TOM BIRD ...kinda like TOM FORD. His work may not smell as good. Looks good though. And he smells nice. More info here ︎︎︎
TOM BIRD ...kinda like TOM FORD. His work may not smell as good. Looks good though. And he smells nice. More info here ︎︎︎
WeTransfer x Jungle
Think it. Make it. Move it.
2023
Commercial work

An album release that demonstrates how WeTransfer brings momentum to big ideas, like Jungle’s Volcano.

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WeTransfer doesn’t just share files. It moves ideas. Big ideas. Bombastic ideas. Game-changing ideas. It lights the fuse and blasts your brain into the stratosphere.

For a digital tool used by millions, we needed a campaign platform that can speak to everyone, from creatives to teachers to dentists, and inspire them to get their files moving. We wrote the line Think it. Make it. Move it. A simple, modular, statement that can be playfully re-phrased to suit all manner of professions. (13)

Next, we asked creatives “What big idea are you trying to bring to life?”

It turned out that Jungle had an ambitious idea for their new studio album... to release it as a feature film comprised of 14 music videos. We partnered with them on this mission, co-funding the project, documenting their creative process and turning the journey into posters, films, and various pieces of album-teaser content, all dropped via jungle.wetransfer.com. (9) Drops featured things like 3D-printable merch, a behind-the-scenes zine, and .wav stems for a remix competition.

The centre-piece of our campaign was an interactive music video for the album’s lead release Back on 74, in which a selection of unique album art could be dragged and downloaded directly from the video – with some artworks containing free tickets to Jungle’s 2023 World Tour. (2–7) In essence... a product demo of epic proportions.

Hands down, the coolest project I’ve ever had the good fortune to be part of!


Caiola Records
Artist ︎︎︎  Jungle
Production Co ︎︎︎  Contentus Maximus
Writer / Director ︎︎︎  Charlie Di Placido, J. Lloyd
Executive Producer ︎︎︎  Matt Craig, Tom McFarland
Choreography ︎︎︎  Shay Latukolan, Oriane Serveille
DOP ︎︎︎  Natasha Duursma
Steadycam Op ︎︎︎  Gary Kent
Set Design ︎︎︎  Sam Storey

**full cast + crew credits available on YouTube**

WeTransfer
Head of Studio ︎︎︎ Lily Darby, Nessim Higson
Brand Director ︎︎︎  Tara Goutermout
Creative Director ︎︎︎  Matt Skibiak
Creative  ︎︎︎  Tom Bird, Ian Fairbrother
Project Manager ︎︎︎  Hunnah Mullen, Aya Hayashida
Design Director ︎︎︎ Hugo Timm, D. Alcausin
Designers ︎︎︎ Fin O’Neill, Josh Caley-Brown
Motion Design ︎︎︎ Everton Guilherme, Flávio Lourenço
Software Engineer ︎︎︎ Bram Kekels

Production Co ︎︎︎  WHALE
Technical Production Partner ︎︎︎  Nexus Studios
Producer ︎︎︎  Ezra Xenos, Sanne van Hattum, Anna Lee
Director / DOP ︎︎︎  Rik Burnell
Editor ︎︎︎  Rigel Kilston
Photographer ︎︎︎  Sophie Green


Mark
KLABU
Ter Apel clubhouse
2023
Commercial work

A splash of optimism to launch KLABU’s latest sports project inside the Netherlands largest asylum centre.

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A fresh wave of immigration into the EU during 2022 created a backlog of asylum claims across the continent. In Ter Apel, the largest refugee reception centre in NL, new arrivals were spending months inside a facility intended only for a couple of weeks.

KLABU responded to the situation by initiating a weekly sports programme for the most at-risk youth, and the success of the programme led to us launching an official sports clubhouse inside the centre. (10)

But for an organisation the seeks to add colour back to peoples lives, the sports infrastructure – grey slabs inside a big cage – felt a bit... bleak. I proposed that together with the young residents, we give the court a lick of paint, recreating KLABU’s iconic ‘butterfly’ pattern (featured across all their sportswear).

We hooked up a speaker, donned some overalls, strapped Go-Pro’s to the paint rollers and had a fun day. More info on the project here, and some behind-the-scenes here.


KLABU ︎︎︎ Jan Van Hövell, Kelvin Govey
Creative Director ︎︎︎  Tom Bird
Producer ︎︎︎ Tom Bird
Director ︎︎︎  Richard Hu, Tom Bird
DOP ︎︎︎  Richard Hu
Editor ︎︎︎  Richard Hu, Tom Bird
Production Assistents ︎︎︎  Fleur Harmsen, Tjark Klimant
Photography ︎︎︎  Rie Yamauchi
Music Licensing ︎︎︎ Out / Standard
Cast ︎︎︎  KLABU team & Ter Apel residents (May 2023)
Project partners ︎︎︎  COA Nederland
                                        UEFA Foundation
                                        ESPN (NL)
                                        Nederlandse Loterij
                                        BasicFit (NL)
                                        Loods
                                        3x3 Unites
                                        ApenkooienGym
                                        VAAF

Big shout out also to Nike Football for the cash-monies!

Mark

Samphetamine®
2022
Personal work

A groundbreaking new form of medication that provides fast-acting relief from modern day existence.

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Though it may appear a legit pharmaceutical drug, Samphetamine® is in fact a collection of writings by a young author called Sam Bird (who also happens to be my younger brother.)

Each of the works – a mix of poetry and performance pieces – is rooted in his experience of chronic depression, diagnosed at age 17.

Being ‘medicated’ – and all the consquences that arise from it – is a constant theme across Sam’s work. It sparked an idea that I couldn’t resist… to present this collection of writing as an antidote: a fully branded medication, containing a 188-page fold-out booklet, complete with industry-standard packaging and a corporate website featuring FAQ’s and the opportunity to order a sample.

