Director Dave Laden, whose PETA PSA “Grace” earlier this month was honored in the Public Service category of the AICP Show, has joined Hungry Man for worldwide representation. Laden helmed “Grace” via Hollywood-based Über Content, his previous production house roost.
Conceived by L.A. agency Matter, the PSA–which made SHOOT‘s “The Best Work You May Never See” gallery in Nov. 2009–opens at the Thanksgiving dinner table where a family is gathered before a sumptuous feast, which includes a big turkey. A young girl then says grace, expressing “thanks” for the turkey, the turkey farms where they put turkeys in dark little sheds for their entire lives and where the birds’ feathers are burned while they’re still alive. She then gives thanks for the people who think it’s fun to kill turkey’s by stomping on their heads, and for “the chemicals, dirt and poop inside the turkey we’re about to eat.”
At the very end of grace, she adds, “And thank you for rainbows.” A supered message concluding the spot reads, “Go Veg–PETA.”
Laden’s industry roots are in ad agency soil. He began his career as an art director at Ogilvy & Mather, New York, working on such accounts as American Express, IBM and Hershey’s. He went on to become an associate creative director at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, creating for Comcast, the California Milk Processor Board and Saturn, among other clients. During his Goodby tenure, he also got the opportunity to direct commercials for Saturn, the X-Games and nonprofit organization called Youth Speaks.
Laden directed projects via Teak Motion Visuals, a San Francisco-based hybrid editorial/production shop, before joining Über Content in late ’07.
Disney Pledges $15 million In L.A. Fire Aid As More Celebs Learn They’ve Lost Their Homes
The Pacific Palisades wildfires torched the home of "This Is Us" star Milo Ventimiglia, perhaps most poignantly destroying the father-to-be's newly installed crib.
CBS cameras caught the actor walking through his charred house for the first time, standing in what was once his kitchen and looking at a neighborhood in ruin. "Your heart just breaks."
He and his pregnant wife, Jarah Mariano, evacuated Tuesday with their dog and they watched on security cameras as the flames ripped through the house, destroying everything, including a new crib.
"There's a kind of shock moment where you're going, 'Oh, this is real. This is happening.' What good is it to continue watching?' And then at a certain point we just turned it off, like 'What good is it to continue watching?'"
Firefighters sought to make gains Friday during a respite in the heavy winds that fanned the flames as numerous groups pledged aid to help victims and rebuild, including a $15 million donation pledge from the Walt Disney Co.
More stars learn their homes are gone
While seeing the remains of his home, Ventimiglia was struck by a connection to his "This Is Us" character, Jack Pearson, who died after inhaling smoke in a house fire. "It's not lost on me life imitating art."
Mandy Moore, who played Ventimiglia's wife on "This Is Us," nearly lost her home in the Eaton fire, which scorched large areas of the Altadena neighborhood. She said Thursday that part of her house is standing but is unlivable, and her husband lost his music studio and all his instruments.
Mel Gibson's home is "completely gone," his publicist Alan Nierob confirmed Friday. The Oscar winner revealed the loss of his home earlier Friday while appearing on Joe Rogan's... Read More