Advertising career
Thomas began his advertising career in 2012 as a Beauty, Luxury & Tech Art Director at Ogilvy & Mather Paris where he worked for clients including Louis Vuitton, Grey Goose, Netflix and Google.
In 2016, he joined Publicis american agency Leo Burnett as Art Director & Head of Studio, working on international campaigns for Samsung. Two years later, he was recruited by BETC Paris as Senior Art Director, a position he held for five years, leading award-winning creative work across global accounts.
Today, with over a decade of experience in Art Direction and 360° campaign conception, Thomas Defert found Thomas Defert Studio.
The Studio collaborates with iconic Maisons to craft refined, meaningful campaigns & art installations that celebrate heritage, quality, and above all, passion.
-
Grand Prix Stratégie du Craft 2025 : Gold
Grand Prix Stratégie du Luxe 2025 : Gold
Montreux Festival 2022 : Gold Film Craft
Shots : Top100 2022
D&AD 2022 : Wood Pencil Film Craft
Cannes Lions 2020/21 : 3 Shortlits (2 in Film - 1 in Film Craft)
Art Director’s club 2021 : 3 Silver (Music - Digital - Copywriting)
D&AD 2021 : 3 Shortlists (Writing For Advertising - Direct Digital - Animation)
One Show 2021 : 4 Merits (Online film - Under 50K Budget - Website E-commerce - Brand Voice)
Gerety Awards 2021 : Silver in Entertainment
CPS Awards 2021 : Bronze
Clio 2022 : Shortlist
Effie 2020 : Silver - Automotive
Eurobest 2020 : Shortlist - Healthcare - Fundraising
OneShow 2021 : Merit : Branded Content
Clio 2019 : Bronze in Digital/Mobile
Epica 2019 : Bronze in Online & Mobile Services
One Show 2020 : Bronze in Interactive & Online : Websites
Creative Review : Top 10 best ads of 2019 (link)
-
Netflix
Louis Vuitton
Evian
Lacoste
Google
Grey Goose
Samsung
Coke
Rochebobois
Documentary practice
In addition to his advertising career, Thomas Defert is the co-author and co-director of The Last Horizon, a 90-minute documentary that delves into the intertwined lives of three family members in a Senegalese fishing village, exploring their relationships, struggles, and shared legacy as they face the changing tides of politics and the challenges of passing down their traditions.
The Last Horizon is produced by the French production company ELDA PRODUCTION and is supported by CNC, EUROPE MEDIA CREATIVE, and PROCIREP.
Photography
Thomas also has a strong passion for photography, a passion that began during his early days as an assistant to the renowned still life photographer Bart Oomes in Amsterdam. Since 2024, Thomas has had the privilege of having his work sponsored by the famous German photographic institution Leica.