Inspired by the emotional moments parents and children experience during the back-to-school season, Kleenex’s latest creative spot “The Big Day” captures the heartwarming journey of a mom and son on his first day of school.
The spot opens on a mother preparing her son for the big day. As he packs his backpack, he includes a pack of Kleenex. The ad follows with their ride to school, ending at the school drop-off where the mom tears up and her son runs back to comfort her with the Kleenex he packed earlier. In the background, a poignant cover of Bob Marley and The Wailers’ “Three Little Birds” plays, infusing the spot with added emotion.
Christopher Riggert directed via Biscuit Filmworks for FCB Chicago.
Credits
Client Kimberly Clark Brand Kleenex Agency FCB Chicago Kelly Graves, CEO, president; Pedro Perez, chief creative officer; Mollie B. Partesotti, chief strategy officer; Kelly Mertesdorf, SVP, group strategic planning director; Alan Shen, Chris Walker, SVPs, creative directors; Stacy Rudolph, Rose Schuchat, creative directors; Thomas Martin, VP, executive producer; Stump Mahoney, executive producer, director of music. Production Biscuit Filmworks Christopher Riggert, director; Shawn Lacy, founding partner; Andrew Travelstead, exec producer; Jeff McDougall, producer; Sean Moody, head of production; Jody Lee Lipes, DP; Sue Tebbutt, production designer. Editorial Work Editorial Stewart Reeves, Leah Turner, editors; Alfred Cisneros, Augie Savoy, assistant editors; Rebecca Baker, producer; Gabrielle Page, head of production; Remy Foxx, exec producer; Marlo Baird, managing director. Finishing & Color Grade Trafik Noah Caddis, Flame lead; Luis “Yosh” Bolivar, motion graphics; Stephanie Allis, Justin Rogers CdeBaca, sr. producers; Mark Gethin, colorist; Taylor Pool, assistant colorist; Sasha Pace, producer; Greer Bratschie, head of production. Sound Design & Mix Another Country Peter Erazmus, sound designer/mixer; Lucas Hansa, audio assistant. Josh Hunnicutt, producer; Louise Rider, exec producer; Tim Konn, managing director. Music The Elements Music Marissa Burwell, “Spring Studying” vocals; Robert Lamond, “Sickness Cycle” singer.
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.
