The Docter Twins–Jason and Matt Docter–continue to exhibit their comedy chops, which first came to the fore back in 2008 when they earned inclusion in SHOOT’s New Directors Showcase. Now with their own production house, Thinking Machine, the Docters recently teamed with agency R&R Partners to remind Southern Nevada residents to stay “water smart” with their “Future Tripping” water conservation PSA for the Southern Nevada Water Authority.
Jason and Matt Docter introduce us to a suburban guy who goes crazy macho in the face of an ongoing drought. This overly cautious, neurotic character takes matters into his own hands, desperately preparing for the future–underscored by tongue-in-cheek humor. Our protagonist cobbles together his DIY drought-defense armor, in his garage laboratory while his sprinklers carelessly run outside. His doomsday prep is interrupted by his far more sensible wife, who offers up an easier, less excessive solution by heading for the irrigation controller. Smartly limiting water usage is the best way to address the drought–not a makeshift desert survival suit.
Jason Docter said, “A major part of bringing the concept to life was nailing the utilitarian Spartan-like costume the hero character creates in his workshop-garage.”
The man wasn’t the only costumed character. “Dog Max,” a superstar dog appears at his side, equally prepared for desert life in a future sans water.
Thinking Machine is on a roll, following a debut showing for the Docter Twins at the 2018 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Their humor-driven “Data in Dollars” campaign for Xfinity out of Goodby Silverstein & Partners won two Silver Lions for Data-Driven Targeting (Creative Data and Media Lions) and a Bronze Lion for Social–Targeted Communication (Mobile Lions), among five shortlisted entries.
