If you ever find yourself drowning—say, after imbibing a tad too much—High Noon’s “lifestyle guards” probably can’t save you. They’re all about helping folks party under the summer sun. Heck, these shirtless studs even carry shrimp in their rescue buoys.

Preacher developed the kooky concept, with ads breaking across TV, online video and paid social.

It’s a low-rent tongue-in-cheek affair. We see all of one guard. In fact, it’s almost a parody of badvertising. But kind of bad itself—in a good way.

So, why spoof lifeguards? Maybe a Baywatch marathon inspired the team?

“When it came time to put a fresh spin on our ‘Sun’s Up’ campaign, we asked ourselves: Who might help our audience live their best day in the sun?” says Preacher creative director Justin Ralph.

“We started thinking about a group of lifeguards who show up wherever there’s a day-hang at the beach, on the golf course, at a tailgate, at a backyard BBQ, etc.,” he says. “Instead of saving lives, they’d save things like deflated pool floaties, or a shrimp that falls between the grill grate.”

“But they’d do it with the same unwavering commitment and sense of duty that actual lifeguards have.”

And their antics address what business goal for the E&J Gallo brand?

“Last year, High Noon expanded their portfolio with the introduction of Tequila Seltzer, and became the No.1-selling spirit in the country,” Ralph says. “This year, they’re out to sustain that momentum/ To do that, the new campaign is highlighting the brand’s entire portfolio for the first time, and uses a mix of sunny optimism, observational wit and surprising humor.”

Also, he believes the campaign has legs—tanned, muscular legs.

“Part of the reason for using the lifestyle guards is for their potential longevity and ability to show up in other places. There’s lots of room to show more of the crew in action and to bring them out into the real world.”

OK, it’s time to talk about fun anecdotes from the shoot. Go!

“Our lifestyle guard (Laith Wallschleger) wasn’t an actual lifeguard, but he did play college football,” Ralph says. “That athleticism came in very handy on set.”

In particular, “One shot involved him flying through the air and dropping a High Noon into an empty cooler, which he executed with grace and precision. Then, of course, there was a lot of running on the beach. And while we see him in slo-mo, he was definitely running in actual-mo. Which is way more tiring. He was just a tremendous sport.” 

He adds: “I also think we may have caused a body oil shortage in the city of Miami that week, because we used A LOT of it. Apparently, that’s how you get really great skin tones when you’re shooting under peak sunlight. The more you know.”

Josh Sorkin directed through Ladybug.

Mel is a creative director at Preacher, working on brands like Meow Wolf, ESPN, Coca-Cola, Jamba and ACL Fest. Previously, she held posts at Lowe, Strawberry Frog and Ogilvy, as well as in-house at Converse and Nike on their brand design teams.

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

Mel, tell us …

Where you grew up, and where you live now.

I grew up in H-towwwwwwwn, aka Houston. I currently live in Austin. I’ve also called NYC, Hong Kong and Shanghai home.

How you first realized you were creative.

There was never a moment of realization. But looking back, there were signs that I was a creative sort. When we were kids and played dress up, I was the stylist digging through mom’s closet and my sister was my muse. I’d photograph our fashion shoots and choreograph dance routines. I still think about this book on lettering and calligraphy that I adored, which I bought in the 5th grade through the Scholastic book order form. When we had science fairs, my favorite parts were the images and graphs and drawing titles on posters.

A person you idolized creatively early on.

David Carson. I was really into collaging in middle school. When I discovered David Carson’s work, I thought it was so cool—all the cut-outs and paint and scribbles. He played with typography in a way that was completely new to me. I didn’t even know what typography was, but I was very into what he was doing.

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

My mom sent an application to a magnet school on my behalf—without my knowledge. I was a shy (and angst-y) kid, and I was very dismayed at having to start over and make new friends. But eventually, I realized she did the right thing—giving me access to better opportunities and steering me away from things that could have led me astray.

A visual artist or band/musician you admire.

I’ve only become familiar with Kate Hollowell’s work recently, when fellow Preacher folks shot some Tecovas spots with her. She’s a director, photographer and musician. Her stuff is joyful, funny, satirical and just weird.

