PetGorilla Expands Roster with Three New Directors

Integrated production company PetGorilla has announced the signing of three new directors for US commercial representation - Linus Johansson, Joris Debeij and Norton. All three additions to the integrated shops roster showcase a variety of talents and skills.

“We’re always looking for directors who are big thinkers,” explained Exec Producer Dominic Bernacchi. “There are so many ways to reach audiences these days and our recent signings each hit on specific notes that are needed in this ever-changing advertising landscape.”

Johansson, a Swedish-based native, was formerly with production house ACNE in the US before signing with Pet Gorilla. Previously he has directed for brands such as Target, GE, IKEA, and Rabodirect. Recently he wrapped a campaign for a San Francisco agency– his first project since joining Pet Gorilla. Johansson specialises in visual storytelling, with skills rooted in animation and visual effects.

Joris Debeij first began directing short form documentaries for his website Iamlosangeles.com. With a background rooted in journalistic filmmaking, Debeij has recently broken into advertising with a Father’s Day spot for Minwax and Deutsch, whilst also capturing attention with The JetBlue ‘FlyBabies’ campaign penned by MullenLowe.

His narrative styled documentary filmmaking brings personality and heart to real-people stories, and his work for Iamlosangeles.com was recently awarded three local Emmy’s.

Music Video director Norton joined Pet Gorilla after finishing a campaign with Nike and Barcelona football legend Neymar Jr, in collaboration with AKQA London. With a background in editorial and finishing, Norton approaches each project with a deft eye for detail, seamlessly weaving post production into storytelling. His recent collaboration with St. Lucia and Converse for the track ‘Help Me Run Away’ is the perfect example of his storytelling style. 

The three new directors join a growing roster including founder Luc Schurgers, Reza Rasoli, Matty Fisch and Jerad Sloan.

Executive Producer and CoFounder, Dominic Bernacchi said of the trio: “I’m really happy that these guys are joining us here at Pet Gorilla. Their styles are unique; each of them has that special something that will help us to continue to break new ground in advertising. We work with our clients on a variety of projects from traditional to interactive. No matter what medium we create content for - amazing storytelling skills are a requirement. Whether it’s a web film, an experiential installation or a social campaign, we want talent that understands storytelling is not limited to film-based perspectives.”

“PetGorilla is a very unique and temperamental creature that doesn’t sit still, it constantly moves and evolves, always looking for the next horizon. When it comes to new talent, Dom and I are very specific in what we’re looking for. Yes, you have to be able to tell a story visually and direct to a high standard, but you also need the vision to see a campaign through many different guises and across multifaceted platforms. That’s exactly the type of talent we’re looking to represent here,and these guys are a perfect addition” added Director and PetGorilla co-founder Luc Schurgers