Director Georgi Banks-Davies Joins Madheart

LOS ANGELES—Georgi Banks-Davies is heading to Madheart. The British director, the subject of growing international acclaim for her work for Coca-Cola, AT&T, O2 and other brands, has chosen the boutique, Los Angeles-based production company to orchestrate her entry into the U.S. market.

“Georgi is a brilliant talent whose work is particularly relevant to today’s culture,” says Madheart executive producer Lisa Phillips. “She creates advertising that is uplifting, with a depth and richness that is both real and appropriate to the subject or brand. We are very excited to work with her.” Phillips added that Banks-Davies is currently working on a campaign for Coca-Cola via Ogilvy & Mather, Berlin, and German production company Tony Petersen Film (TPF).

Banks-Davies has been directing through Friend for two years and during that time has created a body of work for major advertisers notable for its naturalism and emotional power. Her latest work includes a campaign for the international food brand American Garden. Themed “Let’s Savor Life,” the ads show people of different ethnicities enjoying the magic of being alive. Scenes range from young people sitting around a beach campfire to a couple skydiving. “It’s about the sense of wonder, the energy and excitement people invest in moments from the smallest to the biggest,” Banks-Davies explains.

Although she has done the bulk of her work in Europe, Banks-Davies is not entirely new to U.S. advertising. Last December, she directed a campaign for AT&T and BBDO, New York focused on digital lifestyles. It consists of a series of charming, intimate scenes celebrating the chaos of family life while subtly offering AT&T cellphones and other digital technology as a way to stay connected and in control. “The concept works because it shows how the product is relevant and connects to people’s lives,” she says.

Banks-Davies was hired directly out of film school by the BBC to direct on-air promos and other short-form media. Two years later, she joined CNN. Traveling to Beirut, Uganda, California and other points around the world, she again created promos and short films on an astonishing array of subjects. “My time at CNN made me the director that I am today,” she says. “It taught me the art of emotional storytelling—how to say it all in a very short time.”

Madheart will immediately begin to market Banks-Davies through its national sales network. “I am thrilled to join Madheart,” Banks-Davies says. “I am a big fan of their directors. The quality of their work is fantastic and at a level where I, too, want to work. I was delighted that Lisa reached out to me.”

Madheart is based in Los Angeles. For further information, call 310-421-4441or visit https://www.madheart.com/. The company is represented on the West Coast by Lisa Gimenez (lisa@manifestcreative.tv), in the Midwest by Hot Betty (cat@hot-betty.com), on the East Coast by Dana Dubay (dana@dubay.tv) and in the Southeast by Sarah Lange (sarahLange@cox.net).