Director Jake Zalutsky of production house Picture North profiles professional female boxer Jessica McCaskill in this spec piece for Under Armour.
Titled “Respect the Sport,” the film captures McCaskill’s dedication to the sport in terms of both physical intensity and emotional commitment. A prime challenge, said Zalutsky, was “creating a space in which Jessica felt comfortable opening up about some of the challenges and pressures she’s faced as a female athlete, which became the focus of the piece.”
Credits
Client Under Armour (spec piece) Production Picture North Jake Zalutsky, director; Jason Chiu, DP; Carley Mostar, producer; Neha Datt Schultz, Martin Rodahl, exec producers; Matt Miele, assistant cameraman; Mike Cho, gaffer; Max Skelton, key grip; Scott Palmer, Nicholas Fanelli, location sound. Editorial Whitehouse Steve Kroodsma, editor. Color Company 3 Tyler Roth, colorist. Audio Noise Floor Cory Coken, sound mixer; AJ Olstad, foley. Music Ryan Taubert, Blake Ewing, score.
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.
