In this branded short film titled Airlift Drift, Pennzoil presents famed stunt driver Rhys Millen behind the wheel of a 707 horsepower Dodge Challenger Hellcat as he pushes the boundaries of performance. Shot in Cape Town, South Africa, the short was directed by Ozan Biron of The Embassy, Vancouver, B.C., for J. Walter Thompson Atlanta.
The piece marks several firsts for Pennzoil: a campaign led by an online film first rather than a more traditional TV-driven approach; shedding the advertising norms of its category by dropping claim-based language and product shots to show, not tell, the performance; and deliberately excluding music and VO from the film so consumers can hear the performance through the engine–targeting a visceral reaction–thanks to Charles Deenen at Sound Source.
The :90 online film can be viewed on the Pennzoil YouTube channel and updated PennzoilSynthetics.com.
Credits
Client Pennzoil Agency J. Walter Thompson Atlanta Perry Fair, chief creative officer; Jeremy Jones, executive creative director; Dustin Tamilio, group creative director; John Huddleston, copywriter; Erin Fillingam, art director; Daryll Merchant, producer; James Robbins, sr. planner. Production The Embassy, Vancouver, B.C. Ozan Biron, director/editor; Trevor Cawood, exec producer; Manoel Ferreira, DP. Post Cycle Media Brendan Woollard, assistant editor/conformist. VFX Imagine Engine Bernhard Kimbacher, VFX supervisor; Neil Impey, on-set supervisor. Stunts Rhys Millen, precision driver. Content Production Company Lemonade Films Ted Herman, exec producer; Philip Fyfe, production supervisor. Production Services (South Africa) Uncle Morris Films Steven St. Arnaud, line producer; Herman Warnich, production manager; Andrea Scott, production coordinator. Post Company 3 Dave Hussey, colorist. Sound Design Sound Source LA Charles Deenen, sound designer.
Stain remover Vanish presents this emotional short film--created by BETC Havas, Sao Paulo, and produced by LOBO--that explores the profound consequences of bullying and highlights the importance of open conversations between parents and children. Titled The Bully Monster, the animated film premiered at the Maquinaria Festival in Rio de Janeiro on February 15 in a special edition featuring family-focused programming.
The film’s protagonist is a boy who experiences bullying at school but keeps silent about his suffering. Isolation turns sadness into insecurity, creating invisible emotional scars that only grow in the absence of dialogue. When his mother notices stains on his uniform, these marks become the starting point for a revealing conversation. As words find space to make themselves heard, the stains begin to fade.
This initiative aligns with the Vanish Saves Your Uniform campaign, which, for the past three years during the back-to-school season, has engaged with parents by positioning the brand as a trusted partner in preserving school uniforms. This year, Vanish decided to broaden the conversation, bringing bullying into the debate as the real stain that can impact a child’s life.
The Bully Monster is being screened as preshow material in movie theaters starting February 20 and will also be available on streaming platforms and digital channels. In addition to the film, the campaign will include out-of-home activations and school initiatives through a partnership with Abrace – Preventive Programs, the founding organization of the “Bullying-Free Schools” program, which has been equipping institutions with resources to combat school violence for 12 years.
“Research indicates that stains on a uniform can... Read More
