Tompa and Rondo, the creative directorial duo consisting of Tomas Skoging and Filip Nilsson, have joined RSA Films for commercial representation in the U.S. Skoging is co-founder/director of acclaimed Swedish creative collective Acne and Nilsson spent over two decades as the creative leader of Forsman and Bodenfors, transforming the small startup in Gothenburg, Sweden, into a prominent global creative agency. Formed only one year ago, Tompa and Rondo have turned out epic storytelling for IKEA (“Blue Bag,” “Who Are You Cooking For?”) and Milka (“Easter”), scoring honors at Cannes. RSA becomes the first U.S. production company roost for Tompa and Rondo who continue to be repped by Acne in Sweden and Europe.
“Bringing on Tompa and Rondo reaffirms the company’s big storytelling DNA,” said Jules Daly, president of RSA Films. “I have known Tomas a long time and always admired his aesthetic, great taste and collaborative spirit. Filip is an amazingly talented storyteller and creative leader who really understands the far-reaching content landscape of our business today. The two of them together are a powerhouse! We’re looking forward to unleashing them on our clients in the states.”
“I always loved RSA,” Skoging said, noting that Acne was repped by RSA ten years ago before branching out to produce their work in the U.S. independently. “It felt natural to reach out again. It is so impressive RSA has been around nearly 50 years and always has worked at the highest level.”
Although in their sophomore year as a directing duo, they had already collaborated for years with Skoging directing via Acne and Nilsson being his client, both at Forsman and Bodenfors and during his two years as a creative leader at BETC Paris. The two worked on ads for IKEA, Tele 2, Evian and others, got to know one another well and developed a common view on storytelling. That dynamic plays into their relationship today.
“We have a tight way of working,” Skoging said. “Together we look at the script, break it down and put it back together again to arrive at the best idea. Because we have totally different backgrounds, we bring different things to each script.”
“But when we shoot we are equally prepared for everything— working with the talent and behind the camera,” Nilsson noted. “We flip a coin the night before to see who will work with talent and who will be behind the camera. We dove right into three big projects this way and it really works well.”
Creative innovators and thought leaders, Nilsson and Skoging are among Sweden’s most revered talents in advertising. Skoging has seen Acne prosper and grow into a global brand. Nilsson led projects recognized with myriad awards at Forsman & Bodenfors, including more than 80 Cannes Lions. Among the most memorable, he said, an early Cannes Gold Lion in Film for Volvo titled “Teacher” with Trakor, and a Cyber Grand Prix that changed the whole perception of the agency.
“We have been doing some interesting stuff over the last two decades,” Skoging said. “But now we’ve chosen, once again, to step out of our comfort zones and that is refreshing. We feel extremely motivated.”
