Kim Gehrig is an Australian

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

whose body of work spans television shows, commercials, music videos, documentaries, short films and branded entertainment. Gehrig directed "The Woman Who Ate Photographs", an episode of

Apple TV+ Apple TV+ is an American subscription over-the-top streaming service owned by Apple. The service launched on November 1, 2019, and it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service w ...

series, "Roar", starring

Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an Australian and American actress and producer. Known for Nicole Kidman on screen and stage, her work in film and television productions across many genres, she has consistently ranked among the world ...

. Her notable commercial works include Run This Town and Stay for Rihanna's

Super Bowl LVII Super Bowl LVII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2022 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Kansas City Chiefs defeated the National Football Confere ...

Halftime Show A halftime show is a performance given during the brief period between the first and second halves, or the second and third quarters, of a sporting event. Halftime shows are not given for sports with an irregular or indeterminate number of di ...

, The Greatest for Apple, Viva La Vulva for Libresse, Life Needs Truth for The New York Times, the

This Girl Can The This Girl Can campaign was developed by Sport England to promote sport amongst women. The first TV ad was aired on 12 January 2015. It was accompanied by cinema, outdoor, and social media advertising, which included a Twitter campaign using the ...

campaign, and work for many more for brands including Airbnb, Google, Lyft, Nike,

IKEA IKEA ( , ) is a Multinational corporation, multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in Sweden that designs and sells , household goods, and various related services. IKEA is owned and operated by a series of not-for-profit an ...

, GAP, and

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...

. In music videos, Gehrig has collaborated with artists such as

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan ( ), is an American singer. Known as the " Queen of Funk", her career has spanned more than five decades beginning in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of ...

, Brittany Howard, Wiley,

Calvin Harris Adam Richard Wiles (born 17 January 1984), known professionally as Calvin Harris (and sometimes under the stage name Love Regenerator), is a Scottish DJ, record producer, singer, and songwriter. His debut studio album, ''I Created Disco'' (2007 ...

, and

Basement Jaxx Basement Jaxx are an English electronic music duo consisting of Felix Buxton (born 30 April 1970) and Simon Ratcliffe (born 28 November 1969). The pair got their name from the regular club night they held in Brixton, London, UK. They first ros ...

. In 2023, Gehrig became the 2nd woman of all time to win the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials and her films have won a plethora of awards including Cannes Lions, D&AD pencils, BTAA Arrows and UKMVA's.

Career

One of her first major works as a director was the 'You are Powerful' video for

, released on the 60th anniversary of the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is an international document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly that enshrines the Human rights, rights and freedoms of all human beings. Drafted by a UN Drafting of the Universal D ...

. For this she won a Silver Lion at

Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity (formerly the International Advertising Festival) is a global event for those working in creative communications, advertising, and related fields. It is considered the largest gathering of the ...

2010 and a broadcast award by the Young Director Awards. Gehrig is represented by Somesuch, who were awarded

Advertising Age ''Ad Age'' (known as ''Advertising Age'' until 2017) is a global media brand that publishes news, analysis, and data on marketing and media. Its namesake magazine was started as a broadsheet newspaper in Chicago in 1930. ''Ad Age'' appears in ...

's 2018 Production Company of the Year.

Music Videos

Gehrig has directed numerous music videos in addition to her advertising work. She won 'Best Urban Music Video' at the 2009

UK Music Video Awards The UK Music Video Awards is an annual celebration of creativity, technical excellence and innovation in music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotiona ...

for Wiley 's '''Cash in My Pocket''', and was nominated in 2018 for her music video for

's '''Like Suga.

Television

Gehrig directed "The Woman Who Ate Photographs", an episode of

series, "Roar", starring

written by Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch.

The Greatest (Apple)

Her recent film for

Apple An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...

, 'The Greatest,' challenged common stereotypes about people with disabilities while highlighting accessibility features available on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. The 2-minute film was made with the partnership and feedback of the disability community, both in front of and behind the camera. The lyrics of the film's soundtrack are based on speeches by

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...

