Sharon DE GRAAF creative Director

She loves to build brands with equal parts concept and craft. Her attention to detail makes for exceptional executions and sometimes exceptionally annoyed designers. Over the years, she’s worked for a bunch of national and international clients like Volkswagen, Fanta, KLM, KFC, Miele, Nationale-Nederlanden, Zorg en Zekerheid, and Pathé. Outside of her day-to-day creative work she designs jewelery.  

A METAPHOR FOR LIFE AND ALL THE CHANGES THAT COME WITH IT.
Do you want to know how to deal with this? Take an example from this girl. Because with a little support you can overcome any change.

CONCEPT CREATED WITH MEES UBACHS // DIRECTOR Marit Weerheijm // DP Martijn Melis // EDIT Nina Graafland // GRADING Joppo de Grot // MUSIC Dolf Bekker & Guido Blom Massive Music // ILLUSTRATION Anna Kiosse // SOUND Joep Meijburg van Public Audio

VROOM VROOM WILL SOON BE HISTORY IN THE DUTCH LIVING ROOM.

When kids are playing with toy cars, they imitate the sounds. This goes together with lots of noise. Slowly driving their parents – who are at these corona times at home more than ever – mad. Luckily that’s about to change with the new fully electric cars from Volkswagen.

Specially for children and their parents we developed a toy car version of the ID.3. This self-made ID.3 has the leading role in the entire campaign. On TV and through all social channels, we called on enthusiasts to pick up this “make your own” toy car. Together with their parents, kids can turn the building kit into a driving “ID.3tje”. After they’ve taken a look in the Volkswagen showroom of course.

CONCEPT CREATED WITH MEES UBACHS // DIRECTOR Adi Halfin // DP Roman Linetsky // EDIT Russell Icke // GRADING Joppo de Grot // MUSIC & SOUND Pedro Botsaris Antfood

HOW WE TURNED A HEALTH INSURER INTO A BOOK PUBLISHER
In today’s society, stress-related health issues are on the rise. All the screens that are constantly begging for our attention, definitely don’t help. Reading however does. Just six minutes of reading fiction lowers stress levels with an average of 68%, according to research.

To help a stressed-out generation clear their heads, we developed Six Minute Stories, as an initiative of health insurer Zorg en Zekerheid. This series of smartphone-sized booklets, written by popular Dutch writers, are published by Zorg en Zekerheid and spread at selected locations in the country. Every week a new story.

Six Minute Stories is developed as a long-term publishing platform, at the intersection of branded content, PR and social impact, to help Zorg en Zekerheid reach out to new audiences, while promoting mental health at the same time.

Watch the case film here:

Some highlights of “Het Boekjesbal” (in English: The Booklet Gala) – a recurring literary night filled with six minute stories.

IF THE FIRST SEASON IS GOOD, SEASON 2 IS BORN
How do you follow up a successful first season? We started with asking us the following question: How does Netflix do it with a successful television series? They do three things: repeat, improve and renew. So, that’s exactly what we did.

We again made 8 booklets, with an improved Booklet Ball and a complete new cast of famous Dutch writers. We also gave our booklets a new fresh look with the help of Xaviera Althena, the illustrator of season 2.

See for yourself how the writers promoted their stories on the Six Minute Stories Insta >> https://www.instagram.com/sixminutestories/

We organised a literary event called 'Het Boekjesbal' The Booklet Ball.  

WE EXCHANGED MICROBES FOR THE SAKE OF SCIENCE... AND LOVE
Microbes are in the air, and in your saliva too. Our campaign for Dutch Museum Artis-Micropia shows what happens when you kiss. While you think you’re having an intimate moment, millions of microbes are also involved. Dutch artist Akwasi explains why this is good for you in a longer cinema ad.

There is a perfect kiss for everyone and for every moment. For a first date, for couples and for people who are all over each other. In three short videos ‘The First Kiss’, ’The French Kiss’ and the ’Wet Kiss’ we show how microbes affect you. The more tongue you use and the wetter the kiss, the more microbes are exchanged. Which is actually a good thing. Because these little creatures train your immune system, help keeping your mouth healthy and even assist you in finding the perfect partner. So, in the name of science: let those microbes flow.

CONCEPT CREATED WITH MEES UBACHS // DIRECTOR Karen Rosetzsky // DP Menno Mans // EDIT Annelien van Wijnbergen // VO Akwasi // MUSIC Rimer London

A MAGICAL MOMENT FOR ALL BOYS AND GIRLS
For Volkswagen's EURO 2020 sponsor campaign we made a film about the rivalry (and love) between a brother and sister. A campaign to invite all boys and girls in the Netherlands to become the official ball boy or ball girl during an European Championship match of Holland in a fully packed Johan Cruyff Arena.

CONCEPT CREATED WITH MEES UBACHS // DIRECTOR Rogier Hesp // DP Myrthe Mosterman // EDIT Martin Heijgelaar MRTN // GRADING Joppo de Grot // SOUND Marco Baay AMP.Amsterdam

BY FAR THE MOST VISIBLE WORK WE WILL EVER MAKE (FOR NOW)

Warning: the following videos are made for a 90 feet wide and 30 feet tall movie screen; for the ultimate viewing experience go to a Pathé cinema nearby.

After ten years of this Pathé was ready for a new pre-movie-program. At a cinema like Pathé you can easily make your day exciting. Or romantic, freaky, adventurous or silly. Movies have the power to summon almost any emotion. Those emotions and movie genres were the basis for our leaders and bumpers. And we’ve made them all: a big main leader, a phone-on-silent-bumper, a trailer-bumper and even a 3D-bumper (experience this at Pathé with 3D-glasses – really). The new program is shown right before every movie in 27 cinemas throughout the Netherlands for the next ten years.

CONCEPT CREATED WITH MEES UBACHS

About

Sharon de Graaf is a Creative Director who loves to build brands with equal parts concept and craft. Her attention to detail makes for exceptional executions and sometimes exceptionally annoyed designers. Born in Sneek. Educated in Rotterdam and New York City. Her career began at Ogilvy Amsterdam and took shape at Dawn. She has spent her covid years working from home at DentsuAchtung! to now find herself back at Dawn. A place she can push herself and the team's ideas and craft further. As a former president of Young Dogs, a non-profit organization supporting young creatives, she takes pride in helping kickstart careers. Outside of her day-to-day creative work she designs jewelry.