COMEDY

Finding the perfect actors that truly embody the innate absurdity of these characters will be the magic sauce to unlocking the comedy of this spot. And since our cast of oddball heroes never actually speak, it's crucial that we understand EXACTLY who they are from the second we lay eyes on them.

The key is finding people who are intrinsically hilarious without uttering a single word. True personalities who are unabashedly themselves. Folks who have an instantaneous visual impact and leave a lasting impression. Actors who, from the second they walk into casting, simply ARE these characters. Something about them demands attention from the get-go, and we'll be dying to see more.

It's also super important that we hire actors with sharp comedic instincts, who truly understand the humor of the spot. This way, every single micro-expression and reaction will have a clear motivation, creating a spirited, hilarious performance. We can also give them some room to play, allowing them to become our collaborators in the process, and giving us funny edit room fodder we never could have scripted.

CONFIDENT. PLAYFUL. BOLD.

That's the vibe we're after. From our bold travelers, to our epic cinematography, to our imaginative styling & art direction — every aspect of our film OOZES with the innate sense of confidence RBC inspires.

While our visual style is as high-end & luxe as a premium fashion film, we want to make sure we're still representing the everyday traveler — highlighting ordinary people, not eccentric fashionistas. That's part of the humor of our film. It's more of a clever wink than an in-your-face LOL — that playful contrast between the EPIC visuals, our travelers, and the quirky nuances of their traveling habits.

It's also important to note that while our heroes are inherently cheeky and spirited, we are NEVER making fun of them — the humor is born from the way they are confidently themselves in ANY setting or circumstance, no matter what they're wearing or where they are headed.

I love how this spot calls out that problems exist, daily. It deals in reality. It acknowledges that arriving at ‘effortlessly comfortable’ takes some work. And that’s what makes the tone of this piece so important to nail: life feels better when you actually face a problem… then figure out how to fix it. In this case, with Noma.

The piece has a comedy and irony to it that’s just a little bit smarter. A little bit more nuanced. The vibe is therefore human, authentic and real — but supported by intention and consideration. In the case of our characters, this consideration is apparent in their Noma home products. And in the case of our commercial, this consideration shows up in the treatment of our colors, our energetic camera movement, our dynamic supers, snappy transitions and pitch-perfect performances. These all work together — and respond to/influence one another — to create a cohesive overall world of well-earned “nothingness”.

We get to put a stamp on the new tone and feel for the Noma brand. The guiding words I’m working to capture in this campaign are: real, dynamic, filmic, beautiful, and humanity with a wink of intelligent humor.

For that endearing quality I’m seeking, I want to lead by asking: what’s the opposite of a superstar? It’s bad posture. It’s a lack of impenetrable self assurance (aka it’s vulnerability). It’s not being totally self-aware, and it’s a bit of innocence. It’s being awkward, sometimes, and it’s not always having the answer. It’s being a bit stiff, and laughing at yourself when you mess up. But, for shooting purposes, it’s still someone who isn’t cringe-level uncomfortable in front of a camera. They can be personable and confident, but they gotta be willing to let their guard down and play a little, be themselves. 

One spot that might be worth referencing to this end, are the Aircastle Metrolinx spots. Even though they’re kids, each person is so unique, and they don’t seem overly self-aware/polished. Our comedy will feel different by virtue of our casting adults, but these spots still function as a nice performance reference.

But all of this, of course, is contingent on getting the right stuff out of them, so let’s move on to how we’ll do that.

Our beard is our quickest ‘time passage’ read. But let’s still stay away from the ew that’s gross territory with Dad. As such,  I’d love to keep his beard manicured, clearly styled, and not patchy/scraggly. Likewise, we’ll want to avoid dipping into wizard territory with the long beard, so let’s keep the beard mostly brown/dark, with only a few whispers of grey. Personally, I love the idea of a handlebar mustache + beard that’s grown out in the After look, with the chin always clean shaven. It’s funny, and weird, and keeps a bit of a surreal vibe that underpins the logic of the spot. It also supports the idea that his family has been around + present throughout Dad’ extended break — and why his pre teen son would still be there with him, changed but somehow still the same.

