Whether he’s filming a stand-off on a neighborhood basketball court or in a futuristic lab set in Southeast Asia, director Tom Noakes approaches every project by drawing on his long-held passions for innovative cinema and character-driven storytelling.
Since the beginning of his commercial career, Noakes’ unique sensibilities and technical skills have been sought out by many top brands and agencies. In 2019, he was selected to direct a spot for Coca-Cola’s first new flavor in over a decade: the Orange Vanilla Coke. Later that year, he directed Reebok’s “Storm the Court” as part of “Sport the Unexpected,” the brand’s largest revival campaign in five years. The spot won a 2019 Silver Lion at Cannes Lions for Film Craft – Direction, among other accolades.
Additional multi-award winning campaigns include “Juntas Imparables” (“Unstoppable Together”), Nike Women’s first “Just Do It” campaign geared toward Mexican audiences, The Glenlivet “Against the Tide,” Apple “Trade In,” and Mattress Firm “Junk Sleep is a Slippery Slope,” where Noakes won Gold for ‘Ad of the Year: Direction’ at the 2023 Shots Awards.
Previous work includes Netflix’s Bridgerton x Facebook Marketplace campaign, which brings Regency-inspired style into everyday life. The Amazon Books spot “That Reading Feeling Awaits” shows off not only Noakes’ expansive creativity but also his fluency in design, visual effects, & finishing. His latest for Apple’s ‘Relax, It’s iPhone’ campaign in Australia leans into his more comedic side by showing an office worker furiously attempting to escape a dive bombing magpie.
Tom’s work has gained wide critical attention, and his creations have earned him a Gold Ciclope award for Best Direction, a Silver Clio, features on USA Today, Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Adweek, Vice, millions of online views, and (his personal favorite): the front page of Reddit.
