Bob Giraldi, Founder
From music videos to TV commercials,
Bob Giraldi's directorial talents have left a distinct imprint on
American popular culture. Remember the Miller Lite campaign with
Rodney Dangerfield and the ex-jocks? Remember the famous Pepsi campaigns
featuring Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie? York Peppermint Patty's
"Cool Sensation?" MCI's "Parents" crying over long distance? Or
how about Michael Jackson's groundbreaking music video "Beat It?"
Or Jackson and McCartney's "Say, Say, Say?" All Giraldi's. Not to
mention commercials for Broadway's A Chorus Line, Phantom of the
Opera, Evita, and Dreamgirls.
The amazing Acura "Wrecking Balls," Dreyer's "Dancing Baby," and
Oldsmobile Aurora's "Caught Their Eye" where the Statue of Liberty
comes to life. And Intel's "Dancing Bunnymen."
Four Giraldi-directed commercials have taken home coveted Clio Classic
Hall of Fame awards: H&R Block's "Brother-in-law," General Electric's
"Night Baseball," Partnership for a Drug Free America's "Waking
Up," and J&J's "Stuck on Band Aid."
And hundreds more. In fact, about 2,000 commercials to date and
over 400 awards.
Giraldi's innovative visuals and musical storytelling ability made
him the director of choice in the then fledgling music video realm
for artists like Jackson, McCartney, Richie, Pat Benatar, Diana
Ross, Jean Michel Jarre, and Stevie Wonder. Besides 1983's "Beat
It," which won the coveted American Music Award, the People's Choice
Award, The Billboard Video Award, and is included in Rolling Stone
Magazine's top ten Best Videos of All Time, he wrote and directed
"Love is a Battlefield," "Hello," "Running with the Night," "Penny
Lover," "Ballerina Girl," "Do What You Do," "Dynamite!" and "Don't
Drive Drunk."
In 1985, Giraldi was honored by his alma mater, Pratt Institute,
with an Alumni Achievement Award. In 1994, he was once again honored
by Pratt and presented with the Herschel Levit Scholarship Award,
which honors excellence in career and offers scholarships to young
artists. Other projects by the versatile Giraldi include the feature
film Hiding Out, starring Jon Cryer and Annabeth Gish, and My Hometown,
a short film commemorating the 1983 World Series, which has a permanent
place in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. The
hour-long Christmas special: A Christmas to Remember, with Kenny
Rogers and Dolly Parton, still runs every year.
Giraldi was also a major force in Ads Against AIDS - the advertising
community's massive effort aimed at heightening AIDS awareness and
education. For his deeply moving spot "Eyes," Giraldi was awarded
Golds at the London International Film Festival, the AICP-MOMA Show,
the Mobius Awards, and The Addys.
His work can be seen in the permanent collection of New York's Museum
of Modern Art, and he has been inducted into the New York Art Director's
Club Hall of Fame - one of the few film directors to be so honored.
Named Director of the Year by a number of magazines, Giraldi has
been featured on NBC's Dateline, CNN, CNBC, Entertainment Tonight,
and The E! Network. In 1996, Giraldi's "The Hundred" for McDonald's
was voted the most popular commercial of the Summer Olympics by
USA Today.
In 1996, Mr Giraldi, along with executive producer Patti Greaney,
co-founded StarChefs, an original World Wide Web site featuring
celebrity chefs and cookbook authors. StarChefs has been awarded
NetGuide's prestigious Four Stars, Microsoft's Top Pick Food Site,
New Media's Invision Award for Best Online Periodical, an Epicurus
Award, and Magellan's Four Star Rating.
In 1997, Advertising Age named Giraldi one of the "101 Stars Behind
100 Years of Advertising in New York," one of only two film directors
named to the prestigious list. Other industry colleagues included
Bill Bernbach, William Randolph Hearst, Annie Liebowitz, Michael
Ovitz, and Jay Chiat. In 1997, Giraldi has already directed commercials
for Oracle, Wrangler, MCI, Philips Magnavox, Oldsmobile, Worldcom,
US West, Motorola, and Sears. His work on AT&T Canada's "Jenny"
won a Gold at the AICP Show this year. Amid his other professional
achievements, Giraldi finds time to make successful forays into
the restaurant business. Since creating Giraldi Suarez Productions,
Giraldi and partner Phil Suarez have opened a series of fine restaurants
in New York, London and Hong Kong, including Vong, the Lipstick
Cafe, Gigino Trattoria, JoJo and Patria. In June 1997 their latest
venture, Jean Georges, at the Trump International Hotel and Tower
in New York, earned four-stars from the New York Times.
Mr. Giraldi is listed in Who's Who in America and International
Who's Who of Professionals. He is on the board of Catholic Big Brothers
of New York as well as being a patron of New York Women in Film.
He has production offices in New York and Los Angeles.
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