** fact fact... Stripe payment systems temporarily blocked access to the site as it flagged up as a ‘violation of their policy regarding the sale of controlled substances’.  Access was only re-instated after I appealed the decision, explaining that I am not a black-market narcotics dealer, but a publisher **

Now turn that frown upside down and go fetch yourself a copy here: www.samphetamine.uk



Playwright / Author  ︎︎︎  Samuel J Bird
Creative Director  ︎︎︎  Tom Bird
Design & Art Direction  ︎︎︎  Tom Bird
Illustrations  ︎︎︎  Gabriel Carr
Website  ︎︎︎  Tom Bird
Printing  ︎︎︎  Jubels [NL]



Mark
KLABU
Amsterdam kit launch
2023
Commercial work

A pigeon, a heron, and a rainy day in Amsterdam tell the story behind the badge on KLABU’s Amsterdam sportswear.

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KLABU is a sports foundation with a mission to support refugees through sport. In partnership with UNHCR, they create sports clubhouses around the world and fund the projects through sportswear.

With travel to international projects limited during the Covid-19 pandemic, KLABU began looking at what impact we could make closer to home. And so the weekly workout was born: a fun way to connect new arrivals (refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants) with local Amsterdammers.

Every KLABU kit features a badge co-created with the people it supports, and the Amsterdam badge is no different. Two birds: a heron representing the host community, and a pigeon representing the newcomer, gathered around a classic Amsterdam water fountain, described by a regular member as, “the place where new life begins”.

We brought the film to life with various members of our weekly workout crew, on an authentic rainy day in the city, and the film was screened across all Amsterdam cinemas through the summer.

Show your support and grab the shirt here.



Creative Director ︎︎︎ Emilio de Haan, Tom Bird 
Writer ︎︎︎ Tom Bird
Art Director ︎︎︎ Astrid Niari
Producer ︎︎︎ Cherise Basiran
Line Producer ︎︎︎ Jimi Visser
Production Co ︎︎︎ DPPLR
Director ︎︎︎ Mikki Sindhunata
DOP ︎︎︎ Simon Meesters
Editor ︎︎︎ Samantha @ Studio Radijs
Casting  ︎︎︎ Mohammed Bah, Lisa Elsenburg
Stylist ︎︎︎ Perrine Philomeen  
VFX ︎︎︎ Ton Habraken @ Compound
Motion Graphics ︎︎︎ Nick Fatouris
Grade ︎︎︎ Qianwei Tong
Music ︎︎︎ Nils den Otter @ Audentity

Photography ︎︎︎ Tom Bird, Manouk Quint

Mark
SkatePal
SAHTEN صحتين
2020
Personal work

An unconventional cookbook that uses food to tell the story of SkatePal and paint a portrait Palestine’s growing skateboard scene.

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SkatePal is an organisation that supports young people in Palestine through skateboarding – a place where due to years of military occupation recreational opportunities are severely limited.

In the years since it began as a humble summer school, SkatePal has helped grow a healthy skate scene in Palestine and a compelling reputation within the international development. The problem, however, is that non-profit’s need money, and skateboarding isn’t a sport with deep pockets. We needed to broaden our audience beyond skaters.

If there’s one thing that unites everyone, it’s food. And in Palestinian culture not only is the food incredible, but an inseparable way of building trust between SkatePal partners and the local community.

This book is a collection of recipes and stories from local skaters, their families, shop owners, local heroes, past volunteers, and even Palestine’s own international masterchef, Sami Tamimi (co-founder of Ottolengi) – plus loads of other fun features.

All proceeds from the sales of the book help to sustain SkatePal’s programmes in Palestine.

View some featured stills here, then go pick up a copy here, or via your nearest stockist:

~ Antenne [Worldwide]
~ Artists Proof [Berlin, DE] 
~ Artwords Bookshop Ltd. [London, UK]
~ Athenaeum Boekhandel [Amsterdam, NL] 
~ The Book Depository [Worldwide]
~ BY.E [Oklahoma, USA]
~ Bodega Ritas [London, UK]
~ Category Is Books [Glasgow, SC]
~ Flatspot [Worldwide]
~ Hen's Teeth [Dublin, IR]
~ Homestead [Hull, UK]
~ Librairie Sans Titre [Paris, FR]
~ Mast Books [New York, US]
~ Materia Prima [Porto, PT]
~ McNally Jackson [New York, USA]
~ Milk Run [London, UK]
~ Nöl Collective [Ramallah, PS]
~ Palomino [EU]
~ Shreeji Newsagents [London, UK]
~ Skylight Books [Los Angeles, USA]
~ Spazio Punch [Venice, IT]
~ Stack [UK]
~ Tender Books [London, UK]
~ Tranquebar [Copenhagen, DK]
~ Village Bookstore [Leeds, UK]


Concept Development  ︎︎︎  Tom Bird
Editor & Writer  ︎︎︎  Tom Bird
Design & Art Direction  ︎︎︎  Tom Bird
Photography  ︎︎︎  Tom Bird & many more
Copy-Editors  ︎︎︎  Dorothy Izkrzynska, Theo Krish, Aram Sabbah, Charlie Davis
Translation & Cultural Guidance   ︎︎︎  Aram Sabbah
Logistics  ︎︎︎  Alex Adetiba
Contributors  ︎︎︎  (too many to mention here, see inside book)
Distribution  ︎︎︎  Antenne (Global)
                                Flatspot (EU)
                                SkatePal (UK ︎︎︎ Worldwide)

Mark
Wednesday May 11 2022
Don’t be shy, say
hello@tombirdistheword.com