There are circumstances in life to which the expression “one size fits all” applies to everyone’s benefit, but in-school learning is not one of them. That’s the belief of pre-k-12 technology company Renaissance as reflected in its first brand film, “Dopplelearners,” directed by Clay Weiner of Biscuit Filmworks for Goodby Silverstein & Partners.
“Dopplelearners” tells the story of one student’s journey through a typical school day, where he struggles to simply be seen for the unique person he is.
“I think we can all remember moments from our school days when we felt a bit at sea and the one teacher who really helped us feel seen in those moments,” said GS&P creative director Jon Wyville. “As we worked with Clay to develop the script, we talked a lot about John Hughes and all his funny yet deeply emotional films. We wanted to create a kind of day-in-the-life story of highs and lows in which you empathized not only with the student but ultimately with the teacher as well.”
The film, which will run internationally beginning in late spring, is the first piece of creative in Renaissance’s “See Every Student” campaign. It is part of a new brand identity that embraces the company’s almost 40-year history as a leader in K–12 education technology while taking a fresh and forward-looking approach to the future of Renaissance.
Credits
Client Blackstone Brand Renaissance Agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners Margaret Johnson, partner, chief creative officer; Jon Wyville, Jon Wolanske, creative directors; Paul Rice, art director; Collin Smith, copywriter; Johann Vernizzi, designer; Bonnie Wan, partner, head of brad strategy; Christine Chen, partner, head of communication strategy; Stephanie Phillips, group brand strategy director; Chelsea Bruzzone, sr. brand strategist; Nick Reggars, group content strategy director; Jim Haight, digital production; Danielle Riccardi, executive producer; Tiffany Yeh, producer. Production Biscuit Filmworks Clay Weiner, director; Shawn Lacy, partner/managing director; Adam Marsden, DP; Holly Vega, exec producer; Biz Bottomley, producer; Sean Moody, head of production; Francois Jordaan, production designer; Angela Koszuta, wardrobe stylist; Raquel Atienza, hair & makeup artist. Editorial Cabin Editing Company Andrew Ratzlaff, editor; Doug Scott, assistant editor; Adam Becht, exec producer; Marta Navarrete, post producer. Audio & Sound Design Lime Studios Adam Primack, sound designer, audio engineer; Meg Ochs, assistant mixer; Susan Boyajan, exec producer; Cassie Underwood, producer. Music Songs for Film and T.V. K.S. Rhoads, audio engineer; David Fisher, exec producer; K.S. Rhoads, producer; Music–”Renaissance v8” by K.S. Rhoads Identity Design Pentagram Luke Hayman, partner/creative director; Shigeto Akiyama, associate partner; Antonio Nogueira, Rob Hewitt, designers; Avery George, project manager. VFX KEVIN Gareth Parr, shoot supervisor, VFX lead Flame artist; Sue Troyan, sr. exec producer; Jami Schakel, sr. VFX producer; Connor Van Der Linde, VFX coordinator; Steve Gibbons, Susanne Scharping, Flame artists; Dag Ivarsoy, Luke Yalva, Nuke artists. Color TRAFIK Daniel De Vue, colorist; Julia King, color 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.