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

I love that the lens on Asian-American representation in film is getting wider and that we are seeing more badass creatives and filmmakers. Beef was just so honest, painful and dynamic, with such well-rounded, flawed characters whose trials and tribulations, I feel, are pretty universal.

Your favorite fictional character.

Pippi Longstocking. Unconventional and strong, skeptical of adults and adulthood (rightly so).

Someone or something worth following in social media.

Alice Isaac’s IG, for all your animated, collage-y, eye candy needs.

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

The AHA campaign was definitely a highlight, but more specifically a spot we shot with Anna Konkle and Maya Erskine from Pen15, (a totally irreverent and heartwarming show that really spoke to me) just as they were wrapping up the final season. 

A recent project you’re proud of.

Country Crock. We put a spooky, magical spin on the traditional hero mom—and took inspiration from a few of my favorite movies growing up, The Goonies and Stand By Me.

Someone else’s work that inspired you years ago.

VW’s “Bubble Boy” from Arnold, directed by Mike Mills. Such a simple idea that was executed beautifully.

Someone else’s work you admired lately. 

Consistently jealous of all the NYT work that out of Droga 5. You can tell a lot of heart and soul went into crafting all the pieces. I love how they continue to evolve the campaign with truth and humanity.

Your main strength as a creative person.

Trusting the expertise and opinions of work partners and team members. Even if I don’t fully get something or maybe am not 100 percent on board yet, I try to keep myself in check and remember why we hire and work with the folks we do.

Your biggest weakness.

I too easily fall back on doing the things myself, if I think it’s faster or easier. Which I don’t think is always the best way to develop and grow.

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

Making comics or writing and illustrating children’s books.

SHORT: What am I shilling here?

CREW MEMBER: Wealthsimple.

SHORT: And what do they do?

CREW MEMBER: It’s a financial…

SHORT: I’m kidding. I couldn’t care less.

It’s self-aware, top-of-funnel stuff that’s all about getting the name across and providing some quick entertainment. At that it succeeds, with Short chewing scenery in pompously prickly, persnickety style.

“It helps that Martin is Canadian, and about the closest thing to royalty they have in those parts,” Preacher creative director Zach Watkins tells Muse. “Obviously, he’s much loved, and having a well-deserved resurgence with Only Murders in the Building. But the main reason [the agency cast him] was his abundant enthusiasm for the project and generous time in collaborating on the script before shooting. He really was a mensch throughout.”

Short suggested many of the gags, and on set “his improv chops kicked in and some of our favorite moments were discovered on the fly,” Watkins recalls, praising Martin’s “instincts for filling up every moment with something special and walking that fine line between obnoxious and charming.”

Biscuit director Aaron Stoller, always aces with sitcom-style spots, imbues the project with a dose of manic energy. Ads broke this week across TV and social.

CREDITS

Client: Wealthsimple 
Chief Marketing Officer: Rubina Singh 
Advisor to CMO: Janet Xi
Editor in Chief: Devin Friedman
Art Director: Jacob Weinstein
Senior Manager (CW): Greg Bolton
Executive Producer: Greg Tharp
Senior Producer: Caroline Brisebois

Agency: Preacher 
Chief Creative Officer: Rob Baird
Chief Executive Officer: Krystle Loyland
Chief Strategy Officer: Seth Gaffney
Creative Director (CW): Zach Watkins
Creative Director (AD): Marcus Brown 
Senior Copywriter: Andrew Singleton
Senior Art Director: Mills Adams                    
Designer: Marissa Servantez
Brand Director: Vi Nguyen
Junior Brand Manager: Dom Shipp 
Head of Strategy: Marika Wiggan
Senior Producer: Lauren Bauder
Head of Production: Stacey Higgins
Business Affairs: Miiko Martin

Production Company: Biscuit 
Director: Aaron Stoller 
Managing Director: Shawn Lacy 
Executive Producer: Holly Vega 
Head of Production: Sean Moody 
Producer: Mala Vasan 
Director of Photography: Bryan Newman
Production Designer: Kristen Vallow 
Wardrobe Stylist: Dasha Martikainen 
Hair & Makeup Artist: Kathleen Beaton

