HazazaH director Diederick began his career as a junior copywriter and swiftly became one of the best Dutch ad men. Alongside Simon Neefjes and Cor den Boer, he became co-owner of the largest advertisement agency in the Netherlands, TBWA\Neboko. He is the creative mind behind the iconic Elephant commercial for Rolo (which won a Grand Prix for Film in Cannes and was voted the best Dutch ad of all time), as well as the legendary campaigns Biertje? for Heineken and supermarket manager Harry Piekema for Albert Heijn, the latter running for twelve years. Hazazah produced 30-40 films for these two brands. Diederick’s exceptional career has earned him a place in the Hall of Fame of the Art Directors Club Nederland and the title of Legend from the Dutch Association of Agencies.

Ten years ago, Diederick decided to reinvent himself, shifting his focus to directing films, not just commercials. After a few years of intense preparation (during which he practically disappeared from ad land), he debuted with The Marathon, which won the prestigious Golden Calf from the audience at the Dutch Film Festival. A few years later, he directed the biopic Blood, Sweat and Tears, about the beloved late singer André Hazes, which went on to win three Golden Calves.

During this later period, Diederick occasionally returned to his roots as a creative. He now writes scripts and directs commercials for brands such as G-Star Raw Worldwide, Remia, and Radio 538 through his company Stories & Pictures.

At hazazaH, Diederick continues to juggle his genius as a copywriter, scriptwriter, creative director, and, above all, commercial director, while still making feature films. “The process of making feature films takes years. I like being on set and writing scripts more often. Creating commercials keeps me in shape, sharp, and fresh. As an ad man – which I still am – I simply love doing it. It’s as simple as that.”