DoorDash unveiled a massive giveaway during this year’s Super Bowl in a full-CG stylized spot directed by Lord Danger, partner Mike Diva for Wieden+Kennedy, Portland.
Given a high-level concept, starring quite possibly the world’s longest winding promo code aimed to highlight how consumers can get almost anything delivered with DoorDash, Diva was inspired to take the audience on a dynamic roller coaster ride, and activated creative studio Lord Danger and sister company Modern Logic to help bring the project to life. Together, the team created the hero :30 commercial and :30 teaser in less than three months.
The ambitious concept is built around the ultimate giveaway of a prize package worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, everything from Doritos, Kia SUVs to M&M’S® and even Popeyes — all featured in their own respective brand ads during the game. Initially, the spot was envisioned to incorporate photogrammetry and 3D scans. However, with the ever-changing brands to be featured in the big game still coming into focus during production—the decision was made to pivot to a full CG approach, a path already being followed for the teaser. Instead of having to find a physical location that would require lidar scanning, set dressing, and significant post production, design artists were able to create a custom designed house and the surrounding environment in 3D. This allowed for more flexibility in mapping out virtual camera movements – without requiring extensive rigging, or replacements, and enabled the team to quickly adjust the products and brands featured in the spot.
“We knew we needed to be nimble, be open to last minute adjustments given the sheer amount of products DoorDash wanted to pack into this house, and be proactive given the timeline of this project. We initially planned to do as much in-camera and photoscan a real environment, but building this out entirely in CG let us have a lot more fun, explore more creative possibilities, which lined up perfectly with the bold concept from Wieden+Kennedy and DoorDash,” said Mike Diva, Director and Partner, Lord Danger. “This was an absolute dream to be a part of, and the crew at Wieden+Kennedy were a blast to collaborate with. I'm very proud of what we pulled off together.”
With strict guidelines in place, the team knew that only official advertisers could be featured in the DoorDash campaign, but information about specific brands was rolling-in up until the latest stages of production. Once a brand was confirmed and on board to participate, Modern Logic quickly created CG assets of the products to be showcased, and collaborated with them on the individual approvals. Ultimately, 12 brands are highlighted in the DoorDash campaign, underscoring the wide array of products available on the platform, featured brands include; Mountain Dew, M&M'S®, Kia, TurboTax, OREO, YouTube TV, Michelob Ultra, FanDuel, Dove, Starry, Popeyes, and Doritos.
Diva’s background in design-centric, authentic storytelling, and as a lead digital short director for Saturday Night Live helped inform his approach, ensuring the spot’s many moving parts as they came together in an eye-catching way. As an additional creative passion, Diva also oversaw the spot’s music, which was composed by David Dahlquist and produced by Lord Danger. Under the guidance of Diva and Lord Danger, Modern Logic handled design, 3D layout, the overall lookdev, previs, and then handed off the project to The-Artery for finishing and color.
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