Editorial: Mackcut
Editor: Pamela Petruski 
Assistant Editor: Brandon Alexander 
Executive Producer: Gina Pagano 
Assistant Producer: Kayla Robinson 

Finishing: Schmigital
Flame: Joseph Miller 

Sound Design: Marc Healy 
Mixer: Sam Shaffer 

Color Grade: Rare Medium
Colorist: Mikey Rossiter 
Assist Colorist: TJ Seiler
EP/MD: Heath Raymond 

Music: Mozart Sonata in D major for 2 pianos K448 II Andante

Celebrity Talent: Martin Short           
Co-writer: Matt Roberts

“The Real Unreal,” a new show from experiential art and entertainment company Meow Wolf, opens July 14 at the Grapevine Hills Mall near Dallas.

Not much about this project has been conventional. From pitching it with our production partner, Easy Pete’s, to planning every facet in writing rooms with the folks from Meow Wolf, to filming it in the liminal space of an abandoned mall, the 7-month journey has been remarkably weird.

For us, the trick on this project has been trying to evoke a Meow Wolf experience (aka psychedelic journey) without spoiling the narrative that visitors will experience for themselves. The first thing that struck us was the fact that such a bizarre encounter was going to take place in one of the most banal places on earth—a mall. We decided to lean into that tension.

There’s so much collective memory associated with malls, and we worked hard to drill into and twist those impressions as much as possible. Of course, that started with the idea of mall walkering. A uniquely American pastime that probably started in the ’80s and still persists today. Who wants to walk outside in the fresh air when you can march briskly past the food court and Zales?

We knew we also had to play with the photo studio—whether the Sears photo studio or the snazzier Glamour Shots. We recalled the strange habit of putting automobiles in the middle of the mall. We wondered what would happen if we put some strange creatures inside such cars. Huge shoutout to artist, Joe Cappa, for bringing those unreal creatures to life. Working with artists like Joe was one of the more gratifying aspects of the production.

In a world where so much is birthed in the graphics program of a computer, it was a fun challenge to fashion our world with just imagination and hands and paper mache. Our favorite parts of the campaign were all made practically and captured in camera. Which, not surprisingly, is exactly how a Meow Wolf happening unfolds.

Then there was the joy of creating a very bad-in-a-good-way mall jingle. And breaking it beyond all comprehension. If only more clients asked for more jingles, advertising would be a much more fun industry to work in.

As much fun as we had making the films, it was equally bizarre to craft the OOH and social assets. We can’t really tell you what the OOH means, but hopefully it gets people thinking that whatever is happening at Meow Wolf, it’s certainly not normal. Nor were our last 7 months. It’s gonna be hard to make a bank ad after this.

“Once it became clear it was all about comfort and relaxation–not energy and exhilaration–we were off to the races,” says Preacher ECD Greg Hunter. “Because making this ‘need-to-do’ feel like a ‘get-to-do’ is rare. Especially among national hair care chains. You can get a haircut anywhere. Sport Clips is more like getting away with one.”

The ads actually say that men can “have it all” at Sport Clips. That’s probably true—as long as we’re talking about stuff like blow-drys and shaves. Beyond that, we’re on our own.

“As a category, men’s haircuts can lack fandom and loyalty,” says brand CMO Martin Lee. “Our task was to get men who think of haircuts as a chore to see Sport Clips as an experience intentionally designed for them–and one they will look forward to. It gives them a break from everything else on their to-do list, while also checking something off on their to-do list.”

That’s not quite “having it all.” But on a really stressful, overwhelming day … it’s a game changer. Which is the campaign’s tagline. Well played, Sport Clips.

“For the tree-trimming scene, our actor’s stunt double was also doubling as his ladder holder,” Hunter recalls. “So to anyone driving past, it basically looked like a twin-owned tree-trimming company at work. An extremely accident-prone, twin-owned tree-trimming company.”

“And while we believe all dogs are good boys, we did have to call in a backup canine after our first choice caught a case of the ‘squirrels.’ And to his credit, he came in off the bench and delivered.”

He adds: “One debate we had on set was whether our creepy farmer should be holding a pitchfork or a grim-reaper-style scythe. We shot both. But in the end, we decided he didn’t need Death’s go-to weapon to make us fear for our lives.”

