Comedy director Declan Lowney has been signed for representation in the American ad market by Merman US which maintains operations in New York and L.A. The deal extends the geography of Lowney’s relationship with Merman which has had him on its U.K. roster since 2021.
Most of Lowney’s work in the U.S. to date has been as a director and supervising producer on Apple TV+’s global smash hit Ted Lasso. Lowney received two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Comedy Directing–for seasons one and three–as well a DGA nomination earlier this year. In his capacity as a producer on the series, he was part of the contingent that won the Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy in 2022 for season two.
The Irish director’s first new commercial work in the U.S. market, produced by Merman, has been the latest in Allstate’s hilarious Mayhem saga, featuring the character actor Dean Winters as a deadpan, bruised and shape-shifting provocateur of catastrophes who wreaks havoc everywhere. In “Leafblower” Winters becomes an illegal “overpowered leafblower” blowing debris into traffic, causing an auto wreck. In a holiday spot promoting the Walmart Protection Plan by Allstate, Winter is an “Overworked Elf” who carelessly drops a bag of Christmas gifts down a working chimney, destroying a pile of new electronic devices. Allstate also will be dropping a soon to be announced third installment in the Mayhem series directed by Lowney.
“When I moved to the U.S. four years ago, one of the first ad campaigns I noticed was Allstate’s Mayhem spots,” said Lowney. “I loved the character’s glee and excitement at creating MAYHEM and thought…yea, I want to be part of that! I totally get the humor, and the visual gags play perfectly to my skill set. Dean’s a brilliant actor, he brings so many ideas to the part, and he’s a lot of fun to work with! The creative team at Allstate really know their stuff. There’s a very specific conceit with Mayhem and they know what works and what doesn’t, which is a really fine line. It’s great to have that guidance. Comedy is a collaborative sport, and coming from TV, I bring that spirit of collaboration to the commercials I make. I love working with the creative team to make sure we’re telling the very funniest version of their story. That collaboration is crucial to me.”
“We are so happy to have Declan with Merman on this side of the pond” said Merman global managing director Kira Carstensen. “We have had the pleasure of working with him in the U.K., and just knew that his brand of humor and delightful direction would play well in this market. His work is not just funny, it is heroically hilarious, with his great storytelling and eye for detail. Declan is one of a kind, a supremely gifted talent, but an even better human being. We are lucky to have him.”
Lowney is renowned for his work on some of the U.K.’s best-loved TV comedies and commercials, from the cult favorite Father Ted to comedy hits such as Little Britain and Cold Feet. He has won two BAFTAs, is a six time BAFTA nominee for comedy direction over his career, and two of his British comedies have won International Emmys.
In the commercial world, Lowney is highly sought after for his Irish wit and light comic touch. His ad work covers a large breadth of brands including BT, Halifax, Santander, Sky and the AA. His awards span from Cannes Grand Prix to Gold & Silver Lions, D&AD Pencils, British Arrows, Kinsale Sharks and Clios. Lowney’s most popular commercial work is a series of blockbuster, star-studded Warburtons bread spots which feature epic comic turns from Sylvester Stallone, The Muppets, Peter Kay, Robert De Niro, George Clooney and Samuel L. Jackson. Prior to joining Merman US, Lowney was handled in the American ad market by Minted Content.
“Speaking to your audience with humor shows that you respect your audience’s intelligence and they in turn appreciate the advertiser for that,” said Lowney. “It can form a bond between the brand and the consumer that you don’t often get. Great comedy commercials are like the best comedy TV shows–the audience feels they’re in good hands and are happy to go along for the ride. My commercials are funnier because I direct funny TV shows, and my TV work looks better now because I’ve learned so much from shooting commercials. It’s a win-win situation!”
