KLABU
Ter Apel clubhouse
2023
Commercial work
Ter Apel clubhouse
2023
Commercial work
A splash of optimism to launch KLABU’s latest project inside the Netherlands’ largest facility for refugees and asylum seekers.
A fresh wave of migration into Europe during 2022 created a backlog of asylum claims processing across the continent. In Ter Apel, the largest refugee centre in NL, residents ended up spending months, waiting…
KLABU responded to the situation by initiating a weekly sports programme for the most vulnerable residents: the unaccompanied minors. Its success led to launching an official KLABU clubhouse within the facility with the support of UEFA. The only problem was that the existing sports-court in Ter Apel was a bit, err, bleak... grey slabs inside a big cage ...whereas KLABU seeks to add colour back to peoples lives.
I proposed that we launch the clubhouse by giving the sports court a lick of paint, After all, the tiles made the perfect canvas for re-creating the iconic KLABU butterfly pattern (which features on all KLABU sportswear) plus it would be a fun community painting day with the young residents.
In true low-budget DIY fashion, I learnt everything I could about concrete murals, before buying some paint, some brushes and some overalls. We then strapped some Go-Pros on the paint-rollers and let the kids go wild...
More info on the project here, and some behind-the-scenes here.
Creative Director ︎︎︎ Tom Bird
Director ︎︎︎ Richard Hu, Tom Bird
DOP ︎︎︎ Richard Hu
Edit ︎︎︎ Richard Hu, Tom Bird
Production Assistance ︎︎︎ Tjark Klimant
Mural Prep Partner ︎︎︎ Fleur Harmsen
Photography ︎︎︎ Rie Yamauchi, Tom Bird
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!
READ MORE
A fresh wave of migration into Europe during 2022 created a backlog of asylum claims processing across the continent. In Ter Apel, the largest refugee centre in NL, residents ended up spending months, waiting…
KLABU responded to the situation by initiating a weekly sports programme for the most vulnerable residents: the unaccompanied minors. Its success led to launching an official KLABU clubhouse within the facility with the support of UEFA. The only problem was that the existing sports-court in Ter Apel was a bit, err, bleak... grey slabs inside a big cage ...whereas KLABU seeks to add colour back to peoples lives.
I proposed that we launch the clubhouse by giving the sports court a lick of paint, After all, the tiles made the perfect canvas for re-creating the iconic KLABU butterfly pattern (which features on all KLABU sportswear) plus it would be a fun community painting day with the young residents.
In true low-budget DIY fashion, I learnt everything I could about concrete murals, before buying some paint, some brushes and some overalls. We then strapped some Go-Pros on the paint-rollers and let the kids go wild...
More info on the project here, and some behind-the-scenes here.
Creative Director ︎︎︎ Tom Bird
Director ︎︎︎ Richard Hu, Tom Bird
DOP ︎︎︎ Richard Hu
Edit ︎︎︎ Richard Hu, Tom Bird
Production Assistance ︎︎︎ Tjark Klimant
Mural Prep Partner ︎︎︎ Fleur Harmsen
Photography ︎︎︎ Rie Yamauchi, Tom Bird
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!
KLABU
Amsterdam Spirit
2023
Commercial work
Amsterdam Spirit
2023
Commercial work
A pigeon... a heron... a water fountain... and a fun little story to launch the sport foundation’s new Amsterdam kit.
KLABU's mission is to support refugees through sport. A unique combination between NGO and brand, the sport foundation operates sports clubhouses in refugee camps around the world through a partnership with UNHCR, whilst the brand creates and sells sportswear to financially support the work.
With international travel limited during the covid-19 pandemic, KLABU began looking at what they could do closer to home – and so the Amsterdam weekly workout was born: as a way to connect newcomers (refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented) with the host community (local Dutchies).
The badge on each KLABU shirt is co-created with those involved in the project. The Amsterdam badge features two different birds – representing both refugee and host community – and a water fountain, which according to workout regular, Mamadou, “is the place where new friendships begin”.
