Director Nicolai Iuul Buddies up with BestFriend

BestFriend, the bicoastal production company launched by industry vet Zak Thornborough, has added automotive/lifestyle director Nicolai Iuul to its roster.

Those who know and have collaborated with Nicolai admire his profound skill at storytelling. He first cut his teeth in film working as a producer in his native Denmark and then London. Having grasped the ins and outs of the filmmaking process, Nicolai’s creative vision was clear-eyed when he set off as a director. His instinctive eye for the cinematic naturally gravitated towards cars and the lifestyles that surround them, and he was selected to helm a branded show to launch eBay’s automotive offering. Nicolai’s affinity for the genre was apparent, leading him to shoot approximately 50 films for the brand across a range of locations.

“The fact that Nicolai has years of experience as a producer gives him an added edge,” says Thornborough. “He approaches each project with an understanding of the requirements and full respect for the creative process. It’s an invaluable combination.”

Since arriving in Los Angeles five years ago, Nicolai has become an industry favorite for his ability to capture the intangible. Whether the emotion is speed, beauty, or just raw power, Nicolai effortlessly translates the abstract into moving image. His auto advertising work is considered the gold standard, with a credit list that includes the launch of the top-secret Dodge Demon, along with campaigns for Mercedes, Toyota, Audi, Mitsubishi, Infiniti and Fiat.

Nicolai’s sleek yet substantial style of prose translates seamlessly into the luxury market, be it spotlighting the high-performance handling of 15 supercars across a snow-lined racetrack in his “Winter Academia” spot for Lamborghini, or showcasing the Ducati Scrambler on a full-throttle ride through Joshua Tree in the short film “Desert Sled.”

In recent years, Nicolai has dived deeper into narrative work that lives somewhere between documentary and lifestyle. His versatility working across these worlds has led him to collaborate with clients like Levi’s, Glad and Sonos, to name a few.

Straightaway it’s become clear that Nicolai has found the perfect home to leverage his talents. His first campaign out of BestFriend is a multiple-spot Jaguar campaign created for agency Spark44. Additionally, Nicolai just wrapped Ducati’s latest motorbike launch and the campaign debuting the new Dodge Hellcat, which he filmed at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway last month.

“After speaking with Zak, I felt instinctively that this is the one – this is the partner,” says Nicolai. “At BestFriend, he’s created a supportive environment where agencies and brands can truly be creative confidants.”