shots

They arrive at You Are Here with a showreel of snappy storytelling, jaw-dropping locations, and glamorous humour. With a background in social, Paris & Manuel have honed a style of advertising that elevates the genre to a new level. Globetrotting from one exotic destination to another, their polished style blends fashion, travel and episodic narrative into visually distinctive stories. A hybrid format that has so far lent itself perfectly to brands like Radisson, Fly Dubai, Fairmont & Flook.

“Sometimes, the most important health message is the one we’re least comfortable hearing," explains Paul McDonnell, Commercial Director UK & Ireland, JOE Media Group. "And men, in particular, aren’t always great at listening to those messages. That’s what we really liked about the Listen to Jordic campaign. It takes an issue that can feel embarrassing or ‘unmanly’ and approaches it in a light-hearted, disarming way, without losing the seriousness of the message behind it.

MOFA director Nick Kelly helms this amusing latest instalment of vehicle brand Toyota’s Don’t Send a Ute to Do a HiLux Job platform, titled Mud dance and created by Saatchi & Saatchi. The new campaign demonstrates the HiLux’s off-road capabilities with an unexpectedly comedic twist, following a father and daughter as they gracefully journey up a muddy mountain towards a coveted hilltop campsite.

All work screened at the Awards, including the winning films, will now be added to the Shiny List: Shiny’s curated and continually updated database of emerging directing talent. The List is used by Shiny’s global network of production companies, agencies, post-production companies and creative studios to discover and connect directly with new directors. The Awards’ sponsors and partners played a central role in connecting the winners with practical next-step opportunities.

MADRE adds Obsidian as its new sales rep in the Midwest. MADRE’s distinctive point of view and curated roster of directors make it a natural fit alongside Obsidian's other dynamic clients. Obsidian is an elite creative management organisation representing cutting-edge companies across multiple categories, including production, editorial, design and animation, branded entertainment, and new media.

Known for turning real, everyday moments into cinematic stories, Tran brings not only talent and vision, but a shared passion for partnerships where creativity, access and opportunity can flourish. Tran’s work lives at the intersection of culture, community, and craft; raw but intentional, stylish yet profoundly authentic. He’s directed campaigns for brands like Google, Nike, StockX, Oura, McDonalds, and Amazon, as well as local charities and grassroots organizations.

PACO makes comedy out of characters who take the ordinary just a little too seriously. His films are carefully cast, sharply observed and often one small step away from the absurd. Lisbon based, PACO's film experience began in fiction and while studying at the University of Porto, he directed Film Without a Story, which won the Grand Prix at the European Capital of Culture Festival. In McDonald's David's Hair, a change of hairstyle gives a man stuck in his routine a taste for rebellion.

Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, announced the appointment of Libby Bush to the newly created role of President, Global Brands and Commercial Partnerships, starting in November. Bush will lead a new global function that brings together UMG’s brands, media, and commercial partnership businesses, including Universal Music Group for Brands (UMGB). Based in Los Angeles, Bush will report to UMG’s Chief Operating Officer Boyd Muir.

British watch brand, Sekonda, launches a bold new integrated campaign with VCCP Blue and VCCP Media which aims to position its high-quality, reliable, and stylish timepieces and smart wearables as a staple for a younger Gen Z generation. Marking VCCP Blue and VCCP Media’s first work, the campaign leans into embracing the journey and what might happen. any. second. now.

As it expands its presence in the US, Asia and South America, Club Med partnered with BETC Paris to launch a rebranding campaign aimed at a broader international audience. Produced by Prose on Pixels (POP) The Art of Free Time turns the brand’s Mediterranean roots into a witty, irreverent platform that playfully pushes back against the over-optimised culture of modern life. We live in a world obsessed with productivity. Every minute has to be optimised. Everything has to serve a purpose.