Merman celebrates the addition of director Nicole Ackermann, who joins the company’s multi-faceted roster of filmmakers working across the spectrum of advertising and entertainment. Nicole is a passionate, detail obsessed storyteller who blends visual style with a strong intuitive approach to performance.
“It is rare to find a director with a strong visual aesthetic who has an equally strong conceptual point of view,” says Kira Carstensen, Global Managing Partner of Merman. “Nicole’s film is gorgeous. But every beautiful shot is in service to the story and emotional arc. We are excited to bring her unique storytelling skills to advertising and entertainment projects here at Merman.”
“I am super excited to be joining the Merman family,” Nicole relays. “It’s an honor to be part of a company with such great vision and high levels of creativity and craftsmanship.”
Nicole’s directing career kicked off with writing and directing theatre, unearthing her drive to create beautiful, emotional narratives first for the stage, then for screens. Inspired by a burgeoning interest in cinema, she went on to study film at Wits University in Johannesburg and completed her studies through a scholarship program at Tisch, NYU. She immersed herself in the world of advertising through years of creative research and a stint at TBWA/Hunt/Lascaris before directing commercials.
She commenced her directing career in the duo PHI, gaining a plethora of knowledge from the partnership before embarking on a solo career. Since working independently, she has collaborated with an impressive list of national and international clients including PSG, Singapore Airlines, Samsung, Nestle, McDonald’s, and KFC.
