This Was Needed
A Toronto and Los Angeles-based production company that specializes in making cutting-edge content in the realm of music videos, commercials, documentaries and films.
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This Was Needed
The Work Biography
Daniela Andrade
i see red
Nike
Calm Is A Weapon
Hoka x Spencer Badu
The Journey
Nike x Moses Itauma
Details
Spencer Badu
Interwoven
Haventree
How To Grow
Take More Photos
Cultural Vanguards
Adidas
We Feel
Haviah Mighty
Double The Fun
Rema
Ravage
Nathan Burland, known professionally as This Was Needed, is a filmmaker and creative director whose work turns everyday moments into rich, emotionally charged narratives.
Rooted in culture and movement, his films pair technical precision with a global perspective. Every project is built in close collaboration.
He has directed for brands including Nike, Adidas, Google, HOKA, Sapporo and Wireless Festival, and for artists including Wizkid, Stormzy, Rema, Gunna, Headie One and Shenseea.
Nathan has quickly emerged as one of the most exciting new voices in advertising, with recognition arriving from across the industry. "The Journey," his film for Spencer Badu × HOKA exploring heritage and identity, won Silver for Best Direction at the ADCC Awards and was nominated for New Talent in Commercials at Ciclope, and "Interwoven," his film presentation of Spencer Badu's Fall 2025 collection, premiered during New York Fashion Week. He has since been shortlisted for Best New Director at the AICP Awards and awarded Silver for New Director of the Year at the shots Awards Americas.
Born in South London to a family of Ghanaian heritage and raised in Vancouver and Toronto, Nathan studied international business and pursued a career in soccer before turning to film. He developed his craft through The Remix Project and hands-on production work at Fela, where the voice of This Was Needed took shape: driven by feeling, led by instinct and refined through intention. Not everything needs to be explained. If it feels right, it usually is.
He has directed for brands including Nike, Adidas, Google, HOKA, Sapporo and Wireless Festival, and for artists including Wizkid, Stormzy, Rema, Gunna, Headie One and Shenseea.
Nathan has quickly emerged as one of the most exciting new voices in advertising, with recognition arriving from across the industry. "The Journey," his film for Spencer Badu × HOKA exploring heritage and identity, won Silver for Best Direction at the ADCC Awards and was nominated for New Talent in Commercials at Ciclope, and "Interwoven," his film presentation of Spencer Badu's Fall 2025 collection, premiered during New York Fashion Week. He has since been shortlisted for Best New Director at the AICP Awards and awarded Silver for New Director of the Year at the shots Awards Americas.
Born in South London to a family of Ghanaian heritage and raised in Vancouver and Toronto, Nathan studied international business and pursued a career in soccer before turning to film. He developed his craft through The Remix Project and hands-on production work at Fela, where the voice of This Was Needed took shape: driven by feeling, led by instinct and refined through intention. Not everything needs to be explained. If it feels right, it usually is.