15:00 Thursday 23 June 2016, Cannes, France: WeTransfer arrived in Cannes today to introduce new appointments and projects to a small audience of close friends and artists. As a company born from an obsession with music, culture, art and design, WeTransfer is proud to announce that DJ and music producer Gilles Peterson has joined the company as its new Creative Director. Portrait and fashion photographer Rankin will also be working closely with the brand over the next three months, creating a series of images exclusively for WeTransfer and its users.

Gilles’ role with WeTransfer will see him work across the brand’s marketing and editorial projects, working alongside WeTransfer’s CMO Damian Bradfield to shape its creative strategy and continue to enable the effortless flow of ideas and content between likeminded creatives.  With more than 30 years’ experience, Gilles is one of the most respected figures working in the music industry today and his eclectic tastes and eye for new talent have built a peerless reputation amongst millions of fans around the world. As such Gilles is perfectly placed to push WeTransfer’s relationship with the global creative community in exciting new directions.   

WeTransfer CMO Damian Bradfield said: “Every brand today is talking about being authentic – you can’t get more authentic than Gilles. He’s been curating contemporary music for as long as the tech industry can remember, with the energy and enthusiasm for new music of a 20-year-old”.

Gilles’ role will include curating live events, directing film projects and creating new music partnerships and content.  In Cannes Gilles hosted the ‘WeTalkMusic’ session, which featured Sir Ken Robinson (author, speaker and international advisor on education in the arts), Troy Carter (music and entertainment entrepreneur) and Shep Gordon (talent manager and Hollywood film agent). Later guests will be treated to an evening of incredible music from Gilles, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith (Western Vinyl), Eglo Records Founder Floating Points, Job Jobse and Cinnaman.

Gilles Peterson said: “It’s an honour to be working with such a talented group of people who value originality and creativity as highly as I do. Talking about the music that I love in Cannes alongside such highly respected guest speakers was the perfect way to begin my relationship with WeTransfer.”

For his first project with WeTransfer Gilles will draw on his experiences of working in Cuba to develop a series of short documentary films. Ahead of Cuba’s imminent digital transition, Gilles will explore how Cuban creatives have worked in the absence of the Internet and limited access to technology.

WeTransfer’s short stay on the French Riviera also saw noted photographer Rankin explore Cannes to discover the unique people that inhabit this slightly schizophrenic resort. Away from the actors, creatives and music industry executives that Cannes has become known for, there’s a world of unusual characters that the world never sees. It is these stories that Rankin wanted to explore and celebrate in ‘The Real Cannes’.

The images that Rankin shot in Cannes will appear as WeTransfer wallpapers throughout June and July, and are exclusively available for WeTransfer users to download and share. Rankin will continue to capture and share images from his wider portfolio of work on WeTransfer’s ‘This Works’ blog.

Damian Bradfield commented “Working with Rankin is truly exciting, as it will enable us to present Cannes in a way that people have never seen before.  Access to his incredible work and creative mind will ignite new conversations and discoveries through both our homepage and our ‘This Works’ editorial channel.”

The popularity of WeTransfer amongst the global artistic community is a result of its minimalist aesthetic, simplicity of use and creative values. By continuing to celebrate creativity and originality through exciting new partnerships, products and experiences, WeTransfer will keep users in their flow and continue to help to make big things happen.

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To see the full collection of Rankin’s “Real Cannes’ portraits click here:

https://wetransfer.com/thisworks/2016/06/23/wetransfer-x-rankin-real-cannes/

About WeTransfer

WeTransfer connects the global creative community. Since 2009 we have made file-sharing simple, so you can spend time on what matters most. WeTransfer is also a stage for hand-picked talent. So through our platform, you will discover the latest photography, music, design and lots of other stuff that won’t fit into this sentence. www.wetransfer.com