, who became an advocate for disability after developing

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...

. The Australian group Spinifex Gum sang the song, which was then remixed by Cola Boyy along with improvised piano by

Matthew Whitaker Matthew George Whitaker (born October 29, 1969) is an American lawyer, politician, and diplomat serving as the 26th List of United States permanent representatives to NATO, United States permanent representative to NATO since 2025 in the Second ...

. Apple also released an audio-described version of the film to bring awareness to the needs of blind and low-vision audiences.

Viva la Vulva (Libresse)

Gehrig directed the award-winning 'Viva la Vulva' advert for

Libresse Libresse is a brand of Essity, specializing in products for period and daily intimate care. Libresse is a global brand, operating under a number of different names in local markets – Bodyform, Nana, Nuvenia, Saba, Nosotras, Libresse, and Libra. ...

, a celebration of the

vagina In mammals and other animals, the vagina (: vaginas or vaginae) is the elastic, muscular sex organ, reproductive organ of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vulval vestibule to the cervix (neck of the uterus). The #Vag ...

and women body confidence. The video contains many items from normal life which resemble vaginas as well as puppetry and outfits resembling genitalia. It was set to the music of Camille Yarbrough's Take Yo' Praise'.''.

This Girl Can (Sport England)

Gehrig directed the multi award-winning advert for the

campaign by

Sport England Sport England is a non-departmental public body under the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Its role is to build the foundations of a community sport system by working with national governing bodies of sport, and other funded partners, ...

to encourage more women to take part in sport. The video features personal and unfiltered clips of women exercising as they would be normally. The advert was praised for its bold and empowering message, winning awards including a Glass Lion for Good at Cannes Lions 2015. Sport England estimated that an additional 2.8 million women decided to take up a sport after the advert's release. The first advert was followed by 'Phenomenal Women', showcasing women from all walks of life engaging in sport set to

Maya Angelou Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credi ...

's recital of ''Phenomenal Woman''. Gehrig stated in 2018 that 'This Girl Can' is the video she is most proud of.

Man on The Moon (John Lewis)

Later in 2015 Gehrig premiered the first

John Lewis John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American civil rights activist and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...

Christmas advert to be directed by a woman; 'Man on The Moon'. The advert constituted part of John Lewis' partnership with Age UK to raise awareness of

loneliness Loneliness is an unpleasant emotional response to perceived or actual isolation. Loneliness is also described as social paina psychological mechanism that motivates individuals to seek social connections. It is often associated with a perc ...

in the

elderly Old age is the range of ages for people nearing and surpassing life expectancy. People who are of old age are also referred to as: old people, elderly, elders, senior citizens, seniors or older adults. Old age is not a definite biological sta ...

, showing a lonely old man living on the moon being sent a gift by a young girl on earth. The video was set to a cover of Oasis' '''Half the World Away''' by Aurora.

The Best Men Can Be (Gillette)

Gehrig again rose to prominence in 2019 for ' The Best Men Can Be' advertising video by razor company

Gillette Gillette is an American brand of safety razors and other personal care products including shaving supplies, owned by the multi-national corporation Procter & Gamble (P&G). Based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, it was owned by The Gil ...

, which challenges its earlier tagline of "The Best a Man Can Get" and the effects of

toxic masculinity The concept of toxic masculinity is used in academic and media discussions to refer to those aspects of hegemonic masculinity that are socially destructive, such as misogyny, homophobia, and violent domination. These traits are considered "toxi ...

. The advert was praised by some for its message against the traditional concepts of how men should be, and how this impacts

mental health Mental health is often mistakenly equated with the absence of mental illness. However, mental health refers to a person's overall emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It influences how individuals think, feel, and behave, and how t ...

as well as women. However, the advert was criticised by others for its negative portrayal of men. Multiple commentators, such as

Piers Morgan Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan (; O'Meara, born 30 March 1965) is an English journalist and media personality. He began his career in 1988 at the tabloid ''The Sun (United Kingdom), The Sun''. In 1994, at the age of 29, he was appointed editor of ...

