Prada campaign filmed on an Icelandic glacier
Rúnar Ingi Einarsson, director and co-founder of the Icelandic production company Norður, has produced a wide range of commercials for well-known brands. Composite image
Filming has recently wrapped on a major advertising campaign for Italian fashion house Prada, promoting its Prada Sport line. The campaign stars Jake Gyllenhaal, with parts of the production shot on a glacier and inside an ice cave in Iceland. The Icelandic production company Norður handled the local production.
Rúnar Ingi Einarsson , director and co-founder of Norður , has worked extensively abroad — including in Sweden, the United States, Germany, France, and Canada — directing international commercials.
“ Nor ður was founded just before the pandemic but really gained momentum afterward,” says Einarsson . “From the start, the idea was to produce high-quality projects and choose them carefully.”
The company has produced campaigns for major Icelandic clients such as Icelandair, Íslandsbanki , Landsbankinn , and the Blue Lagoon, among others. It has also produced narrative work, including the short film Fár , which received a Special Mention at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023.
Filming on an Icelandic glacier
Einarsson’s international connections played a key role in bringing Prada to Iceland.
“The Prada Sport project came to us through a British production company, where the director was a former collaborator of mine,” he explains. “They wanted to film on a glacier in Iceland, so they reached out to us.”
Around thirty people took part in the production while filming in Iceland. Photo/From private collection
Norður did not participate in the creative direction but focused on providing full production services to ensure a smooth shoot.
“It’s rewarding that our approach — always aiming for high standards — attracts international clients like Prada. We want to produce projects directly for foreign clients, but it’s also gratifying to show that we can service large-scale productions professionally,” says Einarsson .
International team and locations
Filming took place both in Iceland and New York. Around 30 crew members were involved in the Icelandic shoot.
“We filmed for two days on the glacier and one day inside an ice cave. The scenes with Jake Gyllenhaal were shot in a studio, but all the natural landscape footage was filmed here in Iceland,” Einarsson explains.
He notes that Iceland has extensive experience hosting international film productions.
“Large production companies come here regularly to shoot fashion, automotive, and other high-end campaigns. Iceland is an exceptionally popular filming location, with strong professional expertise and infrastructure to support projects like this.”
Rúnar Ingi Einarsson's international connections have proven highly valuable in his work. Photo/From private collection