Remember that time you went grocery shopping and wound up strutting the night away, swaying through the produce and frozen food aisles as country music moved your soul?

That never happened? Maybe dressing in Tecovas cowboy boots and western apparel would set your hips swinging and toes tapping. It sure gets folks moving in these ads from agency Preacher and director Katie Hollowell:

These boots are made for dancin’ … but she’ll scuff the lane’s pine finish!

Clarence Nelson’s “You Make Me Feel So Good” and Dane Sturgeon’s “Queen Bee” provide the soundtracks, respectively. The spots debuted on Sunday’s CMT Music Awards and introduce the tagline “Don’t Go Gently.” They represent Preacher’s first work for the brand.

“We’re on a mission to be the most welcoming brand in western, welcoming the next generation of trailblazers to help us all connect with the good stuff in life,” Tecovas CMO Gillian Kennedy tells Muse. “Our hope with our new campaign is that more people are inspired to step out and stomp often. And that they can connect with the true spirit of the west—a mindset that helps each of us explore new ways forward while being our most authentic selves.”

So, it’s an effort to redefine the cowboy spirit for the digital age. That’s similar to Wrangler’s work in recent years, though Tecovas emphasizes everyday style in a less sweeping, more relatable appeal. The ads set the mood and show some merch. That’s enough.

“Both of these films just had to start with a great cast,” says Preacher creative director Zach Watkins. “We had to believe and adore our protagonists. And as we spent time with them, all day long in a bowling alley, and all night long in a freezing grocery store.”

The most memorable moment in the latter was unscripted. 

“[The dancer is] a fairly compact fella, so we were all pretty surprised when he started swinging the mop boy around like a rag doll,” Watkins recalls. “We hadn’t written that level of superhuman strength into the script. It’s just one of those happy accidents you stumble across sometimes. Apparently, he was a break dancer in the early ’90s. And he showed us about every move in his arsenal, still going for broke come 5:30 a.m.”

The bowler turned out to be terrible, but that played into the storyline.

“I believe she threw nothing but gutter balls,” Watkins says. “And we actually loved that. Having her hit a strike seemed like the expected commercial ending, so we tried to leave it to the viewer’s imagination.”

CREDITS

Client: Tecovas
Chief Marketing Officer: Gillian Kennedy
Executive Creative Director: Brian Jordan
Senior Design Director: Craig Denham
Senior Creative Producer: Mary Beth Pellegrino

Agency: Preacher
Chief Creative Officer: Rob Baird
Chief Executive Officer: Krystle Loyland
Chief Strategy Officer: Seth Gaffney
Creative Director: Marcus Brown
Creative Director: Zach Watkins
Group Brand Director: Kristen Meade
Junior Brand Manager: Grant Howard
Copywriter: India Allen
Art Director: Caroline Jinks
Associate Strategy Director: Madelyn Wigle
Executive Producer: Stacey Higgins
Senior Producer: Kasia Olczak
Production Coordinator: Aggie Ryan
Business Affairs: Miiko Martin 

Production Company: Mrs. Wright
Executive Producer: Jacki Calleiro
Director: Kate Hollowell
Line Producer: Jona Ward
DP: Jordan Black
Choreographer: Kat Burns
Stylist: Donna Lisa
Production Designer: Gina Caravan

Casting: Good People Casting

Edit House: Cabin
Head of Production: Lisa Barnable
Senior Post Producer: Zack Herpy
Editor: Scott Butzer
Assistant Editor: Lawrence Ng

Music: Good Ear Music Supervision (GEMS)

Mix: Dusty Albertz
Finish House: SHAPE + LIGHT
Executive Producer: Scott Boyajan
Senior VFX/Finishing Producer: Arielle Weir 

Color House: Company3
Colorist: Sofie Friis Borup

Votex

Fortnight Collective launched Votex, the “first tampon that helps you insert systemic change.” The entire box of the faux product is comprised of detailed instructions on where to vote and why it’s of dire importance. Votex is “the first tampon that uses voting technology to protect against a conservative flow.” Tampons give “two to six years of protection from toxic lawmakers” and come “lightly scented with feminine rage.” The campaign targets Colorado voters with a video promoting the faux brand, a website to help residents register and know where to vote, and in-person canvassing at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

Heavy in tone and heavy in puns, the tampon pamphlet instructions urge women to “gently slide your preferred lawmakers into place with your votes. Be sure to apply enough pressure so that your voice is heard and they land securely in place in office.”

