Created by BBDO New York, this trailer titled “The Epidemic” follows Hailey, an average American teenager, as she shows symptoms of a mysterious illness. But there’s more than meets the eye. After watching the film, viewers will be prompted to enter their phone number. They will then watch the film again, but this time they’ll receive the same bullying text messages as Hailey receives them throughout the story. Mixing the mediums of video and text, the spot illuminates how digital transgressions like cyberbullying can have very dire, real life consequences.
Cole Webley of production house Sanctuary directed “The Epidemic,” the latest entry in social activist Monica Lewinsky’s anti-bullying campaign–the previous pieces of work being “#DefyTheName” and the Emmy-nominated “In Real Life.”
It’s apropos that “The Epidemic” breaks in October which is National Bullying Prevention Month.
Credits
Client Monica Lewinsky Agency BBDO New York David Lubars, chief creative officer, worldwide; Greg Hahn, chief creative officer, NY; Bianca Guimaraes, VP, creative director; Roberto Danino, creative director; Gary du Toit, Lance Vining, VPs, creative directors; Jim Connolly, associate creative director; David Rolfe, director of integrated production; Jessica Coccaro, executive producer; James Young, executive producer, digital; Alex Massicott, Nick Russo, developers; Jimmy McGee, digital resource manager; Dexter Blumenthal, sr. brand strategist; Crystal Lin, marketing science project lead. Production Sanctuary Cole Webley, director; Paul Meyers, DP; Preston Lee, Kristen Bedard-Johnson, exec producers; Noah Thomason, line producer. Editorial Arcade Edit Paul Martinez, editor; Chris Angel, Jeff Lopus, assistant editors; Sila Soyer, exec producer; Fanny Cruz, producer. Telecine Company 3 Tom Poole, sr. colorist; Ashley McKim, exec producer; Alexandra Lubrano, producer. Conform/Finish Arcade Edit Tristian Wake, Mark Popham, Flame artists; Riccardo Sinti, After Effects artist. Music Human Sloan Alexander, composer/creative director; James Dean Wells, exec producer. Audio Post Post Human Sloan Alexander, chief engineer.
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.
