Kim Gehrig

Kim Gehrig is an Australian director whose body of work spans commercials, music videos, documentaries, short films and branded entertainment. Her notable commercial works include the This Girl Can campaign, the John Lewis Christmas advert in 2015, Stepping for Honda, Gillette's 'The Best Men Can Be' and many more for brands including IKEA, GAP, Amnesty International and Libresse. In music videos Kim has collaborated with artists such as Chaka Khan, Wiley, Calvin Harris and Basement Jaxx. Her work has won numerous awards including a UK Music Video Award and a Glass Lion at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Career.
Gehrig was born in Sydney, Australia, and moved to London to study at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. The first eight years of her career were spent as a Creative at advertising agency Mother.
One of her first major works as a director was the 'You are Powerful' video for Amnesty International, released on the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. For this she won a Silver Lion at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2010 and a broadcast award by the Young Director Awards.
In a collaboration with Australian musician Kirin J. Callinan, Gehrig directed a video challenging toxic masculinity and pressure for men to look like bodybuilders in Australia, overlaid with Callinan covering Divine's 'You Think You're a Man'.
Gehrig works for Somesuch advertising productions, who were awarded Advertising Age's 2018 Production Company of the Year for their work in promoting social justice through advertising.
This Girl Can (Sport England).
Gehrig directed the multi award-winning advert for the This Girl Can campaign by Sport England 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's recital of . 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 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 in the elderly, 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.
Viva la Vulva (Libresse).
Gehrig directed the award-winning 'Viva la Vulva' advert for Libresse, a celebration of the vagina 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'.". 
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, which challenges its earlier tagline of "The Best a Man Can Get" and the effects of toxic masculinity. The advert was praised by some for its message against the traditional concepts of how men should be, and how this impacts mental health as well as women. However, the advert was criticised by others for its negative portrayal of men. Multiple commentators, such as Piers Morgan, were incensed by the campaign and vowed to boycott the company. "Marketing Week" 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."
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 for Wiley 's "'Cash in My Pocket'", and was nominated in 2018 for her music video for Chaka Khan's "'Like Suga"'.
Personal life.
Gehrig has two daughters, and currently lives in the United States.