Produced by Nexus Studios in collaboration with agency Johannes Leonardo, this handcrafted animation piece titled “The Last Mile” serves as a farewell tribute to the Volkswagen Beetle, looking back on its 80-year lifespan. Director FX Goby of Nexus takes us through the decades, telling both a personal and cultural history of our relationship with the beloved Bug, which has been a counterculture, pop and political icon.
The ;90, which will be shown at Times Square on New Year’s Eve as well as airing on NBC, CNN and ABC before the ball drops, is set to a rendition of “Let it Be” by the Pro Musica Youth Chorus children’s choir.
Rostoscoped using a traditional hand-drawn technique, the spot conveys the warm affection held for the Bug by owners and enthusiasts. Goby said, “The film has a limited color palette, evocative of a warm, nostalgic feel. We wanted the film to feel warm and tactile, as if every frame had been printed, keeping the slight happy accidents of overlapping colors and paper textures.”
Credits
Client Volkswagen Agency Johannes Leonardo, New York Jan Jacobs, Leo Premutico, chief creative officers; Jimm Lasser, executive creative director; Laura Longstaff, creative director/art director; Chris Luu, art director; Brandon Holliday, copywriter; Charles Watlington, design director; Austin Haas, jr. creative; Loren Lee, sr. project manager; Maria Perez, head of integrated production; Benton Roman, group executive producer; Rebecca O’Neill, executive producer; Mary Bakarich, group strategy director. Production Nexus Studios, London and Los Angeles FX Goby, director; Chris O’Reilly, executive creative director; Juliet Tierney, exec producer; Cindy Burnay, sr. producer; Rebecca Archer, line producer; Manshen Lo, art director; Pierre Rougemont, Fanny Hagdahl Sorebo, Signe Cold, design; Louis Kynd, storyboards; Antonin Derory, Lea Arachtingi, 3D; Michael Firkowski, animation supervisor; Diego Porral, animation lead; Alex Bernas, Alex Potts, Alex Dray, Emma Wakely, Flora Caulton, Guillaume Pochez, Iris Abols, Nelly Michenaud, Sim Marriott, animation; Bethany Levy, Dylan White, Elliott Kajdan, Leo Bubani, Paul Rice, composite; Thomas Heleta, Dave Slade, Joe Eckworth, edit, Live Action La Productora, service company. Jame Lloyd, exec producer; Diego Gregorio, line producer; Fernando Lorenzale, DP; Carlos Hoffman, assistant director; Cecilia Guerriero, art director; Mercedes Kicelian, costume stylist; Pablo Riera, editor. Music Human Justin Hori, arrangement of “Let It Be”; Justin Hori, Andrew Bloch, creative lead; James Dean Wells, exec producer; Pro Musica Youth Chorus, choir. Sound Design/Mix Sonic Union Steve Rosen, sound designer; Pat Sullivan, producer; Justine Cortale, studio director. Music Supervision Groove Guild Al Risi, music supervisor.
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.
