You know that feeling you get when you look outside and all life is frozen, the wind is howling through the window, and even snowmen appear to have frostbite?
Yup, it’s called pure joy. And it’s what all gamers have when a terrible storm gives them the definitive reason to stay inside and play on PlayStation.
And now, that kind of apocalyptic winter weather is the setting for PlayStation’s most recent Black Friday campaign, centered on this spot titled “Wonderland” from BBH NY.
Directed by Matthijs van Heijningen of MJZ, our hero protagonist wakes up to the worst kind-of blizzard imaginable. Realizing he has a perfect excuse to stay inside, a smile crosses his face and he breaks into song. We see moments of pure misery outside as he dances through his house, singing with pure joy. All of this reaches a crescendo when he makes it to his living room to warm up with some nice, toasty PlayStation.
Credits
Client PlayStation Agency BBH New York Gerard Caputo, chief creative officer; Jonathan Mackler, executive creative director; Lucas Bongioanni, Colin Kim, creative directors; Aimee Perrin, art director; Stu Rubin, copywriter; Bruno Borges, head of design; Stephanie Munoz, designer; Ed Zazzera, head of production; Abbie Noon, executive producer. Production MJZ Matthijs van Heijningen, director; Ruben Impens, DP; Eriks Krumins, exec producer; Janet Nowosad, head of production; Donald Taylor, producer. Production Services Migrate Films. Editorial Work Editorial Jono Griffith, editor; Trevor Myers, assistant editor; Erica Thompson, exec producer; Chris Delarenal, producer. VFX The Mill New York Angus Kneale, chief creative officer; Nathan Kane, creative director; Ruben Vandebroek, shoot supervisor, 3D lead artist; Siro Valente, 2D lead artist; John Montefusco, 3D lead artist; Marco Baratto, James Cudahy, 2D artists; Todd Akita, Charles Lee, 3D artist; Clemens den Exter, design; Eliana Carranza-Pitcher, exec producer; Mandy Harris, producer; Mia Lalanne, production coorindator; Mikey Rossiter, colorist; Evan Bauer, color producer. (Toolbox: Flame, Nuke, Maya, Houdini) Music Walker. Record & Mix Sound Lounge Tom Jucarone, mixer.
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.
