Production company Interrogate has signed director Rhett Wade-Ferrell, known under his alias of Uncle Friendly. Marking the Aussie creator’s official debut in the U.S. market, Interrogate will represent Wade-Ferrell for commercials, branded content and music videos.
Uncle Friendly is widely recognized for his work with Flight Facilities, including their iconic video for “Down to Earth” featuring Sam Rockwell. Uncle Friendly has been a longtime collaborator with the electronic duo since directing their original video for “Crave You” in 2010, reuniting with them to make the reprise video with Kylie Minogue, as well as their “Sunshine” video with Reggie Watts. Since early on, Uncle Friendly’s unapologetically whimsical productions have become synonymous with Flight Facilities’ signature style.
Carrying that creativity over into the advertising space, Uncle Friendly has worked with major clients such as Netflix, Optus, Apple Music, Southern Comfort, Tiger Airways, Sunbeam, IBM, AGL, Google, Nescafe and DBS Bank. His “Play NZ” campaign for New Zealand Tourism won Gold, Silver, Bronze, and the coveted Grand Prix at the Spikes Awards in Asia, as well as taking home the Gold, Bronze, and the Grand Prix Awards at ADFEST. “Play NZ” was an innovative tourism campaign tailored to the transformed pandemic atmosphere, wherein New Zealand was marketed to the world as a video game walkthrough, entirely broadcasted through gaming channels. Uncle Friendly’s playful eye was a perfect match for the “Play NZ” concept, as real-life actors and locations were transformed into video game adventures.
While he has worked in America previously, signing with Interrogate marks Uncle Friendly’s official splash into the U.S. market. Both parties speak of the union as if it were a predestined love affair. “I’ve never been someone who likes to date,” said Wade-Ferrell, “I like to commit, fall in love and build something special together as a team. Since our first meeting, Interrogate has been as excited to work with me as I am with them.”
Uncle Friendly’s treatments are always expected to include a spark of mischief and a deep literacy of aural-temporal rhythm. Growing up on a goat farm in Tasmania, Wade-Ferrell made his initial venture into storytelling came by playing music in a band, which later translated into his current dexterity in directing.
Interrogate executive producer and partner George Meeker said of Wade-Ferrell, “Not only is he fluent in performance and comedy direction, but also in choreography, movement and production design. What we dig about him is his versatility–he’s got a beautiful rhythm and pace to his work. It’s uplifting and fits beautifully into what is on-trend in advertising right now. That’s just who he is and how he makes his films–quirky, positive, fun-to-watch commercials.”
The Sydney-based Wade-Ferrell is also internationally represented by Gang Films in France, MindsEye in the U.K. and Airbag in Australia.
