This spot from Droga5 NY for YMCA of the USA (Y-USA) dramatizes the effect one number, a single digit in a zip code, can have on a person’s life. Titled “One Number Different” and directed by Spencer Creigh of production company Whitelist, the :60 shows us that where someone lives can impact his or her education, opportunities, way of life–and for those in a disadvantageous zip code, the YMCA through its programs can help overcome the negative impact of one number different.
Filmed in several locations around the country, the new creative showcases Y members of varying age, gender, ethnicity, ability, and background, whose real stories highlight the dramatic contrasts between their circumstances and how the Y helps each of them overcome the challenges they face.
“One Number Different” highlights the disparity we see all across the country, sometimes in communities we serve that are just blocks apart,” said Valerie Barker Waller, SVP and chief marketing & communication officer for Y-USA. “At the Y, we believe that the zip code you are born into should not determine your destiny or limit your potential, and want to showcase the impactful work we do in thousands of communities to close those gaps.”
Credits
Client YMCA of the USA Agency Droga5 NY David Droga, creative chairman; Neil Heyman, chief creative officer; Kevin Brady, executive creative director; Karen Short, Casey Rand, group creative directors; Ben Bliss, Evan Schultz, associate creative directors; Mietta McFarlane, sr. copywriter; Luke Chard, sr. art director; Gemma Slack, art director; Karly Brooks, jr. copywriter; Nate Moore, design director; Kathryn Brylinsky, sr. designer; Sally-Ann Dale, chief creation officer; Jesse Brihn, director of film production; Ruben Mercadal, associate director of film production; Isabella Lebovitz, producer, film; Justin Durazzo, co-director, interactive production; Aaron Matys, producer, interactive; Jonny Bauer, global chief strategy officer; Harry Roman-Torres, head of strategy; Mara Buta, strategy director; Julie Lubbars, jr. strategist. Production Whitelist Spencer Creigh, director; Dustin Lane, DP; Jerad Anderson, exec producer; Diane Leuci, producer; Kat Bitnar, production supervisor. Editorial Lost Planet Jay Rabinowicz, editor; Kenji Yamauchi, assistant editor; Krystn Wagenberg, exec producer; Samara Kelly, producer. Color Grade Color Collective Mike Howell, colorist; Claudia Guevara, exec producer. Postproduction Black Hole Tim Farrell, Smoke/Flame/telecine; Felix Cabrera, exec producer. Music Trevor Doherty, composer. Track Sanctuary. Audio Waves Studios Aaron Reynolds, mixer/sound design; Vicky Ferraro, exec producer.
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.
