The Super Bowl had something for everyone, including its female viewers, who got a chance to gaze at the sculpted, tattooed body of soccer star David Beckham modeling his new line of Bodywear undergarments.  Both were shown off in lavish detail in a spot for the clothing retailer H&M directed by Art Partner Film's Alasdair McLellan. The spot was a definite hit, topping both ABC's list of the "Most Commented on Super Bowl Ads" as well as Ad Age's "Top 10 Super Bowl Commercials in Social Media."  McLellan worked closely with the H&M creative team that included Creative Director Donald Schneider and Art Director Marc Atlan. Additional credits on the spot go to Director of Photography Toshi Ozawa and Producer Arrow Kruse. It was cut by Editor Ben Unwin at Gloss Post, which also handled post production.

When he's not busy appearing in Oscar-nominated films like "Ides of March" or "Moneyball," or rehearsing to appear on the Broadway stage in productions like "Death of a Salesman," or directing his own independent features, Philip Seymour Hoffman is now directing commercials. He just produced his first campaign through L.A.'s Independent Media for the Via agency of Portland, Maine and its client, People's United Bank. In "Walk to Work" and "On the Go," we see scenes of a man and a woman walking to their offices and helping people out in small but significant ways as they go. In both instances, they turn out to be People's United bankers.  The campaign was recently chosen by Adweek as its "Ad of the Day," getting a nice shout out by the publication's resident blogger, Tim Nudd.

King and Country created six new spots for retail chain HEB featuring a mixture of kids, family pets and typography. Designed to engage parents and families, each spot drives home the tagline, "No Store Does More." K&C Director Efrain Montanez and his colleagues were enthused about this assignment from The Richards Group. "For HEB, we were asked to create a clean graphic environment where animated type, playful CG animation and live-action footage of talent and products relate short, fun and engaging stories," Montanez says. "We came up with a graphic approach that gives the campaign a jovial tone, with dynamic transitions and playful animation." K&C handled full editorial and HD finishing in-house, and worked with New Hat and Beau Leon for color correction on the spots. "We're very proud to have earned this first opportunity from The Richards Group," says K&C Executive Producer Jerry Torgerson. "We feel like the agency really trusted us, and it's a great start to a new relationship. We're already working on our next project together."

Radar Studios just completed an animated spot for the University of Wisconsin that shows why the school is an institution that continues to set standards. Working with Madison, Wisconsin ad agency Hiebing Group, the studio created a spot that reinforces the nature of achievement through a variety of vignettes; for example, Radar used 2D and 3D animation to construct photo-real mountains, scenes of family living and images of automobile engines to convey various areas of innovation for the university. "It was great working on such diverse subject matter and then collaborating on the best way to tie everything together," says Radar Creative Director Steven Gray.

Icontent director Douglas Sloan directed the latest Macy's "Backstage Spring 2012" campaign via JWT.  A continuation of their celebrity campaign, the latest incarnation features Kenneth Cole (that's him at the right), Tommy Hilfiger, Rachel Ray, Donald Trump and newcomer Carlos Santana with wife, Cindy Blackman.  The success of "Backstage" campaign led to the award of Mobile Marketer of the Year, 2011 by Mobile Marketeer.  The prize is the highest accolade in mobile advertising, marketing and media. "Backstage" has enjoyed a steady and substantial up-tick in overall consumer impressions since the program began in 2011. Sloan and Icontent have created two seasons worth of content for the program.

Motion Theory Director Christopher Leone has directed the first season of the original scripted web series "Wolfpack of Reseda," which is produced by Fox Digital Studio. An unconventional comedy about the doldrums of suburban life with a monster movie twist, the series follows the transformation of Ben March's mundane, 20-something existence in the L.A. sprawl of Reseda when he becomes convinced that he's been bitten by a werewolf. Episode one of Wolfpack of Reseda" can be viewed here. "I think the webseries format is evolving quickly, but we're mixing storytelling styles from both movies and television," Leone explains.  "I filmed the series cinematically in big widescreen format, and the entire first season tells one complete story in about 70 minutes, like a movie. But at the same time, we structured the episodes so each one ends in a cliffhanger, hooking the viewer and motivating them to click to the next episode. It was definitely a new and interesting way of filmmaking and I think the end result really holds up whether you watch it episodically or in one complete piece."

