This off-the-wall nearly four-minute perfume ad was written and directed by Spike Jonze of MJZ and stars actress Margaret Qualley (the star of HBO’s The Leftovers). Qualley lets loose all inhibitions, dancing, kicking, flailing about, even shooting laser beams out of her fingertips.
The short promotes a new perfume from France’s Kenzo brand.
Hoyte van Hoytema served as cinematographer with editing by Eric Zumbrunnen. Digital Domain handled VFX.
Client Kenzo Parfums Creative/Production MJZ Spike Jonze, writer/director; Humberto Leon, Carol Lim, exec producers; Natalie Farrey, Vincent Landay, producers; Amanda Adelson, co-producer. David Zander, president (MJZ); Eriks Krumins, exec producer for MJZ; Hoyte van Hoytema, DP; KK Barrett, production designer; Ryan Heffington, choreographer; Heidi Bivens, costume designer. Editorial Eric Zumbrunnen, editor. VFX Digital Domain, Venice, Calif. Tiffani Manabat, VP/EP/advertising & games; Janelle Croshaw, VFX supervisor; Alex Michael, Eric Kimelton, post producers; Adam Bennink, Lonnie Iannazzo, associate production managers; Jody Wilson, digital production manager; Joel Behrens, DFX supervisor; Brian Gazdik, CG supervisor; Christopher Doulgeris, Hidrun Haraldsdottir, Evan Langley, Jason Selfe, compositors; Rob Fitzsimmons, Benjamin Nowak, environments; Lee Carlton, David Liu, Kui Han Lee, Chris Nichols, digital artists; Victor Grant, FX artist; Adam Bacon, Peter Choi, Phylicia Feldman, Janet Freedland, roto artists; Jesse James Chisholm, Doron Kipper, on-set data integration; James Moorhead, integration artist; Thorsten Knatz, VFX editor. (Toolbox: Nuke, Houdini, Mantra, Track) Rebellion VFX, Venice, Calif. Jake Maymudes, owner/VFX supervisor; Francisco Ramos, VFX producer. Music Song: Mutant Brain (feat. Assassin) by Sam Spiegel X Ape Drums. Performer “Margaret” played by Margaret Qualley.
When dozens of Klick Health team members said they wouldn’t be able to hug loved ones over the festive season, the agency turned to AI and other magic to orchestrate a series of sentimental, surprise reunions captured in its “Holiday Hugs” video. The heartwarming four-minute video, benefitting the D.C.-based Foundation for Social Connection (F4SC), parallels recent findings from a Maru/Blue Public Opinion survey commissioned by Klick. The poll found 74 percent of Americans and Canadians won’t be able to hug at least one person they wish they could over the holidays. And like those in the video, survey participants cited geographical distance and loved ones having passed away as the leading factors preventing their hugs. “I just wish I could really squeeze her right now,” says teary-eyed New York Klickster Kari Bocassi watching her AI-generated hug with her sister Marlene, moments before she bursts onto the set for a long in-person embrace. The siblings have spent the past 14 years caring for their mother since her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, but haven’t been together for the holidays since Marlene moved to Virginia. Similarly, Toronto’s Fred Duarte gets the bear hug of his life when his brother Rico, who lives in Brazil, walks into Klick’s production studio for their first holiday reunion in seven years. Directed by James Cooper via Cooper Films, “Holiday Hugs” also taps into the fact that hugs don’t just make people feel better emotionally, they also have numerous health benefits. According to the National Institutes of Health, hugs can lower blood pressure and boost the immune system. “There’s nothing quite like the warmth and reassurance of a heartfelt hug,” said Klick’s chief creative officer Rich Levy. “With ‘Holiday... Read More
