Two of Britain’s leading advertising photographers, John Claridge and
Elliott Erwitt, are aiming to boost their appeal as commercials
directors.
Claridge has left John Claridge Films to join the stable of directors at
Fletcher Sanderson Films, while the US-born Erwitt has signed up with
Helen Langridge Associates, with a view to establishing himself on the
UK commercials scene.
Claridge, who combines stills photography with commercials directing,
chose to split with the three-year-old company bearing his name, despite
relaunching it in March last year.
Claridge’s previous creative credits include Silk Cut, the RAC, Ridgeway
tea, Center Parcs, Buxton mineral water and last year’s new TV
commercial for Hotpoint washing machines.
Erwitt has been associated with a string of high-profile campaigns
including the ‘two dogs and a man’ work for Hush Puppies which collected
a silver at this year’s Campaign poster awards.
A partner in the Magnum photographic agency, Erwitt has never worked on
commercials in Britain, although he has directed an ad for Swatch in
Italy.