Following in the footsteps of its creatively inspired breakthrough pre-roll fare (such as “Unskippable,” “Fast Forward” and “Crushed”) for client GEICO, The Martin Agency has rolled out a new series of spots in which it admits they’re interrupting you and then lets you get in the fun by interrupting the interruption. Directed by the Terri Timely duo (Ian Kibbey and Corey Creasey) of Park Pictures, six dual interruption pre-roll spots are in this latest campaign, including this piece titled “Nighty-night” in which a couple in bed talks about GEICO only to be interrupted when two stationary bike exercise cyclists break through the bedroom wall. And then everyone gets interrupted again by an intrusive GEICO logo.
Neel Williams, VP, creative director at The Martin Agency, said, “In the previous three rounds of pre-roll work, we played with the concept of time. First by skipping to the end, then fast-forwarding through the middle. This year, we took a different approach, but still kept things very self-aware. Rather than apologize for the interruption, we thought it would be fun to lean into it.”
Associate creative director Mauricio Mazzariol of The Martin Agency added, “Getting interrupted before watching an online video is not exactly a Ferris wheel ride. So, these new Interrupt-a-palooza ads are supposed to bring some humor to the issue by embracing the disruptive nature of pre-roll and taking it to a whole new level.”
Credits
Client GEICO Agency The Martin Agency Steve Bassett, SVP, group creative director; Neel Williams, Justin Harris, VPs, creative directors; Brett Alexander, SVP, executive producer; Mauricio Mazzariol, associate creative director; Maggie Weishaar, content producer; M.A. Williams, jr. content producer. Production Park, Pictures Terri Timely, director; Shawn Kim, DP; Jackie Kelman Bisbee, Justin Pollock, exec producers; Anne Bobroff, head of production; David Lambert, line producer. Editorial Cut+Run Frank Effron, editor; Amburr Farls, exec producer; Brian Mulvey, editorial producer; Michelle Eskin Remote Editing Facility Running with Scissors VFX & Finishing ArtJail Steve Mottershead, VFX supervisor/creative director; Lee Towndrow, creative director/Flame lead; John Skeffington, head of production; Emily Bloom, Chris Memoli, Ben Vaccaro, Jesper Nybroe, and Joel Osis, Flame artists; Christian Mangual, Nuke artist; Ben Elliot, Flame assist; Ruoyu Li, Justin Miller, Jimmy San, CG artists. Color The Mill Fergus McCall, colorist Remote Color Facility Running with Scissors. Audio Heard City Mike Vitacco, sound designer & mixer; Sasha Awn, producer. Music APM, Extreme Music and Asche & Spencer
Stain remover Vanish presents this emotional short film--created by BETC Havas, Sao Paulo, and produced by LOBO--that explores the profound consequences of bullying and highlights the importance of open conversations between parents and children. Titled The Bully Monster, the animated film premiered at the Maquinaria Festival in Rio de Janeiro on February 15 in a special edition featuring family-focused programming.
The film’s protagonist is a boy who experiences bullying at school but keeps silent about his suffering. Isolation turns sadness into insecurity, creating invisible emotional scars that only grow in the absence of dialogue. When his mother notices stains on his uniform, these marks become the starting point for a revealing conversation. As words find space to make themselves heard, the stains begin to fade.
This initiative aligns with the Vanish Saves Your Uniform campaign, which, for the past three years during the back-to-school season, has engaged with parents by positioning the brand as a trusted partner in preserving school uniforms. This year, Vanish decided to broaden the conversation, bringing bullying into the debate as the real stain that can impact a child’s life.
The Bully Monster is being screened as preshow material in movie theaters starting February 20 and will also be available on streaming platforms and digital channels. In addition to the film, the campaign will include out-of-home activations and school initiatives through a partnership with Abrace – Preventive Programs, the founding organization of the “Bullying-Free Schools” program, which has been equipping institutions with resources to combat school violence for 12 years.
“Research indicates that stains on a uniform can... Read More
