Film Directors Give Advertising A Try

Anyone who knows me personally knows that I'm kind of a movie nerd. It's not quite at a Quentin Tarantino level, where the brain is actually an encyclopedia of film, but somewhere closer to the "I hardly ever lose at Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" level. That's why I was so excited to read this little piece on the Newsweek website about a couple of high profile ad campaigns out right now.

Even though I had seen these commercials before, I wasn't aware that some of Hollywood's best and most accomplished directors were behind them. Besides being highly cinematic and incredibly well made, these commercials (excepting perhaps Michel Gondry's Motorola Ad) also deliver strong brand messages. Despite my previous criticism that advertising work should typically not be considered art, these directors come very close to turning that notion on its head. Check them out and decide for yourself.

Michel Gondry - Motorola Razr 2


Michael Mann - Nike


Wes Anderson - AT&T