RALF DE HOUWER CREATIVE DIRECTOR
GCD @VML, Based in San Francisco, CA.
I've always been driven by a desire to tackle creative challenges in new ways. Over the last 15 years, that philosophy has allowed me to build deep experience across a broad spectrum of brands, media, and leadership styles.
I strive to be prolific and relentlessly curious. To put substance over style. To be passionate, but level-headed. And to make a real cultural and business impact. Even though our industry is at a crossroads, I believe there’s never been a better time to be a person with an idea, and I’m excited to help uncover new ways to tell stories, solve problems, and drive creative culture.
Since the beginning of 2019, I've been working in partnership with the amazing Denison Kusano.
Off the press
TECTONIC PLATES
PARTNER EXAM
Halftime
Every year, a whopping 220 million copies of IKEA’s catalog get printed and distributed to countries all over the globe, making it one of the most read books in the world. But that doesn’t mean the models in the catalog should start dreaming of fame just yet. No. The real stars in the catalog are Swedish, and they have names like Billy, Pax, and Mølm.
Three friends embark on an epic journey to reunite a friend with his family. After all, the best holiday gift is being together with the people you love.
It’s easy to forget that we’re surrounded by the most amazing and wonderful technology humanity has ever known. And if you look closely, beyond the wires, and circuity, you’ll see one company is inside it all. Intel used to be the chip that powered your PC. Today they're the technology inside the technology that moves the world.
@Audi is an entertainment network for car lovers: +28M followers. One steady stream of automotive thrill. At times, leading this social account felt like working in a newsroom. It taught me how to think not just in terms of ideas or posts, but in platform specific content systems.
Launching a Supercar With a Twitter Reply
For seven long years, drivers begged Audi to bring the legendary RS6 Avant to America. In 2019, Audi finally caved. Since the fans were the ones who convinced Audi to bring the model here, we figured they should be the first ones to find out. Instead of announcing the car with a grandiose spot, we dug up the first Tweets of people asking for the Avant, and after eight years of silence they finally got a reply.
From Post to Poster
To reward our most avid fans for their unrelenting passion, we turned our social feeds into a fully operational fan art printer.
Love Letters to the Road
We spent Valentine’s day on Twitter, swooning over our one true love: the road. The resulting series of love letters was tweeted at the nation’s ten most epic drives.
Shot on Forza
When Covid19 made producing car photography exceptionally hard, we turned to the one place where people were still driving Audi cars: A racing game called: Forza Horizon. We invited “Forza Photographers” to shoot their favorite Audi models. In return we’d feature their artwork on our Instagram channel. The result is a series of shots almost undistinguishable from "real" car photography.
Always-on Social
I like to compare working on a social account is to working in a newsroom. The pace is relentless, but the reward is instantaneous. I loved being able to test, play, provoke, and interact with the fans of the brand. Below is a snapshot of some day to day Audi social I worked on.
This stunt to promote Coca Cola Zero’s sponsorship of the James Bond movie Skyfall put people in the shoes of 007, if only for 60 seconds.
Blue. It’s the color of half the country. 72% of pants and 80% of brands. But Blue Shield of California’s blue is different. Not because it looks different, but because of the meaning we give it. Our blue stands for equality and inclusion. Peace and love and health. Selflessness and sacrifice. Freedom of choice. Honesty. Humanity. Courage. Our blue is more than a color. It’s what we stand for.
Choice is the one tangible thing that sets Blue Shield apart. Simply put: members are in charge of their health and care, because they have more plans, more doctors, and more hospitals to choose from.
Blue Shield is the most trusted healthcare partner for small businesses in California. These two spots each tell a compelling story of struggle and determination in life and business. Instead of scripting these out line for line, they were written through conversation. I sat down with Justin and Melanie (two small business owners, and Blue Shield members) for a long and interesting chat.