Director Cameron Busby, whose Logitech spot starring Little Nas X generated buzz on the Super Bowl in 2021, has joined the roster of Quriosity Productions in Chicago.
Busby marked his arrival with a new six-spot package for Ford trucks. The work, out of UniWorld Group (UWG), represents three campaigns, one focused on the F-150 (“Barbershop”), another that promotes the truck portfolio and one dedicated to honoring Black History Month (“Living Legacies”). Throughout the work, Busby’s storytelling shows how the vehicles fit their owners’ personal and professional needs, with style.
Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Busby has been working between Los Angeles and New York. A self-confessed movie buff, he was highly motivated to get into film, working initially on the editorial staff at Esquire as a producer and editor, creating video content tied to the publication’s story lineup. He took his experience and essentially pitched himself as a music video director, lining up a number of wins where he was able to flex his chops in both production design and narrative storytelling.
Since then he’s racked up a bevy of high profile projects, and has shot with major artists and labels as well as with leading media companies, working with everyone from Death Row Records to Disney. Artists he’s filmed include Megan Thee Stallion, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, Niall Horan, Kodak Black and Lil Baby, while his commercial clients include Walmart, Xfinity, ESPN, Logitech, Tobacco Free Florida and Rocket Mortgage.
The Ford campaigns Busby shot are the latest additions to this list, and notable in that he won the assignment over more established car directors. Broken into multiple campaigns, they center around a barber shop owner building his business and an event planner putting the finishing touches on an elegant setting, and showcase both the F-150 as well as the Maverick models.
“The agency and the clients trusted me and gave me a chance to show what I could do,” said Busby, who was introduced to Quriosity by UWG producer Zak Kareem. “I’m truly appreciative of the opportunity. It makes me feel like I just earned my wings.”
“When tasked with creating the story for the launch of the 2024 F-150, it was imperative that we work with someone who not only matched our passion but enhanced our ideas,” said UWG creative director Alexis Monette. “We wanted someone who understands our cultural nuances, and Cam stood out amongst others. He’s a critical thinker who works very democratically, unapologetically addressing when he feels that something could be different and taking the time to do things correctly. Due to this level of care he provided, the visuals have been allocated to other connected work for the brand, one being Black History Month, which we are very proud of. It was a pleasure to work beside Cam Busby, and we look forward to seeing the awesome work he’ll do in the very near future.”
Busby’s “Defy Logic” spot for Logitech with Lil Nas X, the brand’s first Super Bowl ad buy, is an explosion of self-expression, as the artist talked about the importance of “being me.” Busby’s work has been written up across the media spectrum. Ahead of the curve, he earned a slot in 2018 SHOOT New Directors Showcase, while still unsigned. Prior to joining Quriosity, he was working independently. Previous to that, he had been on the roster of production house Sibling Rivalry.
Qadree Holmes, Quriosity executive producer and founder, described Busby as “a true artist,” adding, “His fun and energetic style of shooting was a huge draw. Having an award-winning Super Bowl director to add to the roster was a no-brainer. And the work he did with Lil Nas X for Logitech was iconic. Very few Black directors have been able to step into those spaces, let alone say that they’ve directed a Super Bowl spot. Cam had done that and more.”
One thing Busby is hoping to achieve at Quriosity is sharpening his skills in pitching and landing assignments. “I’m often coming in as the underdog, so there’s an entire skill set you need to master when connecting with people,” he observed. “And Q is straightforward and honest about this process, which I really liked. I believe he can make me a better filmmaker while helping me grow my commercial career with bigger brands and bigger agencies.”
Busby also aims to translate his collaborations with music artists to the advertising arena, where the rules of engagement are different, and Holmes is in lockstep with those ambitions. “I think there’s a moment with any director who signs with a production company that they want to feel supported, and it’s been clear from the moment we started bidding Cam on projects that we were here to win it,” the EP notes. “He’s expressed to me that as a company, Quriosity has challenged him and his ideas, and made him view how he works differently.”
“Cam’s greatest strength is his freshness,” Holmes continued. “His work represents a new breath of fresh dope and currency. He’s not bound by the traditional rules of advertising, and it shows. I also thoroughly enjoyed watching him blend into an agency creative team like he’s their plus-one. It makes him part of the process, not an outsider looking in.”
