Björn Rühmann

German-born Björn Rühmann is a rare bird in the world of advertising. His work is uncategorizable but distinctly recognizable. He’s known for his beguiling and tweaked Germanic sense of humor, unforgettable characters, and wholly unique story-worlds. 

He started his career as a creative at TBWA Paris, and after a few short years, embarked upon his career as a filmmaker. He launched his directing career as the co-founder of the lauded collective The Vikings and found immediate success with his short film “Power of Wind” for Epuron promoting wind energy. The spot has achieved cult-like status among industry insiders and is as admired today as it was upon its initial release where it won a Cannes Gold Lion, screened at the Sundance Film Festival, among others. 

It wasn’t long until Rühmann ventured out on his own as a director, helming commercials most notably for clients including VW, Skittles, Allbirds, Coca Cola, and Devondale, to name a few.  Rühmann is unique in his ability to seamlessly move between the European and US markets, understanding the nuances of diverse audiences and crafting his work to appeal to the comedic sensibilities of different viewers.  His work has received accolades at Cannes Lions, Ad Age Creativity Awards, The One Show, Clio Awards, AICP, Shots, and The British Arrows, among others.

With “No Going Back” for VW Taos, Rühmann expertly captured a picky customer’s journey to craftsmanship and comfort, while his works for Allbirds and Skittles showcase his innate ability to cast idiosyncratic characters to tell a story uniquely his own. His musical campaign for Taylors of Harrogate via Lucky Generals captured widespread attention, underscoring Rühmann’s exceptional craft and invention. Additionally, he brought his singular vision to “Spicy But Not Too Spicy” for Doritos – a sharp, tongue-in-cheek parody of 1970s adult films starring Walton Goggins as a suspiciously suave plumber with an unholy craving for chips. Shot on film and loaded with innuendo, the self-aware short showcases Rühmann’s precision with tone, performance and comedic timing at its most playful and absurd.

To know Rühmann is to love him. Words can’t convey his charm, wild imagination and sense of wonder he brings to every project.  He is known for striking a dry, absurdist tone while expressing his creative voice with a certain “German Präzision”. He is equally at ease moving through realms of comedy and drama, always the ever-present observer of the minutiae and oddities of everyday life. True artists are ahead of the curve and it feels like the world is finally catching up to his wholly original sensibility and style.