Seven lives are lost to home fires every day in the U.S.–more than all natural disasters combined. In an effort to change these statistics, the American Red Cross is launching “The Great Escape,” a PSA aimed at educating families on home fire safety.
This campaign from BBDO New York focuses on preparing families with two simple steps: Practicing a 2-minute fire drill, and testing smoke alarms monthly.
To bring this message to life, this spot–directed by Noam Murro of Biscuit Filmworks–features a surreal somewhat playful universe where toys have come alive and are practicing a timely evacuation from their dollhouse–a scene which we later realize is a figment of one child’s imagination.
Credits
Client American Red Cross Agency BBDO New York David Lubars, global chief creative officer; Roberto Danino, Anne Lac, Gary Du Toit, Lance Vining, SVPs, creative directors; Ryan Sheehy, Emma Wren, copywriters (social); Tamara Yakov, art director (social); Alex Gianni, SVP, group executive producer; Jason Guzman, associate producer; Julia Millison, music producer; Alexandra Britt, sr. strategic planner. Production Biscuit Filmworks Noam Murro, director; Shawn Lacy, partner/managing director; Andrew Travelstead, exec producer; Emily Skinner, producer; Sean Moody, head of production; Eric Schmidt, DP; Brock Houghton, production designer; Jennifer Berry, production supervisor. Editorial Rock Paper Scissors East Paul Hardcastle, editor; Eve Kornblum, managing director; Lisa Barnable, producer; Tim Mika, assistant editor; Barbara Kontarovich, Flame producer; Edward Reina, Flame artist. Color Primary Daniel DeVue, colorist; Thatcher Peterson, exec producer; Jenny Bright, producer. Audio Post Heard City Tom Morris, mixer; Andi Lewis, producer; Sasha Awn, Jackie James, exec producers; Gloria Pitagorsky, managing director. Music Human John Christopher Barnes, composer; Morgan Visconti, creative lead; James Dean Wells, exec producer.
How do you top one of the most viral brand videos ever made? Spoiler alert: you can’t. But when Dollar Shave Club tapped Zack Seckler to direct a new campaign to revive the absurdist humor of its iconic launch video, he knew he had a rare opportunity to create something special.
The brief was simple: introduce the concept of a physical “Club” that people would love to join while showcasing Dollar Shave Club’s products and embracing the weird. From script to direction and post, Seckler--an alum of SHOOT’s 2021 New Directors Showcase--was invited to help sculpt that vision.
The result is this “Welcome to the Club” spot which invites us to join a unique, seemingly exclusive but in reality an accessible and affordable fraternity of Dollar Shave Club members. But you need to know the password or more accurately, the two-word phrase--"shave money."
“The Club” campaign brings the brand back to its humorous roots, reflecting a new chapter after being acquired by Nexus Capital Management from Unilever in late 2023. The work takes Dollar Shave Club back to its disruptive beginnings and what made the brand a viral sensation from its inception in 2011.
