Coast for Headquarters’ director Eric King. Plans call for Mooney and Cruz to line up West Coast representation for the rest of Headquarters’ directorial lineup as well as Donkey’s helmers; in the meantime, Cruz has assumed sales responsibilities out West.
Mooney noted that he and Cruz are additionally looking to make Headquarters and Donkey responsive to client needs for longer form content, including branded entertainment. Donkey, for example, can make the animation directing team of No Domain from The Lift, Barcelona, available to the American ad community. No Domain has been active in long-form fare. Mooney added that Headquarters’ directorial talent also has long-form chops; he cited Lloyd Stein who has a writing pedigree, and up-and-coming director Matt Ogens, whose background is in documentary filmmaking.
Headquarters’ roster of directors consists of David Cornell, Agust Baldursson, Steve Reeves, Frank Samuel, Jerry Simpson, Richie Smyth, King, Ogens and Stein.
Cruz added that other directors from The Lift could also figure in the U.S. mix via Donkey. These include comedy director Nicolas Kasakof from The Lift, Mexico City, and Stockholm-based Filip Nielsen, a new talent being handled by The Lift.