Team One, Publicis Group’s agency for premium brands, created this commercial for the 2023 Lexus RX which plays on the universal appeal of The Wizard of Oz. The spot features a family resembling the movie characters in the new Lexus RX and asks what if Dorothy had ignored the advice to “follow the yellow brick road” and took the road less traveled instead? Like the all-new 2023 RX, “Unfollow” reimagines what is possible with a modern interpretation of one of the most celebrated films of all time.
Hanna Maria Heidrich via production house RESET directed “Unfollow.” She is an alum of SHOOT’s 2012 New Directors Showcase.
Credits
Client Lexus Agency Team One Julie Michael, CEO; Chris Graves, chief creative officer; Jason Stinsmuehlen, executive creative director; Britt Wilen, creative director/copywriter; Philipp Dietz, creative director/art director; Neil Cleary, sr. music supervisor; Julie Bedard, sr. project manager; Mark Savage, sr. manager, product insights; Sam Walsh, director, content production; Leah Bohl, associate director, content production; Jenny Valladares, sr. producer; Ann Truong, sr. content producer. Production RESET Hanna Maria Heidrich, director; Dave Morrison, managing director; John Moran, head of production; Jen Beitler, Michael Garza, exec producers; Matt Wersinger, producer; Roman Vasyanov, DP; Meghan McClure, production designer. Editorial Cabin Rami D’Aguiar, editor; Katie Pehowski, assistant editor; Adam Becht, exec producer; Carr Schilling, managing director; Dale Nicholls, sr. producer. VFX JAMM Visual Effects Benoit Mannequin, VFX supervisor/lead compositor; Tim Robbins, Patrick Munoz, Diego Vazquez, Max Harris, Michael Parkinson; Sam Shiflett, Flame artists; Brandon Kachel, matte painter; Anna Dood, producer; Anne-Marie DePauw, production coordinator; Asher Edwards, exec producer. VFX Tilt-Shift, LA Felix Urquiza, creative director; Shelby Wong, head of production; Michael Johnson, CG supervisor; Joel Binder, VFX producer. Color JAMM Visual Effects Adam Scott, colorist; Carver Moore, color assist; Jon Lzar, color producer. Music Squeak E. Clean Studios Michael Gross, executive creative producer; Rob Barbato, executive creative director; Julie B. Nichols, creative director; Max Taylor, sr. producer; Zac Colwell, composer. Music “Follow the Yellow Brick Road” by Harold Arlen & E.Y. Harburg (courtesy Sony ATV Music Publishing/Disney Music Group,) performed by Squeak E Clean Music. Audio Post Margarita Mix Santa Monica Whitney Morris, exec producer; Brian Frank, operations manager; Bruce Bueckert, mixer; Mike Murzyn, Sean Melia, Zach Olson, assistants.
The Ad Council, partnering with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and AdoptUSKids, launched a public service campaign, created pro bono by Edelman, which aims to inspire prospective parents to consider adopting a teen from foster care.
This centerpiece PSA titled “The Rewards”--directed by The Hudson Dusters (Michael Kuhn and Niles Roth) via Greenpoint Pictures--spotlights real adoptive families who have personally experienced the mutual benefits of adoption. This longer form PSA (and cutdown versions) begins with a touching display of openness and vulnerability as adoptive parents reflect on their adoption journeys and their initial questions and hesitations about adopting a teen. Then, in a deeply emotional turn, the adoptive parents witness their children recounting the profound rewards of adoption in their lives. The teens speak of the love they share with their parents and how the decision to become a family is reciprocal. The campaign directs viewers to the AdoptUSKids website to learn more about adopting a teen from foster care.
