It’s a well-known tradition to leave out a plate of cookies for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve–the normal chocolate chip, sugar cookies, etc. But here we see the surprise, excitement, and that elevated “ooooohhhh” that Santa is overcome with being left Milano cookies vs. the usual suspects in this spot directed by Lena Beug of Station Film for Saatchi & Saatchi New York.
In fact, Santa is inspired to get a bit fancy himself after getting a bite from a Pepperidge Farms’ Milano treat.
The holiday spot is running on social channels with a TikTok push for creators to execute a similar Fancy Santa transition.
Credits
Client Campbell’s Snack Company/Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookies Agency Saatchi & Saatchi New York Daniel Lobaton, chief creative officer; Jon Bellinger, creative director; Preethi Balakrishnan, sr. art director; Kelsey Boylan, sr. copywriter; Tim LeGallo, EVP, director, integrated production; Danielle Hallack, Samuel Moross, sr. producers; Julie Dombreval, SVP, director, brand strategy. Production Station Film Lena Beug, director; Caroline Gibney, Stephen Orent, founding partners; Michelle Towse, partner/exec producer; Julie Lee, producer. Editorial Arcade Edit Ali Mao, editor; Samuel Barden, assistant editor; Arlene Perez, post producer; Sila Soyer, exec producer. Music Squeak E. Clean Studios Kit Winter, exec producer; Matthew Compton, sr. composer; Charles Rojas, composer; Tarjas White, sr. producer. Audio Post Harbor Picture Company Jesse Schwartz, exec producer; Steve Perski, creative director–commercial sound; Lauren Boyle, sr. producer; Cammie McGarry, producer. Color Harbor Picture Company Joe Gawler, colorist; Jesse Schwartz, exec producer; Jody Peters, color/VFX sr. producer; Katherine Andrews, color/VFX producer.
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.
