STORY has signed director Kevin Smith for exclusive national representation. Smith, whose recent work includes campaigns for Home Depot, AT&T, Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Carnation, is known for an intelligent, meticulously-crafted style of subtle, sometimes ironic humor.

Smith joins STORY following a long association with Backyard Productions through which he directed spots for many leading brands. The majority of his work involves performance-driven comedy centering on familiar life situations. In a recent ad for Blue Cross/Blue Shield, a man mistakes his mother-in-law for his wife, surprising her with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. That leads into a graphic promoting eye exams.

“I like to direct projects that take advantage of my comic sensibility,” Smith said. “Although I started out in advertising in a technical role, it’s performance that interests me most. Performance and human interaction. That’s what I love.”

The son of a Detroit advertising executive, Smith began his career as a director of photography and experimental filmmaker before focusing on comedy directing. “A big part of what I do is give the viewer credit for being intelligent,” he said. “I put the pieces out there so that viewers feel that they are putting them together, even though they’re being directed in a very specific way. The feel like they are involved in the story.”

Smith has already booked his first job with STORY, a two-spot package for a national pharmaceutical brand via Abelson Taylor, Chicago.  He is currently bidding several other projects.   “The response to Kevin’s work has been very strong,” noted STORY EP Mark Androw. “Kevin has many loyal clients who have learned to trust him to treat their scripts with care and to improve them in the very pleasant process.”

Smith explained his move to STORY was motivated by a desire to form new agency relationships and expand his creative horizons. “Mark has excellent connections to agencies in markets across the country and his company is very competitive in pursuing new work,” he observed. “He’s good at finding the kind of jobs that I like--with agencies that have strong creative environments.”

STORY is represented on the East Coast by Ilene Silberman; in the Midwest by Amy McIntyre; in the Southeast by Miller + Associates; and in the Southwest by Gossip!.