George Clooney returns in his latest installment as a Nespresso brand ambassador, as he’s never been seen before. Directed by Grant Heslov of Santa Monica-based Untitled Inc., “The Quest” sees Clooney suited up in armor, majestically saving a medieval kingdom before hitting the streets of New York City on a quest to find his heart’s desire, the kingdom’s most exceptional coffee. Co-starring in the epic adventure is one of the silver screen’s most famous queens, Natalie Dormer. This is the largest global Nespresso campaign to date, launching in more than 30 countries.
Oscar-nominated (for the film Nebraska) cinematographer Phedon Papamichael shot and Chris Franklin of Big Sky Edit cut “The Quest.”
Credits
Client Nespresso Agency McCann New York Eric Silver, North America chief creative officer; Tom Murphy, Sean Bryan, co-chief creative officers; Larry Platt, Daniel Rodriguez, executive creative directors; Carlos Wigle, Scott Cooney, creative directors; Francisco Valenzuela Barrera, art director; Danielle Korn, director of broadcast production; Kathy Love, executive producer; Wendy Leahy, integrated producer; Anna Andreis, strategy director; Nina Kosoff, strategist. Production Untitled Inc, Santa Monica, Calif. Grant Heslov, director; James Evans. co-founder/exec producer; Phedon Papamichael, DP; Carr Donald, line producer. Editorial, VFX, Sound Design, Finishing Big Sky Edit Chris Franklin, editor; Sarah Van Tassel, exec producer; Ali Corsie, producer; Ryan Sears, VFX supervisor/artist; Joshua Howard, Agnes Gunawan, VFX artists; Colleen McKay, Hannah Wederquist-Keller, assistant editors. Audio Post Sound Lounge Tom Jucarone, mixer. Telecine Company 3 Tim Masick, colorist. Music Track “Solsbury Hill” by Peter Gabriel
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.