We brought the film to life with many of the KLABU regulars, on a classic rainy day in Amsterdam. Following a launch event at Het Ketelhuis, the film screened in cinemas across Amsterdam during SS23.
Grab the shirt and show your support here.
(1, 5) Film shoot BTS [photos: Tom Bird]
(6, 7) Het Ketelhuis launch event [photos: Manouk Quint]
(8, 9) Posters for KLABU’s JCDecaux NL Prize [design: Tom Bird]
(11) KLABU x GoalClick at Kalobeyei, Kenya [read more here]
Agency ︎︎︎ HERC
Production Co ︎︎︎ DPPLR
KLABU Leadership ︎︎︎ Jan Van Hövell, Kelvin Govey, Alex Webb
Creative Director ︎︎︎ Emilio de Haan (HERC) + Tom Bird (KLABU)
Director ︎︎︎ Mikki Sindhunata
Writer ︎︎︎ Tom Bird
Art Director ︎︎︎ Astrid Niari, Emilio de Haan
Producers ︎︎︎ Cherise Basiran, Jimi Visser
Cast ︎︎︎ KLABU Amsterdam community
Lisa Elsenburg
Mohammed Bah
DOP ︎︎︎ Simon Meesters
Editor ︎︎︎ Samantha @ Studio Radijs
VFX ︎︎︎ Ton Habraken, The Compound
Grade ︎︎︎ Qianwei Tong
Motion Graphics ︎︎︎ Nick Fatouris, Astrid Niari
Music ︎︎︎ Nils den Otter (Audentity) & Majdy (KLABU)
Stylist ︎︎︎ Perrine Philomeen
Graphic Design ︎︎︎ Tom Bird
Photography ︎︎︎ Tom Bird, Manouk Quint
READ MORE
KLABU's mission is to support refugees through sport. A unique combination between NGO and brand, the sport foundation operates sports clubhouses in refugee camps around the world through a partnership with UNHCR, whilst the brand creates and sells sportswear to financially support the work.
With international travel limited during the covid-19 pandemic, KLABU began looking at what they could do closer to home – and so the Amsterdam weekly workout was born: as a way to connect newcomers (refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented) with the host community (local Dutchies).
The badge on each KLABU shirt is co-created with those involved in the project. The Amsterdam badge features two different birds – representing both refugee and host community – and a water fountain, which according to workout regular, Mamadou, “is the place where new friendships begin”.
We brought the film to life with many of the KLABU regulars, on a classic rainy day in Amsterdam. Following a launch event at Het Ketelhuis, the film screened in cinemas across Amsterdam during SS23.
Grab the shirt and show your support here.
(1, 5) Film shoot BTS [photos: Tom Bird]
(6, 7) Het Ketelhuis launch event [photos: Manouk Quint]
(8, 9) Posters for KLABU’s JCDecaux NL Prize [design: Tom Bird]
(11) KLABU x GoalClick at Kalobeyei, Kenya [read more here]
Agency ︎︎︎ HERC
Production Co ︎︎︎ DPPLR
KLABU Leadership ︎︎︎ Jan Van Hövell, Kelvin Govey, Alex Webb
Creative Director ︎︎︎ Emilio de Haan (HERC) + Tom Bird (KLABU)
Director ︎︎︎ Mikki Sindhunata
Writer ︎︎︎ Tom Bird
Art Director ︎︎︎ Astrid Niari, Emilio de Haan
Producers ︎︎︎ Cherise Basiran, Jimi Visser
Cast ︎︎︎ KLABU Amsterdam community
Lisa Elsenburg
Mohammed Bah
DOP ︎︎︎ Simon Meesters
Editor ︎︎︎ Samantha @ Studio Radijs
VFX ︎︎︎ Ton Habraken, The Compound
Grade ︎︎︎ Qianwei Tong
Motion Graphics ︎︎︎ Nick Fatouris, Astrid Niari
Music ︎︎︎ Nils den Otter (Audentity) & Majdy (KLABU)
Stylist ︎︎︎ Perrine Philomeen
Graphic Design ︎︎︎ Tom Bird
Photography ︎︎︎ Tom Bird, Manouk Quint
Samphetamine®
2022
Personal work
2022
Personal work
A groundbreaking new form of medication providing fast-acting relief from modern day existence.
