Landing a big fish is exciting. So is getting a pizza for $5. So are dachshunds. So is landing a big fish. So is getting a pizza for $5 …
This week, Little Caesars launched its first work from its new agency Barton F. Graf 9000—two ads featuring the sort of off-the-wall comedy that's a signature element of Gerry Graf's classic work for big network shops as well as the creative his startup has been cranking out for its growing roster of clients like Dish and Kayak. The Little Caesars spots, reportedly part of the brand's first national campaign in 15 years, include its iconic cartoon mascot—and his familiar "Pizza! Pizza!" cry—as a kicker. But the spots themselves are fresh, short and sweet: One, a :30, opens on a park on a sunny day, where a fisherman hoists his catch overhead and lets fly a victory whoop. A stranger sitting on a nearby bench, swept up in the spirit of the moment, mimics the action—only his prize is a pie from Little Caesars. A passerby joins in, raising her pint-sized—and incredibly zen—canine to the heavens. So goes a feedback loop of joy.
The second ad, a :15, shows a pair of grinning young siblings racing into a room to share big news—they've bought a pizza for only $5—with their grandfather. He reacts with a credible dose of good-natured enthusiasm. "Well paint me blue and call me 'babe.'" Then he pulls out a can of pigment from under his seat. "I'm serious," he insists.
Both offer feel-good slices of life with enough of a surreal twist to keep them interesting. They also sell the product. Sure, they might seem a little random. But they're funny, memorable—and they don't waste your time.
Check them out below.
Client: Little Caesars
Senior Vice President, Global Marketing, Corporate Relations: Edward Gleich
Senior Vice President, Marketing, Communications: Linda Jaworski
Senior Director of Advertising: Walt Frederiksen
Creative Director: Gary Savone
Agency: Barton F. Graf 9000
Founder, Chief Creative Officer: Gerry Graf
Executive Creative Director: Eric Kallman
Copywriter, Art Director: David Suarez
Copywriter, Art Director: Danny Gonzalez
Producer: Amanda Revere
Account Manager: Jenny Richardi
Production Company: Station Film
Director: Harold Einstein
Executive Producer: Eric Liney
Editing: Mackenzie Cutler
Editor: Gavin Cutler
Assistant Editor: Ryan Steele
Executive Producer: Sasha Hirschfeld
Audio: Heard City
Audio Engineer: Philip Loeb
Music: Egg Music
Color: Co3
Colorist: Tim Masick