Abortion Bus

Brian Moore, creative director at Anomaly, live-streamed “Abortion Bus” last week to raise money for Fund Texas Choice, a nonprofit that pays travel expenses to abortion clinics for Texas residents. The livestream lasted 23 hours to symbolize how far some pregnant Texans might have to travel for an abortion—1,500 miles round trip, or a 23-hour drive. The event raised over $30,000, and the game is available for download.

My Body, My Business, My Freedom

Atlanta-based Black Feminist Future, with help from A-B Partners, created “My Body, My Business, My Freedom,” a 30-second anthem that underscores “the freedom to choose is freedom.” The organization has a page on its website that helps women find abortion care and links to ReproActions’ fake clinic database to vet clinics prior to visiting. Per the site, at least 99 fake clinics are in Georgia. Guerrilla posts throughout Atlanta emphasize “taking care of us” and “abortion is community care.”

Points4Choice

The agency Opinionated debuted a passion project via LinkedIn post called Points4Choice. The agency encourages fellow agencies, and anyone really, to convert their credit card points into cash and donate the funds to Planned Parenthood. With a goal set at $50,000, the agency has raised $28,850 so far with contributions from Denver Ad School, Joan Creative, happylucky, Kin, Mirimar, Noble People and Zambezi.

I … Voted

We’ve all received a CVS receipt that’s practically our height, and now Preacher gives the famous “I Voted” sticker that same treatment. On behalf of the Texas Civil Rights Project, the agency created an extra long sticker (five times longer!) to draw attention to the hoops Texans jump through to vote. Should questions arise on Election Day, Texans are encourage to call the Texas Civil Right Project at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

The sticker reads:

I
filled out a voter application,
mailed it to the county election office,
checked to make sure it was approved,
was never mailed an absentee application,
was denied an opportunity to vote by mail,
because i’m not over 65,
disabled, or out of state,
was denied an opportunity to vote in a drive-thru
or submit my ballot in a drop box,
because both are illegal in my state,
so I took unpaid time off,
on what should be a federal holiday,
paid for a sitter,
showed up in person,
with my driver’s license
and my election identification certificate,
just in case,
during a narrow window
that isn’t convenient with my schedule,
avoided obstructing the view of a poll watcher
for fear of penalty under the law,
and then
Voted

CREDITS

CREDITS for Votex
Andy Nathan- FOUNDER & CEO  
Devin Reiter – PARTNER & PRESIDENT  
Jen Jaffe – PARTNER & CFO
Erin Hoffman – DIRECTOR OF TALENT AND CULTURE
Adam Chasnow – PARTNER & CCO
Becca Schepps – CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Mona Hasan – CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Steph (Langan) Strange – ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR  – ART
Martha (Murphy) Crompton – ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR  – COPY
Anna Delaney – ART DIRECTOR
Kelly Yach – SENIOR BRAND DIRECTOR/PRODUCER
Tucker Kavanagh- BRAND SUPERVISOR 
Lauren Koslosky- SENIOR BRAND MANAGER 
Lauren Kotz – BRAND MANAGER
Jane Pendergast – BRAND MANAGER
Rosie Chester  BRAND COORDINATOR
Ronn Lueang – 3D RENDER/ANIMATION
Chet Strange – PHOTOGRAPHY
Ashley Albert – VOICEOVER
Matthew Polis – SOUNDSPACE, BOULDER
JSM MUSIC, NEW YORK

CREDITS for Abortion Bus
Brian Moore
Mike Lacher
Melissa Wood
Michelle Yee
Michael Gobo
Will Millar
Kimberly Van
Andrew Puzzuoli
Adnan Aga
Anomaly
Fund Texas Choice

