Stellar Creator Mark Toia an Advertising Legend

New Zealand-born visionary filmmaker and director Mark Toia has died, at the age of 51, in Brisbane, the Daily Mail reports.

Toia’s career took him from filming eye-catching ads for Jeep and Mercedes to investing his own fortune into a blockbuster indie movie, Ali Daher writes for the Australian arm of the publication.

With 300 scripts landing 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 over 106 million views.

His reputation as a stellar creator soared beyond the advertising sky into the galaxies of indie filmmaking with his 2020 sci-fi hit Monsters of Man, which he daringly financed with $2million USD of his own funds.

CampaignBrief describes Toia as “a visionary who blurred the lines between commercial and creative”.

The leading advertising website writes, “Toia was not only admired but loved by his peers.”

Original article by Ali Daher, Daily Mail, November 5, 2023.