The Challenge
Agency ads are hard because the audience has heard the same lines a thousand times. “Full service.” “Results driven.” “We’re your partner.” Cool… but nobody feels anything. Brandastic wanted paid-ready spots that could stop the scroll fast and speak directly to the people who actually hire agencies, marketing leads, founders, brand teams, without feeling like another agency highlight reel. So the real challenge wasn’t just “make something funny.” It was: make it true. Make it feel like, oh… they get my world.
The Goal
Create a small set of performance-forward spots built for paid: clear premise in the first seconds, clean visual storytelling, and versions that could actually be tested and scaled. Assets Brandastic could run, cut down, re-open, and reuse.
The Creative Approach
I went after something simple: say the truth in a visual way. Too Many Hats came from the most common buyer problem: one person is expected to be the entire marketing department. So instead of telling that story, we made it literal, stacking hats until it becomes ridiculous. It’s funny, but it’s also painfully accurate, which is why it works. Brand Elevator is the other side of the same coin. Once you admit the chaos, what do you actually want? You want to level up. Better strategy, better creative, better output, without it feeling heavier. The elevator becomes the visual shortcut for that transformation. Two concepts. Same audience. Same promise. Different angles.
Production Highlights
These only work if they feel grounded, like real life, just pushed one notch. So the direction was intentional: clean frames, controlled pacing, believable performances, and production design that supports the joke without screaming “skit.” The humor comes from recognition, not winking at the camera. We also built the shoot around paid performance from the start: coverage that allows tight openers, clean cut points, and flexible pacing so we could create multiple versions without reshoots.
Behind the Lens
This is where being a creative director matters. The idea isn’t just “funny hats.” The idea is pressure, the feeling of being pulled in ten directions and still trying to look like you’ve got it handled. Every choice supports that: the escalation, the timing, the wardrobe, the blocking, the edit rhythm. Same with the elevator spot, it has to feel smooth and confident, not gimmicky. The tone is the point. If it feels cheesy, the trust is gone. That’s always the line I’m watching: make it entertaining, but keep it premium. Keep it believable. Keep it on-brand. I led as Executive Producer / Creative Director the end-to-end production from creative through delivery.
The Impact
Brandastic ended up with ads that don’t feel like “agency ads.” They feel like someone saying the quiet part out loud, in a way that’s clear, visual, and easy to remember. The win here wasn’t just “we made something funny.” It was making paid-ready creative that feels human, specific, and confident, the kind of work that makes the right buyers think, “I want those people on my side.”
