Legendary Australian filmmaker Mark Toia who was known for creating Jeep’s viral Superbowl ad dies following ‘short illness’
Australian filmmaker and director Mark Toia has died after a short illness.
The New Zealand-born visionary reportedly died on October 23 in Brisbane, where he was based.
His career took him from filming eye-catching ads for Jeep and Mercedes to investing his own fortune in a blockbuster indie film.
300 scripts land on his desk every year, leading to iconic spots like Jeep’s Super Bowl sensation “More Than Just Words” – a viral hit that racked up more than 106 million views.
His reputation as a stellar creator soared beyond the advertising world into the galaxies of indie films with his 2020 sci-fi hit Monsters of Man, which he audaciously financed with $2 million of his own funds.
Australian filmmaker and director Mark Toia (photo) died last month after a short illness
CampaignKort describes Toia as ‘a visionary who blurred the lines between commercial and creative’.
The leading advertising website writes: ‘Toia was not only admired but also loved by his colleagues.’
‘Toia was a true trendsetter that creatives around the world wanted to be a part of. His passion was to capture an image that grips and speaks without words.’
According to reports, the New Zealand-born visionary died on October 23 in Brisbane, where he was based
His career took him from creating eye-catching advertisements for Jeep and Mercedes to investing his own fortune in a hit indie film
His reputation as a stellar creator soared beyond the advertising world into the galaxies of indie films with his 2020 sci-fi hit Monsters of Man, which he audaciously financed with $2 million of his own funds.
One of the first to pay tribute was RED camera enthusiast Jarred Land, who took to Instagram to express his sadness.
‘Love you man. I’ve met many people over the years, but none like you. RIP, dude, and at least heaven will get some great commercials now that you’re there,” he wrote.
Toia’s motto on his FB page sums up his attitude to a life well lived: work hard, learn hard, play hard.
His funeral took place on Friday, with family, friends and colleagues paying tribute in Brisbane.
CampaignBrief describes Toia as ‘a visionary who blurred the lines between commercial and creative’