Unicorns & Unicorns (U&U), a BIPOC-women owned and led studio in the advertising, tech and film/TV worlds, has added director Derek Westerlund to its creative roster. Westerlund has already helmed a commercial campaign for Honda via his new roost. Westerlund's directorial credits over the years include projects for brands including Samsung, HP, Under Armour, Nissan, Lexus and Hyundai.
With a career spanning 30 years in action sports, Westerlund has produced and directed sports and action content in over 50 countries. Eventually creating his very own production company, he quickly became Red Bull’s go-to production partner and content studio, creating short and long form film, television and digital docu-series for the beverage giant. Westerlund–whose accolades include a Sports Emmy Award for Digital Innovation–has recently dedicated his time exclusively to feature film and commercial directing.
“Derek is an outstanding addition to our stable of Unicorns–an impeccable creative mind with outstanding vision and execution,” said Adrianne McCurrach, executive producer and managing partner for U&U. “We’re so happy to explore the myriad of possibilities that are on the horizon with Derek, from experiential to auto to wonderful stories of humanity.”
“We’ve long loved cars at U&U, but have been waiting for a talented automotive director who cares as much about the work as they do moving the needle when it comes to representation,” added Sun Komen, co-founder and technical creative director for U&U. “Derek is all that and more. He inspires on so many levels: his technical acumen, his excitement, his hustle. We are in it with Derek and so stoked to see what comes next.”
Westerlund said of his U&& compatriots, “This crew really represents my core values and are absolutely leading the way to a more inclusive production landscape. A lot of people aspire to carry this narrative but with Unicorns, they own this authenticity at their foundation. It’s a great feeling to be inspired by the other directors on the roster and know your skillset is complementary and one of the building blocks of a world class production company. Collaboration has always been in my DNA and this is 100% the company I look to take my directing to the next level with.”