Whilst appearing like a legit pharmaceutical drug, Samphetamine® is actually the title for a collection of performance pieces written by a young theatre writer called Sam, who happens to be my younger brother.
Each of the works is rooted in the experience of chronic depression, for which he was diagnosed at age 17. For that reason, this project is deeply personal to me. Some of the pieces have been performed to a live audience, others have not.
He hadn’t realised it before, but medication – and all the things that result from it – is a constant theme across his writing. This sparked an idea that I couldn’t resist… to publish the work as a medication, complete with pharma-style packaging (1–4), a 186-pg fold-out insert (5–6), plus a corporate website in which to shift the product (7).
** fact fact: Stripe payment systems temporarily blocked access to the site as it ‘violated their policy on the sale of controlled substances’. Access was only re-instated after I appealed the decision explaining that I was in fact a publisher and this was in fact a book! **
Now turn that frown upside down and go fetch yourself a copy here: www.samphetamine.uk
Author ︎︎︎ Sam Bird
Concept ︎︎︎ Tom Bird
Design & Art Direction ︎︎︎ Tom Bird
Web Design, Build & Copywriting ︎︎︎ Tom Bird
Illustrations ︎︎︎ Gabriel Carr
Printing ︎︎︎ Jubels [NL]
READ MORE
Whilst appearing like a legit pharmaceutical drug, Samphetamine® is actually the title for a collection of performance pieces written by a young theatre writer called Sam, who happens to be my younger brother.
Each of the works is rooted in the experience of chronic depression, for which he was diagnosed at age 17. For that reason, this project is deeply personal to me. Some of the pieces have been performed to a live audience, others have not.
He hadn’t realised it before, but medication – and all the things that result from it – is a constant theme across his writing. This sparked an idea that I couldn’t resist… to publish the work as a medication, complete with pharma-style packaging (1–4), a 186-pg fold-out insert (5–6), plus a corporate website in which to shift the product (7).
** fact fact: Stripe payment systems temporarily blocked access to the site as it ‘violated their policy on the sale of controlled substances’. Access was only re-instated after I appealed the decision explaining that I was in fact a publisher and this was in fact a book! **
Now turn that frown upside down and go fetch yourself a copy here: www.samphetamine.uk
Author ︎︎︎ Sam Bird
Concept ︎︎︎ Tom Bird
Design & Art Direction ︎︎︎ Tom Bird
Web Design, Build & Copywriting ︎︎︎ Tom Bird
Illustrations ︎︎︎ Gabriel Carr
Printing ︎︎︎ Jubels [NL]
SkatePal
SAHTEN صحتين
2020
Personal work
SAHTEN صحتين
2020
Personal work
An unconventional cookbook that uses food to tell the story of SkatePal and paint a portrait of the current skateboard scene in Palestine.
SkatePal is an NGO that promotes and facilitates skateboarding in Palestine – 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 to build a growing scene in Palestine and a compelling reputation among the international skateboarding community. The problem however... is that NGOs need money. And skateboarding isn’t a sport with deep pockets. So 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 delicious, but it’s become an inseparable way of building trust between SkatePal and the communities they work with.