While I’d like to nail down right now the full look for Before + After Dad, I do think it depends on the actor we cast. Will he be bald? Does he wear an NHL team hat? Does his hair grow out into a sweet He-man-type style, with flowy bangs and a nice shoulder-length cut? Honestly, I think we opt for whatever looks the funniest. And we do that by setting a HMU test at our fitting: we try out looks, take some pics, and decide together on what looks the most realistic, but what brings the biggest bang for our funny. In that test, I’d also love to bring in some facial wrinkles, especially around the eyes, and add a little bit of bushy brow with a few unruly strands sticking out here and there. And of course, it’s in the HMU test that we can try on the Coily Load Fingernails. I am absolutely dying to do this, I think it really elevates the funny, but am happy to do a test to make sure it doesn’t bring us over the edge.

And a quick word on our Son: in the Before times, he’s just a little blushing cutie. But after, I’d love to outfit him in some readable cues about his age: braces, an Adam’s apple, a thin teen mustache. Just a few details that keep the Son funny, too. 

Construction Worker 1, Juan, 30: Juan has the physique of a bouncer and the heart of a sensitive poet who is also into astrology. The other guys on the crew make fun of him for believing in that “wizard” stuff, but would you look at this? As soon as Mercury went retrograde Mikey drilled a little too close to the water main and turned the flippin’ cul-de-sac into Yellowstone National Park. Ay, Dios mio. He tried to warn him, but these Mars types just don’t listen to reason.

Luckily, Juan is always thinking ahead, so he came to work today with a full bag of avocados from Mexico (he’s a Scorpio sun with a Cancer rising, so he’s intuitive and generous). And while they may not always be graceful with the jackhammer, whipping up some tacos on the fly is no problemo for this team.

Construction Worker 2, Mikey, 24: Poor Mikey, he tries, he really does. But he’s starting to think that he isn’t cut out for this manual labor stuff. Maybe he should work in computers? Or go back to school for marine biology so he can train dolphins to shoot laser guns or whatever? That would be tight. Way tighter than standing on this porch waiting for some lady to call his supervisor and get him in trouble again. Ugh.

It’s moments like this where he’s actually grateful for his foreman Juan’s mentorship (even though he’s always talking about weird stuff like “Saturn returns”). Actually, Juan just gave him a pep talk, so now Mikey’s thinking maybe he’ll stick around this job for a bit. At least until they let him drive the forklift.

I didn’t just watch Big Brother…I lived it.

I was the youngest of seven in a big Irish family, so let’s just say that playing war games with 12 strangers in a tarted-up IKEA house would have been a bloody VACATION for Little Me. Having my every move narrated in Marcus’ cute Geordie accent? Amazing. Heaven. Definitely less incriminating than having your dad shout “Bono’s here!” every time you roll up to the dinner table from age 12 to 35 (I wore a leather jacket one time! ONE!).

Which is just to say Big Brother is straight up mad, but it’s mad in a way that I deeply understand. Because behind all the games and antics, it’s a very real testament to how dramatic and strange real people can seem when you really take a close look. And the beauty of this campaign is that it takes what we love about Big Brother and lets us see ourselves through that lens, in all our eccentric glory. No apologies. No affectations. Just people doing the same weird shit we all do. And being celebrated for it, instead of shamed like poor lil’ leatherman over here.

Pretty brilliant setup if you ask me. I think the key is to lean into the quiet quirkiness of it all, so that these moments play out like genuine slice of life scenes. Because the more real and restrained they feel, the funnier it’ll be to see them play out under the watchful eye (and voice) of Big Brother himself.

Now let’s talk strategy.

With that in mind, let’s make these stories as visceral as possible — quick cuts and even some subtle, expert sound design will be our secret weapon. Think Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead — but less the zombie part and more the efficient, playful storytelling that conveys a ton of visual information even when the volume’s turned off. Taking this approach allows the viewer to directly experience our characters’ frenzied/inspired states of mind. And since the VO is doing the narrative’s heavy lifting, we can keep the performances and tone perfectly dry.

Our 60-second hero spot is pure genre spoof, so let's own it with our cinematic approach. As far as our camera knows, we're making the next MCU installment! We're talking rich detail and color. We're talking anamorphic lenses on hi-res cameras mounted on fluid, stabilized heads. We're talking ominous lighting in the beginning so the audience anticipates Something Big. We're talking slow pans and smooth transitions. Commitment, commitment, commitment — sure. But with a little Bobmility, of course. We're aiming more for Deadpool than Infinity Wars.

