Who are the directors of advertising films?

In this article, we are going to talk to you about these directors of advertising films who hide behind the most famous advertisements in France and in the world.

Katia Lewkowicz, a French-Israeli director, is famous for her talent to convey emotions through her commercials. One of her latest projects shows the director's talent.

Released in May 2020, her Intermarché project, "I want to be with you", highlights the desire of French people to be with their family and friends after deconfinement. With her emotional signature, Katia Lewkowicz has become a reference in the world of advertising, as shown by her collaborations with brands such as Euromillions/FDJ, Orange and Atol.

Romain Chassaing, a talented French director and producer working for the Solab agency, is widely recognized for his expertise. He recently collaborated with agency TBWA to create an ad campaign for online gambling brand Winamax in September 2019, which was a resounding success.

The humorous ad features a winning punter on the roof of his building worn like Simba, a character from the famous animated film The Lion King. In addition to this campaign, the ad film director has also worked with prestigious brands such as: 

• Boursorama,
• Huawei and
• Antoine Griezmann, in collaboration with the Buzzman agency

Before starting to produce videos, he worked in graphic design and music, collaborating with artists such as Kekra, Dizzee Rascal and the band Naive New Beaters.

Romain Chassaing is very appreciated in the industry for his artistic fiber and his references to 1990's cinema. The co-founders of Solab, Edouard Chassaing and Nicolas Tiry, are a testament to his talent and meticulous approach to the creation and direction of advertising films.

Reynald Gresset, director of the production company La Pac, is known for his sense of narrative and aesthetics, as well as his sophisticated naturalism. He is a multiple award winner, including Cannes Lions and Epica Awards, and is also in demand by brands such as Samsung, Google, Honda, Coca-Cola and Heineken.

Jerome Denis, head of La Pac, defends his talent for storytelling and creating emotions with a remarkable cinematic universe. One of his great successes as an advertising director is an ad for Leroy-Merlin, made in 2017 with BETC, entitled "Life's Adventure", which stands out for its poetic character and features a couple who are doing some work in their house.

Fleur Fortuné is an award-winning French director who has worked on prestigious projects for Chanel, Gap, and Nike. She has also collaborated with artists such as Drake and Travis Scott or Pharell Williams. One of her most famous commercials is for Giorgio Armani with the famous Cate Blanchett for the promotion of the SI perfume.

Michel Gondry is a very famous director of advertisements. Among his most famous commercials is the one for Levi's in 1996 entitled "drugstore".

Michel Gondry has also directed commercials for Coca-Cola, Smirnoff, Gap, Ikea, HP and Motorola. His 2013 commercial for the British home improvement chain B&Q was also highly acclaimed.

Artists such as Björk, the Rolling Stones and Daft Punk have called on Michel Gondry's genius and quirky universe to direct their videos.

How can we not finish this top of the best directors of advertising without mentioning the giants of the industry!

Famous director Martin Scorcese, known for his films "Taxi Driver", "Raging Bull", "Goodfellas", "Casino" and "Shutter Island", was chosen in 2010, by Chanel to direct the advertisement for its perfume Bleu de Chanel.

The ad features the young rising star of French cinema, Gaspard Ulliel, confronting a crowd of journalists. The film follows the story of a young man who feels uncomfortable when he sees a former girlfriend at a press conference, but manages to overcome his discomfort and exit the room with cool elegance. The message of the ad is clear: "be unexpected", with the music "She Said Yea" by the Rolling Stones as a backdrop.

Another iconic figure in cinema, Steven Spielberg, has also been involved in making commercials. Famous for his work as director of films such as "Jaws", "Raiders of the Lost Ark", or "E.T. the alien", he directed a promotional film for a video game inspired by the latter, entitled "E.T".

Despite the fact that the industry icon made the promotional film, the game received negative reviews due to its hasty development, but it still managed to become the eighth best-selling game for the Atari 2600 console.

Another extremely well known director in the movie industry is Ridley Scott. He is known for his cinematographic achievements such as Blade Runner, Alien, Thelma and Louise, or Gladiator.

In 1984, he was able to direct an ad for Apple for the launch of the Macintosh. In partnership with the TBWA Chiat/Day advertising agency, they were inspired by the book "1984" by George Orwell and created the most expensive advertisement of the time, with a budget of about 1.6 million dollars.

The ad was aired during one of the most anticipated events of the year in the United States, the Super Bowl finale, which attracts one of the largest audiences each year.