ITV’s streaming platform, ITVX, launches its new season of available comedies with an aptly timed series of advertisements starring actors from ITVX exclusive shows. Included in the mix of spots in the “Comedy is Back in the Building” campaign from agency ITV Creative–and directed by JILL, the team of Phil Morrison and Joe Ventura, via production house Epoch Film UK–is this piece titled “Stand Up Desk.”
JILL’s Ventura said, “Phil and I largely prefer the style of comedy where it takes place in an ordinary world where jokes happen to crop up organically. We wanted to avoid being hams when it came to this campaign in every sense–from casting to what lenses we used – in order to honor the unique rhythms in British humor. ITV has played such a vital role in the world of comedy in the U.K. and beyond, so we knew that we had to nail that element in particular.”
Credits
Client ITV, ITVX Agency ITV Creative Nike Garner, director of creative; Chris Vernon, executive creative director; Victoria Barnard, campaign management & strategic planning; Katie burrow, head of campaign production; Jonathan Truin, Matt Legg, Joaquin & Bailey, creatives; Mike Lomas, Ben Peers, sr. designers; Luke Fraser, sr. producer; James Hillhouse, lead strategist; Rosie Gilligan, campaign lead; Ella Clay, Mike Johnson, sr. campaign managers; Nana Hughes, head of scripted comedy; Jane Stiller, chief marketing officer; Paul Ridsdale, director of marketing; Ed Ross, sr. head of marketing; Simon Ricks, marketing lead; Hannah Costello, marketing manager. Production Company Epoch Films UK JILL (Phil Morrison, Joe Ventura), director; Jacki Calleiro, executive producer; Ewen Brown, producer; Sam Dawking, 1st AD; Mott Hupfel, DP; Olly Williams, production designer; Hannahy Edwards, wardrobe; Rachel Hearle, makeup artist. Editorial Work Editorial Mark Edinoff, editor; Lola Cookman, edit producer. Postproduction Coffe & TV Johnny Fairburn, post producer; Nick John, VFX supervisor; Davide Pascolo, Rory Whittle, VFX artists; Simona Cristea, colorist. Audio 750mph Miichalis Anthis, sound engineer; Aishah Amodu, sound producer.
How do you top one of the most viral brand videos ever made? Spoiler alert: you canโt. 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 โClubโ that people would love to join while showcasing Dollar Shave Clubโs products and embracing the weird. From script to direction and post, Seckler--an alum of SHOOTโs 2021 New Directors Showcase--was invited to help sculpt that vision.
The result is this โWelcome to the Clubโ 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."
โThe Clubโ 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.
