Irony’s never lost on Alanis Morissette, who seems to have fun sending up her bygone angry rocker persona in The Martin Agency’s new work for UScellular.

“Our phones were made to help us connect,” she begins. “But somehow, they’ve made us less connected. Which is ironic. Don’t ya think?”

Directed with farcical style by Hungry Man’s Dan Ospal, the :60 hypes “US Mode,” an initiative that helps consumers put limits on social media apps and notifications to foster more IRL connection.

We get loads of Easter Eggs—”Ironic” lyrics appear on street pamphlets, book jackets and bus-sides, for example—while reimagined scenes from the song’s 1996 music video complete the nostalgia play.

In the original award-winning clip, Morissette furiously thrashed her head as power chords raged. Now, she nods sagely, basking in the brand.

But a hint of rebellion emerged on set.

“We gave Alanis a snack, since she was eating something in the original video,” Martin GCD Allison Rude tells Muse. “We expected her to take a few bites and then spit it out and move onto the next scene. But she went full throttle. She was smelling the crackers, shoving 10, 11 in her mouth at a time.”

“We were all watching from the video village, completely in awe that here was this iconic singer, who’s album was a ‘first CD’ for many of us, letting loose and recreating this legendary scene. It felt very rock star.”

As for the iconic singer’s selection, “We talked a lot about the contradictory ways we use our phones. But once we realized those contradictions were also ironic, the idea took off. It was definitely Alanis or bust,” recalls CD Elliot Nordstrom.

“Alanis is one of those timeless artists who pops in and out of culture every couple of years,” he says. “And this summer for a variety of reasons, she’s been in the zeitgeist. She’s on a huge tour. Jagged Little Pill is about to celebrate its 30-year anniversary. She’s also gotten a lot of attention for her takes on mental health, which aligns with UScellular’s digital-health mission.”

“But those were all happy coincidences. The creative idea relied so heavily on irony, that we always wanted it to be her. But it doesn’t hurt that our target audience are mostly in their 30s and 40s. I myself am a ‘geriatric millennial,’ and Jagged Little Pill was in constant rotation on my Discman.”

“We weren’t the first brand to ask Alanis to do something with the song ‘Ironic.’ But we were the first she said yes to. It probably didn’t hurt that we weren’t trying to sling data plans and new phones.”

Anne Marie is a group creative director at the Martin Agency, where she’s worked for the last 27 years. She is currently helping to lead CarMax and Sanofi. Her past assignments include Old Navy, Geico, Walmart and Land O’Lakes.

We spent two minutes with Anne Marie to learn more about her background, her creative inspirations and recent work she’s admired.

Anne Marie, tell us …

Where you grew up, and where you live now.

I grew up in Rome—Georgia, not Italy—although it does have seven hills and a replica of the Romulus and Remus statue in the center of town. So basically, I grew up thinking it was normal for babies to drink milk from a wolf’s teet. That’s probably why I married a psychologist, who I now live with in Richmond, Va.

How did you first realize you were creative?

I entered a poster contest for mental health awareness in the third grade. I drew a giant rainbow with a pot of gold at the end and a family running toward it. The headline said: “Mental Health Is Wealth.” I won the contest and 10 silver dollars and my picture in the Rome News Tribune. Somewhere in my subconscious I must have thought, “Wow, copywriting is so easy. I should make it my career someday.”

A person you idolized creatively early on.

My mother—an artist and feminist—created giant sculptural pouches of canvas, with plaster and glass bursting out of them, symbolizing women’s struggles for equality. As a child, I didn’t realize the significance of this. I just thought she was cool.

A moment from high school or college that changed your life.

When I was a sophomore at the University of Georgia, a family emergency required me to take a semester off and live at home with my parents. With most of my friends away at school, I started writing stories to entertain myself. At some point, I realized I was much better at writing than accounting. When I returned the following semester, I switched from business school to journalism. I am grateful for that decision every day. 

A visual artist or band/musician you admire.