This book, therefore, 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 (business partner of Yotam 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. Depending where you live, you can also find the book in a growing number of stockists around the world:
~ Antenne [Worldwide]
~ Artists Proof [Berlin, DE]
~ Artwords Bookshop Ltd. [London]
~ Athenaeum Boekhandel [Amsterdam, NL]
~ The Book Depository [Worldwide]
~ BY.E [Oklahoma, USA]
~ Bodega Ritas [London]
~ Category Is Books [Glasgow, SC]
~ Hen's Teeth [Dublin, IR]
~ Homestead [Hull]
~ Librairie Sans Titre [Paris, FR]
~ Mast Books [New York, US]
~ Materia Prima [Porto, PT]
~ McNally Jackson [New York, USA]
~ Milk Run [London]
~ Nöl Collective [Ramallah, Palestine]
~ Palomino [UK]
~ Shreeji Newsagents [London]
~ Skylight Books [Los Angeles, USA]
~ Spazio Punch [Venice, IT]
~ Stack [UK]
~ Tender Books [London]
~ Village Bookstore [Leeds]
(3) SAHTEN launch film shot and edited in Palestine by Aram Sabbah.
SkatePal ︎︎︎ Charlie Davis, Theo Krish, Dorothy Izkrzynska, Aram Sabbah, Alex Adetiba
Concept Development ︎︎︎ Tom Bird
Editor & Writer ︎︎︎ Tom Bird
Design & Art Direction ︎︎︎ Tom Bird
Photography ︎︎︎ Tom Bird & many more
Sub-Editors ︎︎︎ Dorothy Izkrzynska, Theo Krish
Cultural Guidance & Translation ︎︎︎ Aram Sabbah
Contributors ︎︎︎ (far too many to mention here, you know who you are)
Distribution ︎︎︎ Antenne (Global)
SkatePal (UK + EU)
READ MORE
SkatePal is an NGO that promotes and facilitates skateboarding in Palestine – 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 to build a growing scene in Palestine and a compelling reputation among the international skateboarding community. The problem however... is that NGOs need money. And skateboarding isn’t a sport with deep pockets. So 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 delicious, but it’s become an inseparable way of building trust between SkatePal and the communities they work with.
This book, therefore, 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 (business partner of Yotam 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. Depending where you live, you can also find the book in a growing number of stockists around the world:
~ Antenne [Worldwide]
~ Artists Proof [Berlin, DE]
~ Artwords Bookshop Ltd. [London]
~ Athenaeum Boekhandel [Amsterdam, NL]
~ The Book Depository [Worldwide]
~ BY.E [Oklahoma, USA]
~ Bodega Ritas [London]
~ Category Is Books [Glasgow, SC]
~ Hen's Teeth [Dublin, IR]
~ Homestead [Hull]
~ Librairie Sans Titre [Paris, FR]
~ Mast Books [New York, US]
~ Materia Prima [Porto, PT]
~ McNally Jackson [New York, USA]
~ Milk Run [London]
~ Nöl Collective [Ramallah, Palestine]
~ Palomino [UK]
~ Shreeji Newsagents [London]
~ Skylight Books [Los Angeles, USA]
~ Spazio Punch [Venice, IT]
~ Stack [UK]
~ Tender Books [London]
~ Village Bookstore [Leeds]
(3) SAHTEN launch film shot and edited in Palestine by Aram Sabbah.
SkatePal ︎︎︎ Charlie Davis, Theo Krish, Dorothy Izkrzynska, Aram Sabbah, Alex Adetiba
Concept Development ︎︎︎ Tom Bird
Editor & Writer ︎︎︎ Tom Bird
Design & Art Direction ︎︎︎ Tom Bird
Photography ︎︎︎ Tom Bird & many more
Sub-Editors ︎︎︎ Dorothy Izkrzynska, Theo Krish
Cultural Guidance & Translation ︎︎︎ Aram Sabbah
Contributors ︎︎︎ (far too many to mention here, you know who you are)
Distribution ︎︎︎ Antenne (Global)
SkatePal (UK + EU)
Nike
Hope Alkazar
2021
Commercial work
Hope Alkazar
2021
Commercial work
A stage to awaken and elevate Turkey’s youth communities, using the power of sport as a catalyst for change.
The Alkazar building in Istanbul – once an iconic venue for theatre and film – had fallen into decay. Working alongside a local cultural committee, Nike hoped to restore the building to its former glory, but rebuilt for a modern generation; a multi-purpose space featuring rooftop courts, a fitness studio, makers space, community cafe, podcasting suite and speakers hall.
