CHICAGO— Continuing to grow its creative
roster, STORY has signed award-winning director Kevin Smith for exclusive
national representation. Smith, whose recent work includes campaigns for Home
Depot, AT&T, Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Carnation, is known for an
intelligent, meticulously-crafted style of subtle, sometimes ironic humor.

“Kevin is a great addition to our roster,” said STORY
executive producer Mark Androw. “I have admired Kevin’s work and work ethic for
years.  Kevin directs with a very light
and deft hand comedy that comes out of natural, real life situations.”

Smith joins STORY following a long association with Backyard
Productions through which he directed spots for many of the world’s best-known
brands. The majority of his work involves performance-driven comedy centering
on familiar life situations. In a recent ad for Blue Cross/Blue Shield, a man
mistakes his mother-in-law for his wife, surprising her with a hug and a kiss
on the cheek. That leads into a graphic promoting eye exams.

“I like to direct projects that take advantage of my comic
sensibility,” Smith says. “Although I started out in advertising in a technical
role, it’s performance that interests me most. Performance and human
interaction. That’s what I love.”

Smith explains his move to STORY as motivated by a desire to
form new agency relationships and expand his creative horizons. “Mark has
excellent connections to agencies in markets across the country and his company
is very competitive in pursuing new work,” he observes. “He’s good at finding
the kind of jobs that I like—with agencies that have strong creative
environments.”

The son of a Detroit advertising executive, Smith began his
career as a director of photography and experimental filmmaker before focusing
on comedy directing. “A big part of what I do is give the viewer credit for
being intelligent,” he says. “I put the pieces out there so that viewers feel
that they are putting them together, even though they’re being directed in a
very specific way. The feel like they are involved in the story.”

Smith has already booked his first job with STORY, a 2-spot
package for a national pharmaceutical brand via Abelson Taylor, Chicago.   He is currently bidding several other
projects.   “The response to Kevin’s work
has been very strong,” noted Androw.   “Kevin
has many loyal clients who have learned to trust him to treat their scripts
with care and to improve them in the very pleasant process.”

STORY is represented on the East Coast by Ilene Silberman (212)
794-9030; in the Midwest by Amy McIntyre (312) 550-2554, in the Southeast by
Miller + Associates, (954) 563-6004; in the Southwest by Gossip!, (214)
288-2813.

For more
information, visit http://www.storyco.tv/