Stein X Leikanger

• Interests: Creativity, cinema, communications, literature, philosophy, history of ideas, anthropology, theatre, chess, photography, flying gliders, taking long hikes in the mountains of various countries--spending nights in a sleeping bag under the stars regardless of the weather.
• Profession: Film director and advertising creative
• Education: Master of Science in Telecommunications
• Languages: Spoken and written: Norwegian and English; spoken: Spanish, French, and German (languages I also read with facility)
• Country: Norway--though sufficiently peripatetic to best be reached through email.
• Website

In June 95, Stein left Lowe Brindfors of Sweden, where he worked as Creative Director for the agency. He founded the hybrid agency Adieu Tristesse, together with Johan Gulbranson. The two of them enjoyed a fine three years, that resulted in additional international awards for clients all over Europe.

Adieu Tristesse was dissolved when Stein chose to pursue his ambition to work with features. He directed Odd Little Man, which premiered in 2000 and became Norway's selection for the Academy Awards. He continues working with brand building, developing ideas and theorizing about the future of marketing.

His experience with advertising is extensive, and he has had international creative responsibility for brands such as Saab, Scandinavian Airlines, Helly Hansen, Lexus Europe, and others.

In 2004, Stein founded The Art of Wealth, a company that is reëxamining branding and developing completely new approaches to communicating with consumers and markets.

In the opinion of Stein and his colleagues, the world of advertising is in crisis for not having understood the incredible changes that have taken place in the last ten years.