CREDITS for Woman Corp
ERA Coalition | Woman Corp
Launch: November 2022
AGENCY: Ogilvy
Liz Taylor, Global Chief Creative Officer 
Devika Bulchandani, Global CEO 
Lisa Bright, Chief Creative Officer of California and Global Chief Creative Officer of PR 
Chris Beresford-Hill, NA President and Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy 
Rachel Chapman, Associate Creative Director 
Meghan Howell, Associate Creative Director 
Winston Noel, Associate Creative Director 
Vini Sousa, Associate Creative Director 
Remy Glock, Creative Director 
Barbara Polanco, Art Director 
Allie Jones, Copywriter 
Sarah Ko, Designer 
George Sholley, Head of Production, North America 
Seng Rimpakone, Executive Producer 
Carina De Blois, New York President  
Erin Sheehan, Account Director 
Elise Horsak, Account Supervisor 
Olivia Prendergast, Social Strategist 
David Ford, Global Chief Communications Officer 
Stefanie Schmit, SVP of Public Relations 
Denee Zumwalt, Account Supervisor of PR 
Erin Shiffman Cohen, Vice President of Earned Media Relations and Strategy 
Lisa Stancati, Senior Counsel, Commercial Legal & Business Affairs (Americas) WPP 
Gloria Hall, Senior Partner, Executive Director of Licensing at Ogilvy Advertising 
Maryellen McGrath, Art Buyer at Ogilvy Advertising 
Kirsten Jensen, Client Finance Analyst 

PRODUCTION COMPANY: Pretty Bird
Kerstin Emhoff, Owner 
Quinn Katherman, Director 
Suzanne Hargrove, Executive Producer 
Tracy Hauser/Rika Osenberg, Head of Production 
Megan Porche, Producer

EDITORIAL COMPANY: MackCut
Pamela Petruski, Editor 
Dylan Anderson, Producer 
Brandon Alexander, Assistant Editor 
Gina Pagano, Executive Producer 

CLIENT: ERA Coalition
Zakiya Thomas, CEO 
Carol Jenkins, Former CEO and President 
Jessica Neuwirth, President Emerita  
S. Mona Sinha, Board Chair 
Kimberly Peeler- Allen, Board Chair 
Chrisi West, Director of Communications 
Velu Ochoa, Social Media Communications 
Ron Baldwin, Vice Chairperson of the Board 
Bettina Hager, DC Director & Director, Outreach & Advocacy at ERA Coalition 
Vivien Pong, Finance, Operations and Development Manager 
Jennifer Tucker, Strategic Partnerships 
Marc Sokol, Strategic Consultant 

CORPORATE OUTREACH: BCW
Brian Ellner, U.S. Public Affairs Lead at WPP / Purposeful Comms at BCW 
Kevin Walther, VP Global Strategy 
Jordana Baldwin, SVP of Corporate Affairs 

MEDIA: GroupM
Susan Schiekofer, Chief Digital Investment Officer 
Ron Mangiacapra, Head of Strategy and Engagement at GroupM 
Jillian Schroeder, Client Investment Lead 
Karen Chan, Managing Partner, Investment Strategy Lead 

PARTNERS/SPECIAL THANKS
Mara Entertainment: John Mara Jr.
Claire Frawley

Female reproductive brand Natalist wants to celebrate every aspect of a woman’s path to motherhood—the good, the challenging, the highs and lows—while remaining “always in awe” of what their bodies are capable of.

A 60-second ad from Preacher accomplishes all that, using both UGC and moments captured by photographer Brianna Roye, coupled with a spoken-word poem from Jae Nichelle.

“I am in awe of you,” begins Nichelle. “Awestruck by your body, awestruck by all the things it can do. So let’s take a moment to celebrate all the moments.” There’s real-life, raw images of childbirth, breastfeeding, pumping, IVF injections, C-section scars, stretch marks juxtaposed with tender moments with their babies.

The longform ad runs on Natalist’s social channels, and a 30-second ad that met network standards—IVF injections and breast content were removed—runs on network, digital and OTT.

We spoke with Aisha Hakim, Ryan Durr and Madelyn Wigle at Preacher (Hakim has since moved to 72andSunny), along with Jenifer Dasho, CMO of Everly Health and general manager of Natalist, about censorship, the creative process and why now was the time for Natalist’s first campaign.