Sofia Coppola, Tracy Chapman, Hilma af Klint. There are so many.

A book, movie, TV show, or podcast you recently found inspiring.

I loved the movie Past Lives. I’m fascinated by the concept of inyeon. It takes a bit of the pressure off knowing there will be many more chances to get it just right.

One of your favorite creative projects you’ve ever worked on. 

When I worked on Land O’Lakes, we found that when most people think of farmers, they think of men. Yet 30 percent of farmers are women. So, we worked with an indie country music artist and Grammy-winning songwriter to rework “Old MacDonald” as an empowering anthem celebrating female farmers. It was during the height of Me Too. And even though it was about a very specific industry, the message resonated. When we first showed the cut to the clients there was silence. They were crying. The 90-second music video premiered on The Voice and Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton tweeted about it.

A recent project you’re proud of. 

I work on Unisom (sleep aid) and when we heard that this year’s Met Gala theme was “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” we knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We partnered with designer Christian Siriano to create our own sleeping beauties—20 models, dressed in sleep-themed gowns, who would nap in locations around the city. 

Someone else’s work that inspired you years ago. 

I remember when I first saw the original Nike Women’s campaign, created by Janet Champ and Charlotte Moore. It was an 8-page spread in Vogue and it stopped me in my tracks. It’s still as powerful today.

Someone else’s work you admired lately. 

I love how Pop Tarts, an almost 60-year-old brand, is inserting itself into culture. First by sacrificing a mascot into a giant toaster, and then with the perfect response to Jerry Seinfeld’s movie Unfrosted. (That response, IMHO, is funnier than the film.)

Your main strength as a creative person.

Much like Ted Lasso, I believe that if you want something to happen, you have to believe it will happen, no matter how impossible it may seem.

Your biggest weakness.

Some people on my teams might say my strength is also my weakness.

A mentor who helped you navigate the industry.

I feel so lucky to have had Karen Costello as my boss, even though it was for way too short a time. She did so much for me and my career, often knowing what I needed without me having to ask. (And a special shoutout to Nancy Vonk, Janet Kestin and Steve Bassett.)

How you’re paying it forward with the next generation of creatives.

For many years, I was told that I needed to have more confidence—which is literally the worst thing you can say to someone who needs more confidence. I now consider it a huge part of my job to help younger creatives believe in themselves and have a voice. They are bringing something special and unique to the table, even if they’ve only been in this business a few days.

What you’d be doing if you weren’t in advertising.

I’d love to be an actress. Is it too late?

The work is designed “as a breakthrough way to demonstrate to audiences the extensive range of our services and product offerings,” Gary Aurand, senior director of brand and creative, tells Muse. “Geico has long been synonymous with being able to save you money on car insurance, but the value we provide for our customers goes beyond that.”

It won’t do squat if you’re chased by angry villagers. Still, point taken.

We get self-consciously stupid comedy that bolsters the brand without overstaying its welcome. It works, in classic Geico style.

Though appealing, the 15-minute gecko-focused “Legend of the Lizard” mock doc—and its Super Bowl Sunday buildup—seemed a tad much. This new work, tagged “Whatever You Need,” is way more shareable and succinct.

“Frankenstein vs. The Caveman” would make a worthy sequel. Best forehead wins!

The commercials broke last week across TV, streaming and social.

I’ll have a UFO pizza with extra (terrestrial) pepperoni … to go!

The Martin Agency delivers silly slices of surreal schlock in its first work for Papa Johns since adding the business in December.

This work’s topped and stuffed with cultural callouts. Pies become flying saucers, noir villains and spoof Munch’s “The Scream” in stream-of-consciousness style:

Pizza. Munch. Heh.

Dave Meyers directs with flair and Big Boi provides the suitably zesty soundtrack, with lines about the eatery’s “ooey-gooey,” “meaty treaty,” and “saucy toss” experience.

