Mark Albiston of Sweetshop directed this spot for Australian hardware store/DIY chain MITRE 10 from FCB Auckland.
The comedy and charm of the film springs from Roy and his pet donkey, Kong. The donkey goes to great lengths to escape his confines in order to find compatible companionship. Each time he’s flown the coop, Kong adds to the frustration and inconvenience for the busy Roy. The friction between Roy and Kong is both funny and endearing, followed by the inspired, and the very funny, Trojan Donkey solution from MITRE 10 at the finale.
Credits
Client MITRE 10 Agency FCB New Zealand James Mok, regional executive creative director; Matt Williams, Freddie Coltart, sr. creatives; Jenni Doubleday, creative services director; Dan Martin, CEO; Hilary Dobson, sr. strategist; Pip Mayne, head of content; Amanda Langkilde, producer; Kate Grigg, digital director. Production Sweetshop Mark Albiston, director; Fiona King, managing director; Andy Mauger, producer; Marty Williams, DP; Neville Stevenson, production designer. Editorial ARC Edit Simon Price, editor. Audio Ant Nevison, sound recordist. Postproduction Perceptual Engineering Jon Baxter, online editor; Pete Ritchie, colorist. Sound Studio Beatworms Cam Ballantyne, sound designer/engineer. Music Beatworms Cam Ballantyne, original composition.
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.
