RSA Films has signed award-winning director Jack Cole for commercials and branded entertainment in the U.S.
Best known for his comedic storytelling, Cole is a versatile filmmaker whose work reflects standout casting and performance, and striking visuals and art direction. He recently directed back-to-back campaigns for Red Baron, campaigns for AG1, Velo and Minnesota Lottery, as well as the Little Caesars multi-award winning “The Lake Giveth” campaign (2022). Prior to joining RSA, Cole had been repped in the U.S. by Chelsea.
“What I enjoy most about Jack’s work is the merging of a polished and textured aesthetic within a comedic frame, blending seamlessly VFX in places,” said Luke Ricci, president, RSA Films US. “His work speaks to a very current approach to comedic advertising and strikes a balance between humor and nuanced authentic performances.”
Cole said, “I am energized and excited to build upon the work I’ve created to date. I’m ambitious and wish to challenge myself with bigger opportunities, and RSA is the perfect home for this, with their stellar leadership and production expertise. I can’t wait to dig in with Luke Ricci and the team.”
Cole’s work is textured, and adds a dimension to stories by instantly transporting viewers into cinematic universes. You see it in “Octagon,” his latest for Red Baron which features gritty MMA fighters finding their zen while eating pizza and sharing emotional moments in the cage; in “Toilet” for AG1, set in a softly lit, invitingly designed bathroom conducive to starting your morning out right where instead a woman suffers without the benefits of AG1; and in Little Caesars “The Lake Giveth,” where the scenery, styling and color palate evoke scenes from camping trips of yesteryear.
In addition to commercials, Cole directs shorts and installation films and is an avid still photographer. His artworks have exhibited widely with The National Gallery in London, Paul Smith Albemarle Street, London, Salon Art Fair, New York, and the Spazio Orlandi Gallery in Milan.
“As well as my appreciation for a great gag, I’m broadly speaking a big art lover,” Cole said, “and love to spend time in the London art galleries.” Masters like Zurbaran, Caravaggio, Rembrandt and contemporary artists and photographers like Ron Mueck, Grayson Perry, Alex Prager and Erwin Olaf are among his favorites. Music, too, is a big influence, growing up as a ‘90s Hip-hop devotee, and now a mix of Neo Soul, Nu Jazz, Electronica and more.
Always artistically inclined, Cole grew up drawing and painting before he studied film, earning a degree from University for the Creative Arts in the U.K. Originally focused on cinematography, he then briefly formed the directing partnership LIFF, with Stian Smestad when the industry was riding the Scandinavian comedy wave. Inspired by iconic works by the likes of Spike Jonze, Jonathan Glazer and Frank Budgen, Cole’s solo career then took off. For over a decade, he’s been prolific helming humor-driven campaigns for brands including Heineken, Panasonic, Google/YouTube, Reebok, Subway, Toyota and KFC. And he has collaborated with many leading agencies such as Mother, Droga5, BBH, AMV BBDO, BETC and Uncommon.
