Slash Auto, a full-service mobility creative content and production studio that is a division of Slash Dynamic, has added Anne McGraw and Taylor Cantwell as executive brand directors.
McGraw and Cantwell will lead client development and relationships in addition to operational strategy and program management, strengthening Slash Auto’s executive team and rounding out the organization’s holistic production and creative capabilities. Joining Slash Dynamic’s founder and managing director, Tanya Cohen, and executive creative directors Steve Rice and Dave Hedeman, Slash Auto brings expertise to the omnichannel advertising ecosystem, specializing in authentic and engaging storytelling that requires the innate understanding of how people and things move.
Cohen founded Slash Dynamic in 2018 as a production company and has since amassed a roster of award-winning filmmakers, many of whom have world-class automotive and mobility experience. The company recently announced a partnership with L.A.-based studio Thunder Road to serve as its marketing arm, expanding the opportunity for brands to seamlessly integrate their products into films or produce branded entertainment with Thunder Road’s directorial slate at the helm.
McGraw brings her two decades of marketing and advertising experience on automotive, mobility and technology brands from both brand and agency sides. As a senior marketing leader at Nissan North America, she led all U.S. social media marketing efforts, the global CGI production team, and ultimately directed lifecycle communications for Electric Vehicles, sedans, and sportscars while managing a multi-agency ecosystem. Prior to Nissan, her notable experience includes leading a national rebranding campaign for Direct General Insurance, managing the Porsche dealer co-op advertising program while at Carmichael Lynch, and earning her OEM chops as a direct marketing manager at General Motors. She started her career at Autotrader.com during its initial year of operations, and believes the start-up mentality of moving fast and breaking the mold is the key to mobility content innovation. McGraw is located in Nashville, Tennessee.
Cantwell has spent over a decade leading and transforming marketing, communications and customer experience for global and startup organizations within the mobility and high-technology sectors. Taylor has most recently served as a brand strategy consultant and led communications for a global commercial electrification group. Taylor also directed marketing and communications and led a rebranding initiative at Romeo Power, Inc., an energy technology leader delivering advanced electrification solutions for complex commercial vehicle applications. She managed holistic marketing efforts for Karma Automotive’s top retailer, in addition to customer and retailer engagement for the U.S. eastern region. Taylor was also a global top performer in her role at Tesla Motors where she was instrumental in refining the delivery experience for new vehicle owners. Cantwell is located in Orange County, California.
“Slash Auto has hit the ground running since its formation earlier this year,” said Cohen. “We are proud to have Anne McGraw and Taylor Cantwell join our Slash Auto executive management team as their combined expertise and vision for the future of automotive content and consumer experience adds a powerful element to our creative and production offerings.”
In addition to meeting the immediate needs of automakers and mobility brands, Slash Auto is uniquely focused on creating impactful narratives and immersive experiences that speak to the future landscape of the collective automotive industry, ultimately empowering consumers and end-users to engage with their mobility products. Slash Auto’s range of capabilities spans film, digital, social, earned media, branded and lifestyle content, integrated partnerships, experiential activations and earned media.
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More