Production house kaboom has added Jordan Brady to its directorial roster for national representation spanning commercials and branded content. Brady has directed 1,000-plus commercials, four narrative feature films, three feature documentaries, and one Netflix comedy special. Whether collaborating with the likes of Will Farrell, Charlize Theron, Penélope Cruz, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, or directing non-actors, Brady is known for genuinely connecting subject and audience–with canny timing. This talent has been recognized with numerous advertising awards including Clios, National Gold ADDYs, Promax, One Show, D Show, Pencil, AICP Show honors and more.
Brady and kaboom collaborated on a recent project, which began as a one-time experience and naturally evolved into a deeper relationship resulting in they’re now joining forces.
“I’ve followed Jordan’s work for a long time,” related kaboom owner/EP Lauren Schwartz. “However, what I came to learn during the course of this collaboration was how idea-driven, engaged, prepared, and respectful he is about the process. He’s a super funny guy with a thoughtful approach to life. And he truly exemplifies allyship, dedicating time and energy to efforts that make a difference.”
Brady noted, “Lauren is such a pro, and the entire experience–taking place during COVID no less–was both fun and incredibly managed. But the defining moment for me was when she joined me to attend the protests happening in downtown Portland. She didn’t have to be there–she wanted to. It was personal for both of us, and an honest connection that led to many other conversations including a plan to make our collaboration ongoing.”
Behind many of Brady’s pursuits is the goal is to counteract apathy with empathy. From a filmmaking bootcamp, to a fundraising hot sauce, Brady carries a deep belief in the power of community and unearthing simple actions to help others. His ability to connect is also at the core of his podcast “Respect The Process,” featuring candid conversations about craft with some of the advertising industry’s most effusive and compelling characters.
A former stand-up comic, Brady channeled his experience and vast network of professional humorists into a feature film trilogy about what it means to be a comedian. I Am Comic features the likes of Phyllis Diller, Sarah Silverman, Jim Gaffigan and Margaret Cho candidly reflecting on what it means to be a comedian; I Am Road Comic lifts the curtain on what life actually looks like on the road with Marc Maron and other stand-ups; and I Am Battle Comic takes audiences and comic George Lopez on a unique and ultimately life-changing mission to perform for military troops overseas.
The transformational experience of entertaining service-people was recently highlighted by The 4A’s Conscious Creatives. In a filmed interview, Brady discusses applying filmmaking skills to change-making initiatives, and why giving back can also be a laughing matter.
Brady had been freelancing since the start of the year after a long tenure at production house Superlounge. He also had a recent, now former relationship with Accomplice Media for representation in the Midwest.
Havas Study Finds Resilience, Optimism In Time of Global Crisis
Havas has released the 2024 edition of its Global annual Meaningful Brands™ study, revealing newfound resilience and optimism during a period when global crisis has become the norm. Havas has measured Meaningful Brands™ annually since 2009, furthering a commitment to bringing data science, insights, and an understanding of people to the core of its strategic methodology across businesses, brands, and markets. “We have been investing in our landmark Meaningful Brands™ study for more than 16 years, and these insights now take on even greater prominence in our work for clients through our shared Converged strategy and operating system. We launched Converged to transform our client experience by building even more strategic bridges between creativity, media, production, and technology, and a shared understanding of today’s consumers is essential to this vision and to unlocking more meaningful growth for our clients and their brands,” said Yannick Bolloré, chairman and CEO, Havas. Commissioned with YouGov, “The Rise of the Change Makers” surveyed more than 156,500 respondents, finding that while 70% of people feel the world is going in the wrong direction globally, 69% won’t let the tough times keep them down. Across 24 markets and more than 2,600 brands, 67% of respondents reported being happy today and 59% feeling optimistic about the future. In 2022, The Collins Dictionary named ‘polycrisis’ its word of the year, but, as 2024 comes to a conclusion, ‘permacrisis’ is a more apt descriptor for a landscape where climate change escalates, the cost of living continues to soar, political differences are dramatized amidst the biggest democratic election year in history, and conflict, violence and humanitarian crises affect millions around... Read More