, were incensed by the campaign and vowed to boycott the company. ''

Marketing Week ''Marketing Week'' is a website focused on the marketing industry, based in London, that grew out of what was a weekly, and latterly monthly, print magazine. History and profile ''Marketing Week'' was launched in March 1978. Its co-founders were ...

'' saw the backlash towards the ad as backfiring on Gillete following declining sales metrics for the brand. Gehrig responded to some of the criticism by saying: "The project had actually been conceived, written and edited by men. But because I'm a female director, it fitted neatly into a troll's narrative."

Personal life

Gehrig was born in

Sydney, Australia Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about 80 km (50 mi) from the Pacific Ocean ...

, and moved to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

to study at

Central Saint Martins Central Saint Martins is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London, a public art university in London, England. The college offers full-time courses at foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and a variety of short ...

University of the Arts London The University of the Arts London is a public collegiate university in London, England, United Kingdom. It specialises in arts, design, fashion, and the performing arts. The university is a federation of six arts colleges: Camberwell College of ...

. The first eight years of her career were spent as a Creative at advertising agency Mother. Gehrig has two daughters, and currently lives in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Awards

*2008 Thinkbox October award for 'You are Powerful' (Amnesty International). *2009 Best Urban Video for Wiley's 'Cash in My Pocket' at the

. *2010 Broadcast Award by Young Director Awards for 'You are Powerful' (Amnesty International). *2010 Silver Lion by Cannes Lions for 'You are Powerful' (Amnesty International) *2015 Top director of the year by Campaign. * 2015 Most creative people of the year by

Fast Company ''Fast Company'' is an American business magazine published monthly in print and online, focusing on technology, business, and design. It releases six print issues annually. History ''Fast Company'' was founded in November 1995 by Alan Webb ...

. * 2015 Grand Prix at the Glass Lion for Good Awards Cannes Lions for 'This Girl Can' by Sport England. *2015 Twelve total awards, including Gold for Best Direction - Single at

Creative Circle The Creative Circle (also known as The Advertising Creative Circle or The Advertising Creative Circle of Great Britain) is an educational awards body dedicated to creativity in British advertising, and the oldest advertising and marketing awards ...

for 'This Girl Can' by Sport England. *2016 Three silver British Arrows for 'This Girl Can' by Sport England. *2016 Graphite and White

D&ad Design and Art Direction (D&AD), formerly known as British Design and Art Direction, is a British educational organisation that was created in 1962 to promote excellence in design and advertising. Its main offices are in Spitalfields in London. ...

Pencils for 'This Girl Can' by Sport England. *2016 Two silver and one bronze British Arrow for 'Man on the Moon' by John Lewis. *2017 Wood D&ad Pencil for 'This Girl Can: Phenomenal Women' by Sport England. * 2018 Most creative advertising campaign of the year by

for 'Viva la Vulva' by

. * 2018 Advert of the year by

Creative Review ''Creative Review'' is a bimonthly print magazine and website. The magazine focuses on commercial creativity, covering design, advertising, photography, branding, digital products, film, and gaming. The magazine is published bimonthly in print an ...

for 'Viva la Vulva' by Libresse. *2019 Black D&AD Pencil for 'Viva La Vulva' by Libresse. *2021 Adage Director of the Year *2022 Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials for directing Apple's ''Accessibility'' and ''Run Baby Run'' *2024 Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials for directing ''Run This Town'', Apple Music – Apple (Client Direct) and ''The Travelers'', Expedia – Wieden & Kennedy

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gehrig, Kim Australian directors Advertising in Australia Alumni of the University of the Arts London Alumni of Central Saint Martins Directors Guild of America Award winners Living people Year of birth missing (living people)