Elias Arts had a busy time leading up to the Super Bowl broadcast earlier this month, as the music composition and production company created and produced original music for four spots, including VW's "The Dog Strikes Back" via Deutsch Los Angeles, the second most-viewed Super Bowl spot on the web, according to Ad Age.  Elias also provided music for Hyundai's "All for One," Old Navy's "Corporado" and NBC Sports' "The Next One." Creative credits on the VW spot go to Composer Jonathan Elias. Music for Hyundai, which was created by agency Innocean, was arranged by Christopher Kemp and Elias.  For Old Navy, from agency Camp + King, composition credits go to Kemp and James Haun. And the track for NBC Sports, which was created by Anomaly, was composed by Elias.  Ann Haugen was Executive Producer on all jobs for Elias Arts.

Mothership Director David Rosenbaum teamed with Ogilvy West to create a spot titled "Robotarm" for Cisco. The CG commercial depicts a group of self-sustaining automotive assembly robots. Nine unique robots star in the spot, enhanced with distinct characteristics. Synchronized to Gary Numan's "Cars," the robots drill, rivet, screw, weld and pass auto body parts off to one another. The set was entirely built in CG, based on reference photography from modern automotive plants. Rosenbaum collaborated closely with Ogilvy West Chief Creative Officers James Dawson-Hollis and Bill Wright to approach the spot as if it were a live action shoot; instead of shooting with cameras on set, they worked alongside Digital Domain's previs team to frame up shots and work out compositions with rough animations.

Calabash Animation, led by Creative Director Wayne Brejcha and Executive Producer Sean Henry, teamed with agency Lightspeed Group to create "More Than A Freezer," a three-minute animated romantic comedy/viral short for Thermo Scientific's new line of ultra-low temperature freezers.  The video stars two e-coli lovebirds separated by test tubes, set to the rock classic "More Than A Feeling" by Boston. With more than 10,000 views since its launch.

Editor Marc Stone of Dallas-based 3008 and director Luc Janin of Shilo, New York teamed up for the new six-spot Metro PCS campaign via The Richards Group in Dallas. Shot in New York and Miami, the music-driven work features cityscapes in which people of all ages, ethnicities and circumstances move to a newfound beat with obvious joie de vivre. 3008 Sound Designer/Mixer Matt Cimino layered 60-some odd audio tracks to blend music and street sounds and enhance the working city vibe. The 3008 team also included Finishing/FX Editor Mark Sullivan, Senior Post Producer Anne Strock and Assistant Editor Jenna Milano. Beacon Street Studios composed the music. "Rhapsody," "Sync Cities," "Store" and Hat" are airing nationally now. Hispanic versions of "Sync Cities" and "Store" are also airing in select markets.

Chicago-based music house Sonixphere in association with the composing team at iSpy Music, kicked off 2012 with the debut of ABC's reality series "Celebrity Wife Swap." Famous spouses who signed up to swap households, children, and rules of domestic play include Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider, pop singer Carnie Wilson, hip hop star Flavor Flav and actor Gary Busey, among others. Greg Allan, CEO and Creative Director of Sonixphere, and Doug Bossi, CEO and lead composer of iSpy Music, combined their music and branding experience to parlay the diverse personalities of the cast into distinct sonic alter egos for each spousal team. "Our worldwide network of composers was invaluable to the success of this project," says Allan. "Working again with Doug on 'Celebrity Wife Swap' gave us the opportunity to utilize our collaborative skills while creating a colorful, multifaceted and memorable sonic end result."

Charged Studios Director Adam Pierce was recently tapped to help usher in a new age of package delivery for UPS via Ogilvy/New York. Using a hybrid of live-action and stop-motion animation, the campaign promotes UPS's new My Choice service. The spot, titled "UPS My Choice," opens with a breeze from a kitchen window scattering a stack of UPS InfoNotices on the countertop into the air where they transform, landing as a mini origami T-Rex. Charged Producer Mike Landry guided the project from concept to completion. Adam Miller was brought on to lead the team of fabricators in armature and puppet design. Lead animator Pete Levin, along with assistants Peter Blank and Esther Casas Roura, rounded out the animation team. Richard Coppola employed his motion control rig to capture the counter top adventure at close range, while Editor Andy Harmon used Final Cut Pro for all final comps. 

