The Beards

29/10/2025

As much as we love the snow, there’s something incredibly calming about the prospect of shooting in the alps without it.

Winter is over, the skis are racked, the Wānaka landscape is shifting colour and we’re excited for spring and summer campaigns ahead.

Here’s one we shot recently for Outdoor Research. An epic day out in the backyard with local crew and talent.

And just a quick heli bump from the office to some of the prettiest locations on earth.

Thanks to the talented Stefan Harworth for capturing the action and to Anna Mac for pulling it together.

Client: Outdoor Research
Photographer: Stefan Harworth
Producer: Anna McConville
Talent:
Angus Campbell
Tyler Beange
Chelsea Tobey
Rosie Pinckney
Location & Helicopters: Alpine Group / GM: Penny Stevenson

21/10/2025

We’re proud to share that a campaign we helped bring to life has been shortlisted as a finalist at the 2025 Effies in the Other Consumer Services category.

The campaign ‘Tantrums’ was the first expression of a multi-year creative platform ‘Biggest Playground Around’, conceptualised in partnership with the clever Ian Sweeney.

As a production company, our sweet spot is bringing together the right people, conditions and plans to make creative work that... works.
And we feel lucky to have had the opportunity to do this alongside a client with a truly unique product, and one which we happen to know so well.

Huge thanks to the Realnz team for the opportunity. And to Ian for partnering with us to bring adult tantrums to the ski world.

29/09/2025

From Wānaka to the world 🌍
Running a global creative business from the bottom of the world hasn’t always been easy - but trust, tech, and a crew who’ve got our backs make it possible. Big thanks to Adobe for featuring our story: “Reaching Peak Success in the Southern Alps.” Link below - https://business.adobe.com/blog/the-beards-reaching-peak-success-in-the-southern-alps

01/09/2025

“We couldn’t have done this without The Beards.” – Bob Mackintosh, Founder & CD of MONTOYA

Appreciate the kind words, Bob – we’re sure a man of your calibre could have figured something out, but we’ll gladly take it 😊. Thanks for tapping us to help make the (almost) impossible possible: high-fashion, high-production, and high-altitude, all in Wānaka for Air New Zealand’s Behind The Uniform campaign.

Read how it all came together on the Lake Wānaka Tourism blog – link in bio.

08/07/2025

We teamed up with String Theory to shoot Hyundai’s Simply Undeniable Value campaign.
TV, digital, OOH. All the acronyms in every aspect ratio imaginenable.
Tracking rigs on gravel, hard mounted cameras, FPV drones through the trees, lighting interiors, and a few windswept and sunburned cheeks.
Small crew, big output.
Shot it all in a few wild days around the Southern Lakes, on roads we used to hoon down on bikes as kids.
Only one drone was harmed in the making.
The Southern Alps? Simply undeniable too.

Producer / Director - Tim Pierce 
Production Manager - Anna McConville 
Drone Pilot - Ron Hailes-Paku 
1st AC - Ross Mackay 
Runner - Jesse Whitfield 
Gaffer - John Hogan
Editor - James Buchan
Colourist - Pete Richie
Sound Design - Liquid Studio

24/06/2025

They say never work with kids or animals.
So we did both. In one day.
The kids showed up. The birds showed up.
Ryan Heron coaxed gold out of all of them with the patience of a saint.
Never a dull moment at The Beards, whatever we’re shooting.
Big thanks to Secret Identity & for having us along.

Client: Topflite
Marketing Manager – Carolyn Webster 
Digital Marketing Manager  – Samara Allardice

Creative Agency: Secret Identity 
Creative Director – Stephen Dalley
 
Production Company: The Beards
Producer / AD - Toby Crawford
Director - Ryan Heron
DOP - Tim Pierce
Production Manager - Anna McConville
1st AC - Roy Schott
Camera Intern - Jesse Whitfiled
Props & Wardrobe Stylist - Georgia Wales
Gaffer - John Hogan
LX Assist - Tom Greenway
Sound Recordist - Danny Fairley
Photographer – Holly Wademan  
Editor - Andy Deere
Colourist - Tim Wreyford
Sound Design - Amy Barber

24/06/2025

29/05/2025

Winter in Aotearoa hits different.
Big thanks to our backyard for showing up, again.