Tagged “Better Get You Some,” the platform “captures the essence of what real pizza devotion looks and feels like,” VP and brand chief Jaclyn Ruelle tells Muse. “We wanted to celebrate those epic pizza-crave moments that jolt people into knowing it’s time to order. Pairing those with unexpected cultural easter eggs and a killer music track, we’re reminding consumers about those moments made better with pizza.”

For most of us, that’s every moment, actually.

“We believe that pizza is pop-culture,” she says. “It’s one of the most universally beloved products. People share their unrelenting love and passion for pizza with families, groups, best friends, roommates, teammates, even their pets.”

Though the chain’s CEO just split, Papa Johns has enjoyed strong sales of late. So, this initiative represents an effort to increase momentum among core fans and Gen Z, says Martin associate creative director Page Jensen-Slattengren.

Music is key to that strategy.

“Creating a bassy, deep soundtrack with Big Boi is meant to lure you into a visual fever dream of unadulterated craving,” Jensen-Slattengren explains.

And when those cravings hit, “better pizza really matters,” says Anna Vaughan, also an ACD. “You don’t daydream about cardboard crust and greasy cold cheese. You daydream about hand-tossed dough and real tomatoes and gooey delicious cheese. That’s the pizza you visualize and write rap songs about.”

Basically, the campaign’s a vibe. A tease. Top-funnel. As such, it’s tasty without feeling forced or too stupid.

Credit Meyers’ touch with tuneful foody fare. (Which we last enjoyed in this Jif ad with Ludacris.)

During production, “One minute we’d be writing new lyrics, and the next we’d be starring in our own ‘Pizza Noir’ movie shot,” Ruelle recalls. “We exploded tomatoes for a half day and poured the ultimate garlic-sauce champagne tower.”

“And we got to call all of this ‘work.'”

Howdy, partner. Nice underpants.

Hanes and The Martin Agency send up Wild West tropes in a most revealing campaign that breaks over the weekend.

In the :90 below, director Joseph Kahn—renowned for Taylor Swift videos—juxtaposes gritty cowboy imagery with contemporary, colorful briefs, bras and boxers.

The work’s dubbed “The Great Softening,” which fits the stylized, titillating, tongue-in-cheek vibe.

“The clip helps differentiate Hanes from competitors with an easy humor that defines how accessible the brand is,” Kahn explains. “Underwear can be a tricky product to sell, and we break through the awkwardness by embracing and celebrating it. Yet the ad takes the product seriously through high production value and aesthetics. The commercial reflects the product: relatable, stylish, and state of the art.”

Sounds like happy trails ahead. Yee-haw!

“The Great Softening” debuts during the NCAA college hoops playoffs on CBS, Tru, TBS and TNT, with support across social, digital and influencer platforms.

And the commercials:

Key takeaways:

• Gecko’s parents wanted him to become a doctor. (Paging Ken Jeong!)
• His bestie’s some bro with a bad haircut. (Maybe try a mullet?)
• The reptile is left handed. Who knew?
• The faux GeckOs breakfast cereal looks grotesquely green. Yum.
• Gecko-Con attendees worship him as some kind of scaly Shatner-esque god.

The caveman’s deliciously dismissive attitude almost steals the show. Geico unfroze the primitive pitchman from years of commercial inactivity as 2023 drew to a close, teasing a Big Game tie-in while keeping the strategy under wraps until now.

The push sprang from a business messaging need, says Ryan Raab, creative director at The Martin Agency, which developed the campaign. “We wanted to spotlight how easy Geico makes home, auto, jewelry, renter, and even pet insurance. When you think ‘Geico’ and ‘easy,’ the caveman comes to mind. It’s an instant connection for anyone over a certain age.”

Indeed, the brooding brute’s ads from the late-aughts used the line, “So Easy, Even a Caveman Can Do It.” Here in 2024, he provides an extra storytelling dimension.

“In every documentary, the hero needs a foil, rival or opposite,” Raab says. “We thought it would be fun to catch up with the caveman now that his glory days are behind him. Or are they?”