L.A.-based Therapy Editor Doobie White cut the new video for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Look Around." Directed by Robert Hales of HELLO!, the music video features the band in four separate rooms moving around to the catchy song as the camera spins 360 degrees. The music video also features a corresponding interactive component that gives viewers the control to move through the rooms, zooming in and out to see what each band member is doing in his room and click on various objects in the room that link to behind the scenes footage and images. (View the website here.) The new single is off the band's tenth studio album "I'm With You" which was released in August 2011 after the band's five-year hiatus and the departure of longtime guitarist, John Frusciante.

Independent Productions of Beirut's documentary, "The Akram Tree," which the company co-produced, has been named an official selection of the LOIKKA Dance Film Festival 2012 in Finland and has won the Best Documentary Award in the DHAKA International Film Festival 2012 in Bangladesh. A journey through the personal world of the British-Bangladeshi choreographer and dancer Akram Khan, the film portrays the story of Khan's "Gnosis," a piece realized in collaboration with seven artists located in different parts of the world. Traditions from India, Japan, Pakistan, England, Iraq and Bangladesh collaborate together to create a work between classic Indian kathak and contemporary dance.  To capture the visionary look of the dance piece, the documentary and its sequences of Khan discussing his art were shot in the Abu Dhabi, taking advantage of the city's futuristic and metaphysical surroundings.
 

Lost Highway Films Director Todd Bellanca won a Silver Telly Award for the "Now That's New Jersey" 60-second online spot. Bellanca highlights the hidden treasures of the Garden State, using quick cuts and shots of Atlantic City, the club The Stone Pony, beaches and the public sculpture park Grounds for Sculpture. The goal was to show that that there's more to New Jersey than what people see on TV shows. The Director of Photography was Andrij Parekh, and the spot was edited by Rob Graham with Shooters Post & Transfer.

Cinema/Chicago's 2012 Hugo Television awards has issued its call for entries for the TV commercials category of the competition.  Deadline for entries is Friday, March 9.  For information on entering, click here.  Last year's Best Commercial Campaign Gold Hugo winner in TV commercials was the Miracle Whip campaign out of the Chicago office of McGarry Bowen.  (That's a frame from "Big BLT," produced by a Whitelabel product, seen here.)  Other 2011 winners includes agencies such as Draft FCB, Y&R, Leo Burnett, DDB, Lapiz and Burrell, along with post production shops like Cutters, Inc. and The Whitehouse. In addition to sponsoring the Hugo Television Awards, Cinema/Chicago is also the presenting organization of the Chicago International Film Festival.

SALT.TV in London has added the Canadian directing duo Felix & Paul to its roster. The pair have been applying their mixed media skills as filmmakers and storytellers to commercials for such brands as Coca-Cola, Volkswagen (seen here) and AXA, working in both Canada and Europe.  The signing with SALT.TV serves as their introduction to the UK market. Like many commercial directing talents, Felix & Paul came to prominence through their work on music videos. One of their specialties is combining live action and ambitious animation and visual effects work. Among the agencies they've produced work for are DDB Belgium, Saatchi & Saatchi and Duval Guillaume Antwerp.

Director Andy Lambert has joined Code Film in Toronto for Canadian representation. After directing documentaries for the BBC and Channel 4, he moved into fiction, making two award-winning short films.  He broke into advertising shortly afterwards and became known for shooting stylish, witty commercials with cinematic production values. His reel includes work for brands such as Nokia, Nike, Guinness, The National Lottery, E.On, Three and Honda. Among his more notable projects are his "Deer Hunter" spoof for Revels, his "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" recreation for the UK's Road Tax office and his zombie homage for The Samaritans. Lambert most recently signed with The Joneses for US representation.