We have a little more freedom with our other spots, but elevating Bob's overall look demands extremely thoughtful camera work. We're imagining a steady, dynamic filmic look throughout that brings an inherent sense of flow between shots.

Walmart has done it again.

Last year's Walmart Black Friday campaign brought the cult classic OFFICE SPACE back into the pop culture conversation with spots featuring the original cast.

This time, the original cast of MEAN GIRLS reunites for the next round, and the stakes are high. Die-hards will be watching us with eagle eyes, making sure we honor their precious original. Because to them, it's not just a film. It's a movement. A religion. An untouchable pop-culture masterpiece.

Do you want to be in the Burn Book? I don't.

Confession time: I'm a Mean Girls superfan. Bethany Byrd-level. It's one of the funniest films of the 2000s and had a huge influence on me as a young comedy director.

I've also had the joy of working with Tina Fey. Like her, I'm committed to a wry but accessible tone, with a ton of jokes and a fast pace. That's part of what got me so excited to dive into this with you. So to all the other superfans out there, get ready for the ultimate in fan fiction. (Or should I say superfan-fiction?)

Unlike fetch, I promise we're going to make it happen.

Finding Alex's perfect co-star is key, and I envision a very relatable and naturally hilarious person. Our hero's not dumb (like that fireworks family); in fact, they're undercover smart, taking little everyday risks, like the ones we all gamble on at various points in our lives.

I see a character actor in their 30s with a face that not just a mother could love; everyone could. You know the one. A mug so unique, so expressive that at first sight, you say to yourself, “Man, I bet they grew up on an alpaca farm or backstage of the Bob Baker Marionette Theater.” They also have an inherent quirk that can't be forced and improv skills up the wazoo.

For comps, think someone like Lauren Lapkus or Oscar Montoya (I know, they could be twins, right?). John Reynolds or Melissa Villaseñor also come to mind (total twinsies, too). I've had the pleasure of working with some of the best comedic talents, and I'm not just talking about the cast of SNL or Ziwe. On both coasts (and in between), I have developed relationships with hilarious improv folks from The Groundlings, UCB, Second City, etc. Even outside of my relationships with talent, I believe my experiences with so many comedic actors have helped me hone in on what to look for when I'm doing an audition. It isn't just about whether they are funny or not, it's about delivering a joke without being presentational about it. I want the humor to feel natural.

It would be ideal for casting a bilingual actor who could perform the spots in both the English and Spanish versions. However, we could always swap out our English-speaking and Spanish-speaking actors for each setup. I am sure the diamond in the rough exists, but maybe it's a situation where we fall in love with two great actors, and we get to use both! The best of both worlds, as Miley Cyrus (as Hannah Montana) would say.

Good Help is EASY to Find — just ask Monster.

As somebody who is perpetually either trying to get hired for a job or doing the hiring myself, I know what a difficult process it can be to find the best people the market has to offer. One thing I know for certain is that you've got to maintain a sense of humor about the whole thing, otherwise you'll drive yourself mad. That's what I love about these spots, they're cutting the tension out of a situation we all dislike and showing the funny side of the job search.

It's always fun shooting films like these. They're a simple, quick hit, and I love the one-two rhythm of a set-up and punchline. We'll hire a terrific cast of talented improv superstars and I'll work with them every step of the way to make sure the comedy lands perfectly. The look will support the tone of the film while remaining consistent with the previous spots (which were great, by the way). In the end, the audience will be left laughing and thinking about how easy it can be to find great jobs or awesome candidates.

Speaking of which, here's how I plan on landing a job with monster.com…

By every comparable metric Smirnoff is as good if not better than all those fancy “premium” brands that cost WAY too much. From my art school days all the way to today, we've always wanted quality from our vodka, not status. A bottle of Grey Goose doesn't mean you've got great taste, it means you spent too much money on your vodka. The Fun% are all of us who are creative, self-assured, smart, and a little weird. It's not elitist bullshit, it's a fully inclusive celebration because Smirnoff is for everyone.