Captured by the talented crew below for visual library 👌🏻

Producer: Toby Crawford
PM: Deanna Gerlach
DOP: Jake Munro
AC: Roy Schott
Drone Pilot: Richie Johnson
Photographer: Miles Holden

20/05/2025

Following on from our previous post, please enjoy these beautiful stills photographed by for Air New Zealand’s ‘Anything but Uniform’ campaign produced by The Beards.

Montoya
Creative Director - Bob Macintosh
Client Service Director - Dennelle Exton
Designer - Alexander Middleton

Photographer - Derek Henderson
Digital Operator - Ant Low
1st Assistant - Straton Noel Heron
2nd Assistant - Cameron Lloyd

The Beards
Producer - Toby Crawford
Production Manager - Narelle Wilson
Production Runner / Assistant - Sarah Moore
Safety - Wayne Allen
Uniform Designer - Emilia Wickstead
Hair, Makeup & Wardrobe - Camille Masterantonio
Hair, Makeup & Wardrobe Assistant - Annette Oliver
Location Manager - Alex McCrossin
Unit Manager - Karl Stieglbauer
Unit Assistant - Saige Cambridge

15/05/2025

We are incredibly proud to have produced Air New Zealand’s Anything but Uniform campaign.

We spent a couple of days in our own backyard with some of the incredible AirNZ team - real people, real pride, and a whole lot of heart in front of the lens. The new uniform is more than just threads; it’s a celebration of culture, connection and the people who make this airline what it is.

Please swipe on through a few of the video assets below!

Montoya 
Creative Director - Bob Macintosh 
Client Service Director - Dennelle Exton 
Designer - Alexander Middleton

The Beards
Producer - Toby Crawford 
Director - Tim Pierce 
Production Manager - Narelle Wilson 
Production Runner / Assistant - Sarah Moore 
DOP - Mason Bennet 
1ST AC - Roy Schott 
Camera Intern - Jesse Whitfield 
FPV Drone Operator / DIT - Ron Hailes-Paku 
Sound - Danny Fairley 
Safety - Wayne Allen 
Uniform Designer - Emilia Wickstead 
Hair, Makeup & Wardrobe - Camille Masterantonio 
Hair, Makeup & Wardrobe Assistant - Annette Oliver 
Location Manager - Alex McCrossin 
Unit Manager - Karl Stieglbauer 
Unit Assistant - Saige Cambridge 
Editor - Andy Deere
Colourist - Pete Richie
Sound Engineer - Amy Barber

28/04/2025

This winter, opens Soho Basin - officially making Cardrona + the biggest ski resort in Aotearoa.

The brief from the .newzealand Mountains crew?

Create a bold, playful platform to tell that story - and use it to launch a campaign that would turn heads and raise smiles.

Our take?

It’s not just big. It’s the kind of big that makes you feel small in the best way.
The kind of big where “one more run” turns into five.
The kind of big that makes leaving the hardest part.

And so… The Biggest Playground Around was born.
A creative platform built on the idea that scale is only half the story - it’s what you do with it that counts.

First campaign off the rank: Snow Tantrums.
Inspired by every parent’s nightmare (and every kid’s totally justified reaction): the meltdown when it’s time to leave the playground.

Big love to the Cardrona / TC crew for trusting us with this one.
More to come mid-season - watch this space

Creative Director & Copywriter: Ian Sweeney
Director: Josh Whiteman
EP / Producer: Toby Crawford
DOP: Tim Pierce
Production Manager: Siobháin Hooper Deanna Gerlach
Production Assistant: Tyler Beange
1st AC: Roy Schott
2nd AC: Ross Mackay
Gaffer: John Hogan
Sound Recordist: Danny Fairly
VO: Josh Thomson Agent: Auckland Actors
Editor: Derek Pearson
Colourist: Tim Wreyford
Sound Design: Amy Barber
Wardrobe: Kate King
Make up: Laura King

GM Marketing: Alesha Stefanissin
PR Manager: Jen Houltham
Creative Lead: Genevieve Montreuil
Digital Manager: Rachel Howie