Kim Gehrig

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'.[6][7][8][9]

Gehrig directed “The Woman Who Ate Photographs”, an episode of Apple TV+ series, “Roar”, starring Nicole Kidman written by Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch.

Her recent film for Apple, ‘The Greatest,’ challenged common stereotypes about people with disabilities while highlighting accessibility features available on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. The 2-minute film was made with the partnership and feedback of the disability community, both in front of and behind the camera. The lyrics of the film’s soundtrack are based on speeches by Muhammad Ali, who became an advocate for disability after developing Parkinson’s disease. The Australian group Spinifex Gum sang the song, which was then remixed by Cola Boyy along with improvised piano by Matthew Whitaker. Apple also released an audio-described version of the film to bring awareness to the needs of blind and low-vision audiences.[10]

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'..[11][12]

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.[13][14] The advert was praised for its bold and empowering message, winning awards including a Glass Lion for Good at Cannes Lions 2015.[15][16] Sport England estimated that an additional 2.8 million women decided to take up a sport after the advert's release.[15] 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 Phenomenal Woman.[15] Gehrig stated in 2018 that 'This Girl Can' is the video she is most proud of.[17]

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.[18][19][20]

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.[21][22] 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.[23][21][22] Marketing Week saw the backlash towards the ad as backfiring on Gillete following declining sales metrics for the brand.[24][25][26] 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."[27]