Accomplice has signed Otis to its directorial roster.  He comes to Accomplice with a body of work that includes projects for such clients as Dove, Hyundai, Neutrogena, Verizon, Crest and Barclay's Bank, as well as countless music videos. Accomplice also added East Coast Executive Producer Pam Rohs and opened a New York office last fall, broadening the company's national and international reach. According to Accomplice Founder/EP Jeff Snyder, "Otis has the ability to capture emotions and reveal people in a very real and relatable way. He can tell an authentic story, yet also capture and integrate a brand's perspective into the storytelling process." In other recent Accomplice news, Director Trevor Cornish just completed a new McDonald's spot for TBWA/Paris titled "McFarmer vs. McTimber," while Director David Jellison just wrapped a K-Swiss spot for Lady Footlocker via NBC featuring celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels and a series of new Dodge spots via ad agency Armory.

Los Angeles-based Boxer Films has added director Erik Almas to its roster. Almas, who's also a still photographer, has worked with clients such as Toyota, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton, Microsoft, Puma, Spanish Tourism and Nike. In addition to commercial work, he's also directed projects for clients in fashion, travel and fine art. Notes Boxer EP Beth George, "We're excited to have a photographer with the skill and talent that Erik has He brings a wealth of artistic expertise from his still photography career, and we feel it translates beautifully into moving images." Born in Trondheim, Norway, Almas moved to the US at the age of 22 and attended the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. He graduated in 1999, with Best Portfolio in the Spring Show and later received an Honorary Degree of Outstanding Alumnus in 2004. He has also been recognized twice by Luerzer's Archive as one of the 200 Best Advertising Photographers Worldwide.

L.A.-based Green Dot Films has signed Swedish director Robert Jitzmark for commercial representation. Jitzmark was previously represented in the US at Hungry Man. Jitzmark's debut spot for Green Dot is the recently-launched "Hot Streak" California Lotto spot. His work in both the US and Europe includes spots for Puma, Mini Cooper, McDonalds, Peugot, Sony Playstation, IKEA, Falcon Beer, Canal + and MTV. His spots for Swedish Fish took home a Gold Cube at the 2009 ADC Awards in New York. Notes Green Dot Films EP Darren Foldes, "Robert is a kind, funny and creatively gifted man. It's a pleasure to work with someone who has a very clear idea of what they want, can get people in agreement to help execute his ideas, and then will go on to exceed expectations with the final piece of work." Jitzmark began his filmmaking career at Stockholm's Berghs School of Communication. Upon graduation in 1995, he joined the production company Petterson Akerlund. In 2003, Jitzmark co-founded the Stockholm-based production company Camp David, which is still going strong.

Executive Producer Mel Gragido (pictured here) has returned to the Joneses. The industry veteran is revitalizing the production company's brand and assembling a roster from around the globe. New signings include Scandinavian directors Hans Moland and Johan Skog, British director Andy Lambert, Italian-born Riccardo Sai and American director Josh Forbes. Moland's European work includes commercials for Finnair, the Norwegian Lottery and the Norwegian utility Hafslund. In the US, Moland has done work for the Diamond Trading Commission, Teen Spirit and Fortunoff. Skog recently worked on a campaign for Hershey's and has created work for Electrolux, Scandinavian Airlines, IKEA and chocolate maker Freia. Lambert is repped by HSI London and has directed a number of spots featuring spoofs of movies. Sai was born in Italy but received his training in film at the New York Film Academy and at the London School of Film. He has spent most of his career in London where his recent work includes a series of short films for Microsoft and for Nike. His credits include Unilever, the Red Cross and the European Union. Forbes began his career as a copywriter with L.A. agency Dailey & Associates while moonlighting as a music video director.  Forbes' first commercial was for a promo for Lifeline starring Betty White.

SourceEcreative will be presenting a panel at the NAB Show in Las Vegas this April as part of the Creative Masters Series.  The series brings together key players in the motion picture, TV, advertising and online communities to shine a light on the craftsmanship of content.  Titled "Creating Cross-Platform Content: An Inside Look at Integrated Advertising Production," the panel will feature Tool of North America Digital EP Dustin Callif, Mirada Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder Mathew Cullen and Nick Felder, Global Director of Film & Music Production for The Coca-Cola Company. For more on the Creative Master Series, click here.   For more on the SourceEcreative seminar, click here. SourceEcreative members can use discount code EP30 when registering for a $100 discount on a Conference Flex Pass or SMART Pass, either of which will grant them access to all of the Creative Master Series sessions as well as the exhibit hall.