Imagine This, a global creative studio serving the advertising sector, has been launched under the aegis of founder and CEO Toby Walsham who previously served as managing director and partner of U.K. production company FAMILIA. Joining Walsham at Imagine This–which offers talent and resources ranging from strategy and insight to production, postproduction, creative direction, and technology services–are Dave East as partner and creative director, Robyn Walsham as partner and chief brand officer, and Dave Campbell as partner and executive producer. The shop is designed to provide brand and agency clients a Swiss-army-knife of creative capabilities to aid them in problem solving across every stage of campaign development.
Creative director East, who’s from the U.K., has been working independently as a freelance director. His credits include commercials for such brands as Kodak, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Palace and Apple Music, music videos for Ezra Miller, The Foals, and Sean Paul, and commercial still photography for Samsung, Coutts, Under Armour, Audi and Adidas.
Robyn Walsham, also from the U.K., has been a freelance creative director and hair & make-up designer within the advertising, music promo, TV and feature film space represented by Wizz & Co.
And Campbell is the founder of Los Angeles-based Rogue Rep, and formerly worked for ChiatDay, Saatchi & Saatchi, Wieden+Kennedy, FCB and Microsoft. Campbell will continue to run Rogue Rep while assuming his new leadership role at Imagine This.
The business model at Imagine This allows its talent to be repped non-exclusively to facilitate creative growth and flexibility, and connect the dots between more creators, studios, agencies, and other entities. Imagine This provides production support and representation to not only directors but varied talent that includes photographers, designers, art directors, composers, and VFX artists. The studio opens with 17 creators, including innovator Anita Fontaine, known for her work blending emerging technologies such as AI, AR and VR with traditional creative concepts; director and producer Ntando, who’s influenced and helped shape the visual landscape of contemporary music through his work with leading rap artists; and Clio Award-winning director/photographer Brandon Lavoie, known for his critically acclaimed travel content that has taken him to some of the world’s most beautiful and remote destinations. Lavoie is an alum of SHOOT’s 2020 New Directors Showcase.
The talent lineup at Imagine This currently spans the U.S., U.K., South Africa, Switzerland and Greece.
Toby Walsham said, “With the industry having faced significant challenges over the past couple of years, it’s time to break the mold and evolve stale models and processes that are holding us back from being creative, cost effective and above all imaginative in the way we approach commercial production. We’re here to change the dynamic, offer up exciting new ways of working for creatives and create craft-forward, impactful work for brands. Watch this space.”
