Native Pictures Signs Directing Collective 'The Work'

Native Pictures, a company known for creative thinking and innovative production solutions, has signed The Work, the directing collective behind Ford Mustang’s “Speed Dating” viral for Team Detroit, which has reached 10 million hits and counting. Detroit born and bred, The Work are a team of five who form the creative collective. They are renowned for their craftsmanship and all-in-one approach, everything from directing and cinematography to producing, editorial and design.

“It’s no surprise that The Work come out of Detroit, where ingenuity, artistry and hard work are the pulse of the city,” commented Native Partner/Executive Producer Susan Rued Anderson, who announced the signing of The Work today with Native Founding Partner/Executive Producer Tomer DeVito. “Two years ago, Detroit recognized The Work as budding talent in their own backyard and gave them amazing opportunities. We can’t wait to introduce them to the rest of the advertising community.” 

Project highlights from The Work include commercials and digital campaigns for Corvette Stingray, Chevrolet Silverado, Lincoln Motor Company and Herman Miller; music promos for Matt & Kim, Big Sean and The National; short film The Pleasure of Sound, shown at the Detroit Museum of Contemporary Art; and short film Tonight, The Streets Were Dark for fashion label Revive which screened in theaters. The Work have collaborated with agencies such as Goodby Silverstein & Partners, Commonwealth/McCann, Team Detroit, Lowe Campbell Ewald, Hudson Rouge and Vitro. And they have filmed across North America and throughout Europe, as well as the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.

“We have had the opportunity to work on some great projects and are excited for the next steps as a company with the Native partnership,” commented Jesse Ford, Executive Producer, The Work. “Native’s passion for creative and delivering high quality work is perfectly aligned with our approach.”

DeVito added: “Our partnership with The Work gives our clients access to the modern director archetype. They are visual, narrative and documentary storytellers, hidden camera directors and so much more. Like Native, The Work are hands-on, passionate and resourceful and take great pride in … well, the work. They are a great fit for Native and we’re excited to have them on board!” 

With roots in music, the five friends who form The Work first worked as a collective on a show for one member’s band at a 90-person venue in a Detroit suburb. There they created and produced experiences and content around the music using video, photography and projections. One of their first agency projects together was a multi-media campaign for Ford Fiesta that included the design of a huge mural. With its multi-city interplay of video, design, painting and music, the collaboration marked the start of the unique synergy that now drives The Work’s aesthetic.

The Work are the latest addition to Native’s lineup, following the recent signings of directors Rob Cohen and Gary McKendry. They join Ruben Latre, Ben Briand, Tom Dey and Prmry on the roster. This year has also seen Native’s management team expand with the addition of Susan Rued Anderson as Partner/Executive Producer in Los Angeles, and Chris Messiter, as Partner/Executive Producer in New York, overseeing the company’s newly opened New York office.