Adria Petty Signs with a WHITELABEL product

Director Adria Petty has signed with a WHITELABEL product for commercials representation.  She specializes in working with VFX and blending it with a graphic sensibility.  Among her high profile projects are the Paris Hilton-themed documentary “Paris, Not France,” the new promo for Macy Gray’s “Beauty In The World” and a McDonald’s spot titled “Breathing Room.” Petty was formerly represented for commercials by Harvest Films.
 
“My creative roots are in New York,” says Petty, a Los Angeles native who attended NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts graduate film school and has since been bicoastal. “Ellen [Jacobson-Clarke] was my first EP. We have a great relationship. I want to focus on beauty and fashion, and a WHITELABEL product knows that world well.”
 
Petty’s commercial highlights to date delve into that genre. They include spots for Target—“Alexander McQueen” and “Portal”— and Converse’s “Secret.” The latter, says Petty, was inspired by her old neighborhood in New York’s East Village. “Secret” features a teenage schoolgirl putting a twist on her look by restyling her existing wardrobe. Her Converse sneakers remain the same, leaving her friends none the wiser.
 
“Adria has matured into a progressive and sophisticated filmmaker,” enthuses Jacobson-Clarke, Partner/EP at a WHITELABEL product. “We’re so excited to have the opportunity to re-connect and collaborate with her.  Adria is one of those directors who is always a step ahead, thinking how expand a project to reach all media platforms. She’s a great asset in the digital content landscape.”

 
Petty began her directing career doing music videos for Regina Spektor, the internationally acclaimed singer, songwriter and pianist. The two have collaborated on nearly a dozen promos and are currently working on a full-length concert film. Petty has also directed promos for Duffy (“Mercy”), The Veronicas (“4ever”), the Ditty Bops (“Wishful Thinking”), and Beyonce (“Sweet Dreams”), among numerous other musical artists. She’s currently prepping two commercials for international retailer C&A, advertising its partnership with Dereon by Beyonce.
 
Petty says she enjoys documentary absurdists’ work in advertising, and points to “Slingshot” for Hyundai Sonata, which features a teenager propelled on a life-sized slingshot, as one of her current favorites. It was Petty’s stint in the marketing department at Warner Music that lead to the opportunity to make a documentary about Paris Hilton. Paris, Not France, which debuted at Toronto Film Festival, also screened earlier this month at Tribeca Film Festival. “I like spectacle,” Petty offers. “And making the Paris film was surreal because not many people have a life like that.”  

   

Published May 19, 2010