English-French director, writer and photographer Tom Emmerson has joined Serial Pictures for commercial, branded entertainment and music video representation in the U.S. Known for his bold, visual aesthetic and off-the-wall humor, Emmerson has worked on campaigns for Adidas Originals, House of Errors and Hermes, and his latest, released this week, is a quirky, clever twist for New Balance’s T500 campaign starring Real Madrid phenomenon Endrick and multi-platinum rapper Jack Harlow, which Emmerson wrote and directed.
The film, which is part of the brand’s larger “Quiet Please” campaign, opens on a high-stakes tennis match, yet this is no ordinary game. One player is armed with a racket, but his opponent is none other than Brazilian football sensation Endrick, playing an unexpected match of foot tennis. In a surreal twist, the heated match is revealed to all be contained within a New Balance shoebox. Meanwhile, a life-sized Endrick watches on with his real-life partner, model Gabriely Miranda, from the comfort of an upscale country club. The match is interrupted when at the next table a boisterous Harlow forgets to respect the quietude of the beautiful game of tennis.
“Tom doesn’t just tell stories,” said Serial founder and executive producer Violaine Etienne, “He invents, dissects, and turns the mundane on its head, igniting each frame with humor and a style that challenges convention and grabs your attention.”
Emmerson said, “Serial has got such an amazing roster, team and portfolio of work. I’m really excited to see what we can do together and can’t wait to get started.”
Emmerson started shooting stills at 14, and by the age of 18 had photographed campaigns for the likes of Helmut Lang, Burberry, Fila and Axel Arigato. After directing his first music video while studying Economics at university, he realized that he’d much rather dedicate his life to making films he loves than to spreadsheets he hates.
He has collaborated with London rapper AntsLive on multiple award-winning projects, including the musician’s “Number One Candidate,” which saw the artist undergo a crash course in horseback riding before heading to the Italian Dolomites to shoot a Western music video. The video gained massive traction with more than 10M views on social media, while also winning Best Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Video at the 2024 UK Music Video Awards. Emmerson followed it up with a D&AD Pencil-winning sensational video for “Captain Ants,” which sees the artist take you on a mad ride, from boarding with his pet lama to standing on a flying plane.
Prior to joining Serial Pictures, Emmerson was represented in the U.S. by Pulse Films. He continues to be repped in the U.K. and Sweden by Business Club.