As for the creative process, director David Shafei tossed unrehearsed questions at the cast while the cameras rolled. “Questions they didn’t know were coming led to oodles and oodles of footage and ad-libs,” says Raab. 

“Our creative team provided each character with a discussion guide that filled out every nook and cranny of their backstory,” Raab recalls. “I want to say it was 40 pages long. Working more from a discussion guide than a script was a new process for all of us, but that’s what made it so much fun.”

“WW7’s art department absolutely crushed it, building statues, painting murals, creating many artifacts and filling out every corner of the gecko’s world to an impressive degree.”

Indeed, the worldbuilding is impressive throughout, a fitting gecko-verse for marketing icons to inhabit during adland’s biggest event of the year.

“The background of the Gecko-Con scene alone is just chock full of comedic detail,” Raab says, “The long-form has a shot of the sunlight streaming through the caveman’s arm hair that’s both beautiful and disturbing.”

For those who just can’t get enough—presumably, all evolved humans—here’s the full-length fake-doc:

CLICK HERE to watch all of this year’s Super Bowl commercials as they’re released. 

The concept, of course, originated with fans themselves, who’ve been known to pull apart the treats before wolfing them down.

“That’s what’s magical about it,” says Michelle Deignan, VP at Oreo U.S. “We know when consumers eat an Oreo cookie, they twist it open before eating it. We started to think: ‘How can we use this twist of the cookie to better tell a story?'”

The brand wants to “be in the cultural zeitgeist” and carefully considered what big cultural moments Oreo would leverage, Deignan says. That includes Keeping Up With the Kardashians, which hit screens in 2007 and ran until 2021, forever changing reality TV. (Oh look, Kris Jenner appears in the ad.)

“Kris is widely known as being the matriarch of the Kardashian family, but what a perfect way to bring Oreo into the decision-making as she thought about launching that reality TV show,” says Deignan. “It felt really authentic to us because Oreo has shown up organically for years in the Kardashian show. We already knew that they were huge fans of the brand, which was the icing on the cake for us.”

She also notes that during its 2013 Super Bowl ad, Oreo set the standard for real time marketing with it’s “Dunk in the Dark” tweet.

This new spot will appear in Q2. Deignan sees the massive sporting event as a the starting point for the “Twist on It” platform, ultimately taking a 360 degree approach. Oreo is planning a comprehensive support plan, maximizing the run up to and during the Super Bowl. That includes working with influencers all the way to in store activations. 

The Martin Agency created “Twist On It,” which was directed by Dave Laden through Hungry Man and PXP Studios.

CLICK HERE to watch all of this year’s Super Bowl commercials as they’re released. 

“Legend of the Lizard” runs 15 minutes, and we’re told it will “release ahead of the Super Bowl,” per press materials.

Geico keeps teasing a Big Game tie, but its level of involvement with adland’s biggest event—if any—remains unknown.The caveman’s return to ads after a lengthy hiatus serves as another example of brands leveraging SB hype whether or not they pony up $7 million to run ads in-game.

“As the documentary started taking shape, we wanted to paint a realistic profile of our reptile,” Martin creative director and copywriter Graham Unterberger tells Muse. “But we knew it’d be insanely boring if everything was sunshine and rainbows. So, we needed to bring in different perspectives—and the caveman came to mind. Catching up with him gave us a way to bring the brand back down to earth in a hilariously honest way.”

Jeff Daniel Phillips gives a nice performance as the pouty pre-human, returning to a role he played during the character’s mid-2000s heyday. (Good luck “processing” those hurt feelings, chum.)

Annie Sertich provides able support as the caveman’s beleaguered bride in low-key spots directed by World War Seven’s David Shafei.

So far, the caveman’s comeback has been decidedly understated. That works to the concept’s advantage. As the campaign slowly builds, Geico’s wise not to overplay its hairy hand.

World War 7 director David Shafei says he concentrates on “playing it straight and letting the jokes work for themselves. However, it’s not a joke that the gecko is one of the most influential figures in business and advertising. So, of course, he got his own prestige documentary.”