Directed by Sam Coleman of Giant Films in Cape Town, South Africa, this 90-second drone-shot film lyrically uses collective nouns to romance the beauty of animal groups across Africa – but at the same time highlighting their vulnerability and imminent extinction.
Titled “A Guardian,” the film for U.S.. charity Over&AboveAfrica was conceived by veteran ECD Andy Fackrell, known for his body of work over the years at 180 Amsterdam, and Wieden+Kennedy in Portland, Ore. (such as director Frank Budgen’s Nike “Tag” spot). Fackrell has moved back to Amsterdam and among his output is “A Guardian” which shows how drone technology is proving to be a surprising beacon of hope in Africa’s war against animal poaching. Drone surveillance is proving to be a savior for Africa’s endangered animal groups, increasing their survival chances by up to 80%, according to a pioneering group of conservationists, entrepreneurs and researchers called Air Shepherd.
Credits
Client Over&Above Africa Creative Andrew Fackrell; Mariya Munsey, art director; Shannon Worley, producer (Nice Kitty Films). Production Giant Films, Cape Town Sam Coleman, director; Cindy Gabriel, exec producer; Devin Tosselli, DP; Boris Vossgatter, producer; Nella Coetzer, production manager; Izolina de Vasconcelos, wardrobe; Carl Nicholl, drone pilot; Wayne van Rooyen, RC plane pilot; Bobby Kamnga, production assistant; Simeon Hamman, drone camera operator. Color Grading Nic Apostoli, colorist; Charmaine Greyling, online. Editorial Rock Paper Scissors, Los Angeles Adam Pertofsky, editor; Marjorie Sacks, assistant editor. Postproduction a52 Music Licensing Wool & Tusk Aaron Mercer. Music “Under The Trees’ Voices” Ezio Bosso, Sony Music Italy.
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.
