Noted U.K. production house Thomas Thomas Films is opening an office in New York. A prime catalyst behind the decision to launch a U.S. operation was the increasing amount of American work being done by director Kevin Thomas, who founded the London company with managing director Philippa Thomas in 2000.
In recent months, Thomas has directed jobs for Citibank through Fallon, Minneapolis, and the Oxygen network via New York agency Toy. Facilitating those jobs was New York-based executive producer Jenny Gadd, who now heads Thomas Thomas’ stateside shop. Gadd formerly served as exec producer at the Manhattan office of bicoastal/international Believe Media. Prior to that, she had a seven-year tenure producing at Fallon–the first six at the agency’ s Minneapolis headquarters, and the following year at its New York office.
Director Thomas gained a high profile stateside several years ago for his work on the Citibank identity theft campaign for Fallon, which included “Outfit,” winner of the coveted primetime spot Emmy Award in ’04.
Plans additionally call for Thomas Thomas’ New York shop to serve as a springboard into the American market for new directorial talent that the London office is developing, such as director Jim Gilchrist, who joined the company in October ’05. Earlier Gilchrist had been directing via since shuttered production house Small Family Business, London, which was helmer Ringan Ledwidge’s shop. (Ledwidge has since teamed with director Daniel Kleinman in an as yet unnamed London production company.) Gilchrist first established himself on the agency side. He spent five years at Fallon, London, where he shot numerous test films This in turn inspired Gilchrist to attend the International Film School in Rockport, Maine. His directorial credits over a relatively brief span include spots for such clients as the BBC, Coca-Cola, Holsten, Mars, Nike, Skoda and The Sunday Telegraph.
Gadd noted that Thomas Thomas also hopes to bring a U.S.-based director into the fold at some point, but the company is taking its time and intends to be very selective.
By Robert Goldrich
AD&Co. Launches Studio A; Davida Hall To Head New Venture As Sr. Director of Creative Content
Female-founded and led creative marketing agency AD&Co. has opened Studio A. The new venture will serve as AD&Co.’s in-house social brand content division, focused on developing and producing digital programming for advertising, social media, and influencer marketing campaigns designed to reach today’s audiences on the most popular and pivotal platforms. Davida Hall has been named to head Studio A as sr. director of creative content. She shifts over from AD&Co. where she held the same title since December 2023. Hall’s affiliations prior to AD&Co. include PopSugar and Studio71.
Amy Demas, founder and chief creative officer of AD&Co., said, “We understand content is king-—or queen—and that our clients need to engage their customer communities where they live. That inspired the logical expansion of AD&Co with Studio A, which is committed to producing only the most engaging and authentic brand stories.”
Studio A will harness both AD&Co’s and Hall’s deep expertise in the lifestyle sector, as content creators and avid consumers. Specializing in reaching audiences where they spend their time, the studio is immersed in social media, pop culture, and current trends, expertly crafting visuals, language, and storytelling to reinforce client brand identities and cut through the noise.
Studio A debuts with the “This Is Me” campaign for Love + Craft + Beauty, a brand dedicated to embracing and promoting diversity within the beauty space. “This Is Me” highlights Gen Z’s affinity for radical self-expression that allows individuals to tell their own stories, free from labels, using beauty and fashion as tools of authenticity. The campaign showcases models celebrating their unique qualities to present... Read More