VW - Born Free

Erik is a director with a remarkably diverse body of award-winning work. From intimate stories driven by kids to epic cinematic achievements for cars and seamlessly layered post production, each piece has its own unique cinematic design driven by the core idea. As an ex-agency creative director Erik’s process always starts with ‘concept and viewer’.

‘For me it is all about the viewer. If the viewer doesn’t say, “Wow, let me see it again”, you’ve probably wasted the opportunity. I see lot of brands waste their opportunities because they forget the viewer and just keep making more of the same of what is already out there. It’s also not about the length or the format of the ad, for me it’s again simply about the entertainment value for the viewer. It’s about hooking them, moving them. Don’t bore them, they’ll just scroll away. Make something different.’

Erik draws heavily from the various cultures and cities he and his family have lived in throughout his life which include London, Oslo, Geneva, Stuttgart, Singapore, Boston, Portland, New York, Barcelona, Johannesburg, and Cape Town. He studied art, robotics engineering, photography, and screenwriting. He drummed for art school bands and music is still a major creative driving force.

His projects include collaborations with some of the world’s most celebrated agencies Wieden+Kennedy, BBH and BBDO, and commissions for global brands Ikea, Heineken, Honda, and Coca-Cola.

Erik is currently based between Cape Town and London with his young family.