Frank Ocean, Barry From Eastenders and Old Spice: The Work That Made Yousef
Yousef is an award-winning director celebrated for his unique ability to blend comedy, magical realism, and a touch of the absurd. Known for creating ‘wonderfully weird’ commercials, promos and music videos, his work pushes the boundaries of visual storytelling, fusing surreal elements with everyday life in a way that feels fantastical but never over the top. Yousef has garnered industry-wide recognition for his distinct style.
LBB> The ad/music video from my childhood that stays with me…
Yousef> I’m still very much fond of the music video for 'Monaya' by Egyptian singer Moustafa Amar. It’s a reverse narrative / reverse performance love story with some nifty morphing visual effects. I remember watching it a lot on TV as a kid on Arabic music video channels when I’d spend summers in Morocco with my family. It came out in the early 2000s and still holds up in my opinion.
LBB> The ad/music video/game/web platform that made me want to get into the industry…
Yousef> Frank Ocean - 'Pyramids' directed by Nabil Elderkin. It’s a short film style music video that I was analysing in media class at college. I came initially because of Frank Ocean but stayed when I realised the director Nabil had made some of my favourite music videos of all time. It introduced me to magical realism which is still present in my own work and hooked me into the music video world. Soon after those essays I wrote, I was directing my own music videos.
LBB> The creative work (film/album/game/ad/album/book/poem etc) that I keep revisiting…
Yousef> What’s really hitting me at the moment is the poem 'The Fig Tree' by Sylvia Plath. I’ve never connected with a poem more than that one and it really spoke to me. Sometimes I find myself lost - not sure what path I should take. I don’t think 'The Fig Tree' offers any solutions for me but it does suggest that if I wait around for too long then there won’t be any figs for me to choose from.
Kinda loosely related, only because the lead character reads the poem in the show, I really like 'Master Of None' (especially season two). I think it speaks to me in a way no other show has and found myself relating to a lot of moments from that show. It feels so real and like indie cinema meets TV. It’s a special show and blends all my love for comedy, drama, Italy and romance. It’s sometimes equal parts heart-breaking and hilarious.
LBB> My first professional project…
Yousef> My first project that I was officially commissioned for and received a budget for was a double bill of music videos for singer songwriter Orla Gartland for her Roots EP.
I was a big fan of Orla’s and she took a chance on me. I had an idea and no reel to show for myself. She paired me up with the wonderful Duncan Howsley who didn’t live too far from me. He shot and produced it. It was my first project and I was still in college studying music videos in media class.
LBB> The piece of work (ad/music video/ platform…) that still makes me jealous…
Yousef> It’d be 'What Is OKX?' directed by Andreas Nillson. I’m a big fan of vignette style comedy commercials. The US does them a lot but it’s extra special when it’s a job out of the UK market. It’s fun, surreal and surprising - everything I love about his work. I wish I made that!
LBB> The creative project that changed my career…
Yousef> Piero Pirupa - 'Braindead' was the music video that changed everything for me. It was a low budget wild ride just before the pandemic hit. We had Barry from Eastenders (Shaun Williamson) doing drugs and going on a crazy trip for us. I loved the record label for putting their trust in us. We went a bit off brief but they were down for every choice I made and let us do whatever we wanted. It feels rare these days.
It was an incredibly important project for me. It won a few awards including a D&AD Pencil and was pivotal into entering the world of commercials. I believe if I hadn’t made 'Braindead' I wouldn’t have been able to make BBC iPlayer - 'Like Nowhere Else'.
LBB> The work that I’m proudest of…
Yousef> Old Spice - 'Curls Are Cool' was my first US project collaborating with W+K Portland. They were amazing to work with. I really love this project because they really let us push it and I got to work with a fantastic team of freelancers and post production companies on the VFX side of things. Lots of fun from start to finish.
LBB> I was involved in this and it makes me cringe…
Yousef> Very very early on in my career I was making music videos I really didn’t want to just to put stuff on the reel. I directed and produced this music video for June Miller & Mefjus - Saus (Music Video) with a few friends and an incredibly low budget. It was a production nightmare since we had no money for basically anything. I was trying to direct, produce and AD the shoot and later edit and do the VFX. I bit off more than I could chew.
LBB> The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most…
Yousef> I directed a McDonald’s commercial in Amsterdam in that comedy vignette style that I’m really into. The crew was wonderful and the shoot was a tonne of fun in the sun with good friends. It really didn’t feel like work at all.