My role in the project began by creating a narrative to guide people throughout the building: telling the story of the space from its history, to its sustainable redesign, to the partners who embody it’s values.
This role expanded into developing the creative for the launch campaign: borrowing from Alkazar’s heritage as a film theater, we underpinned everything around the notion of a ‘stage’.
The core values of the Hope Alkazar initiative led us to writing five short films: New Ground (innovation), Greater Good (community), Beyond Borders (accessability), Open Arms (empathy) and Move To Zero (sustainability). Each script centered around a different Turkish athlete or cultural hero, from volleyball icon Ebrar Karakut, to NBA star Cedi Osman, to world-reknowned digital artist Refik Anadol.
Follow HOPE Alkazar’s journey here.
(4) Directors cut combining clips from all x5 short films into a single edit. The voiceover (by the featured choreographer, Ekin Bernay) reads the manifesto for HOPE Alkazar; written my myself and exhibited inside the building’s entrance hall (in both Turkish and English).
(15) The basketball hoop featured in MOVE TO ZERO – masterfully upcycled from construction scrap by Onaranlar Kulübü – is now permanently installed at a public court in Beyoğlu.
Creative (Nike EMEA)
Experience Director ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Daniel Whiteneck
Narrative Director ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Sara Kujundžić
Creative & Writer ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Tom Bird
Art Director ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Morgan Ruby
Graphic Identity ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Fatih Hardal
Producer ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎︎︎︎ Anthony Smith
Designers ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Yasmine Tse, Luca Fiandri
Production (Nike Turkey)
Project Manager ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Burcak Bo Bakla
Marketing Manager ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Selin Molinas
Production Company ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ DEPO
Photographer ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Emre Ünal
Director ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Hakan Can
DOP ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Akin Cetin
Editor ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Turgut
Sound designer ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Matthias Müller
READ MORE
The Alkazar building in Istanbul – once an iconic venue for theatre and film – had fallen into decay. Working alongside a local cultural committee, Nike hoped to restore the building to its former glory, but rebuilt for a modern generation; a multi-purpose space featuring rooftop courts, a fitness studio, makers space, community cafe, podcasting suite and speakers hall.
My role in the project began by creating a narrative to guide people throughout the building: telling the story of the space from its history, to its sustainable redesign, to the partners who embody it’s values.
This role expanded into developing the creative for the launch campaign: borrowing from Alkazar’s heritage as a film theater, we underpinned everything around the notion of a ‘stage’.
The core values of the Hope Alkazar initiative led us to writing five short films: New Ground (innovation), Greater Good (community), Beyond Borders (accessability), Open Arms (empathy) and Move To Zero (sustainability). Each script centered around a different Turkish athlete or cultural hero, from volleyball icon Ebrar Karakut, to NBA star Cedi Osman, to world-reknowned digital artist Refik Anadol.
Follow HOPE Alkazar’s journey here.
(4) Directors cut combining clips from all x5 short films into a single edit. The voiceover (by the featured choreographer, Ekin Bernay) reads the manifesto for HOPE Alkazar; written my myself and exhibited inside the building’s entrance hall (in both Turkish and English).
(15) The basketball hoop featured in MOVE TO ZERO – masterfully upcycled from construction scrap by Onaranlar Kulübü – is now permanently installed at a public court in Beyoğlu.
Creative (Nike EMEA)
Experience Director ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Daniel Whiteneck
Narrative Director ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Sara Kujundžić
Creative & Writer ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Tom Bird
Art Director ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Morgan Ruby
Graphic Identity ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Fatih Hardal
Producer ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎︎︎︎ Anthony Smith
Designers ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Yasmine Tse, Luca Fiandri
Production (Nike Turkey)
Project Manager ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Burcak Bo Bakla
Marketing Manager ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Selin Molinas
Production Company ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ DEPO
Photographer ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Emre Ünal
Director ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Hakan Can
DOP ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Akin Cetin
Editor ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Turgut
Sound designer ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ Matthias Müller