Muse: Talk about the creative process in bringing these moments to life for the film.

Aisha Hakim and Ryan Durr, associate creative directors: We pulled from our various personal experiences with postpartum depression, struggles with endometriosis, hysterectomy and IVF, and used this as our guiding light for those lesser-telegraphed reproductive moments. We wanted to elevate all those moments—even the moments that maybe don’t feel like a moment. Collectively, the creative team arrived at “Always in Awe” after writing a two-page spoken-word poem that acted as a love letter to the marvels of the lived female experience and reproductive system.

Why now for Natalist to launch this campaign?

Jenifer Dasho: We decided to launch “Always in Awe” at a time when women are navigating a complex healthcare system. As a reproductive healthcare brand, we felt that the industry could benefit from the realism behind speaking to women authentically beyond the end goal of pregnancy. “Always in Awe” is meant to celebrate every stage and moment of authentic reproductive journeys—not just the glossy, picturesque ones. 

Tell us about the challenges of bringing this campaign to air.

Dasho: “Always in Awe” faced scrutiny from major TV networks for its “provocative” creative direction as it relates to a woman’s reproductive journey. Everyday activities and experiences such as breastfeeding, pumping, IVF injections and birth were all areas we were told to cut back on as part of the review process. Every woman’s reproductive journey is different, and you should be able to see your experience represented when you turn on the TV or scroll through social media.

Madelyn Wigle, associate strategy director: Preacher and Natalist had the shared desire to not just address the issues of the past, but to really start constructing the future we believe women deserve to be living in. Simply telegraphing reality isn’t enough—we wanted to also inspire awe, sparking visions of a future where women’s experiences are not just normalized, they’re lionized.

It’s that time of year, when pumpkin spice wafts through the air and political advertising assaults eyeballs left and right. Many of these messages are strident, overly dramatic or easily ignored.

In Texas, however, the PAC known as Mothers Against Greg Abbott (MAGA) is seeking to boost Democrat Beto O’Rourke’s chances against incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott with a novel appeal. The push features interviews with diverse Texans conducted by production house The Bear and Houston-born director Richard Linklater (of Slacker, Dazed and Confused and School of Rock fame).

Working with creative agency Preacher, the team made 31 videos, presented in the style of a month-long advent calendar. But instead of counting down the days to Christmas, these short films—ranging from roughly 30 to 90 seconds—take Abbott to task and encourage voters to back O’Rourke on Election Day, Nov. 8.  

This trailer provides a taste, with subjects filmed in stark black-and-white speaking directly to camera in simple, passionate terms that, for the most part, sidestep the stale lingua franca of partisan politics:

“These are real Texans with real stories to tell,” Elizabeth Spiva, executive producer at The Bear, tells Muse. “Some had acting experience, but many didn’t. The one thing they all had in common was they showed up to a casting call with personal stories to share. We got responses from lawyers, small-business owners, service industry employees, moms, grandmas—you name it.”

One of the most powerful clips features Stacy, a wheelchair user and lawyer, like Abbott, who calls out the governor’s insensitivity to folks with disabilities:

Florinda brings a Black woman’s perspective to the table. She accuses Abbott of “pretending to care” about people while quashing reproductive rights and doing the gun lobby’s bidding at every turn:

“These were real points of view and stories that people brought and wrote down,” Spiva says. “Richard conducted one or two rehearsals with each person to help dial in their ‘script’ and make sure their own words were shining through, but each of the talents came to the table with their own ideas of what they wanted to say. Richard simply fine-tuned them.”

Ricky, a gay Latinx man, mourns the passing of a “live and let live” Texas, replaced by “surveillance, conformity and exclusion” during the Abbott administration:

And Angie, a registered Republican, lambasts her party for veering hard to the right while disregarding the greater will of the people:

There’s an urgency and freshness to these takes that’s hard to ignore. The earnest no-frills approach—sans music and boasting minimal graphics—plays almost like the stuff of heartfelt healthcare PSAs. MAGA—who past efforts include an abortion story that went viral—casts Abbott’s policies as a disease, empowering viewers to restore health and sanity to the Lone Star State.

Linklater backed O’Rouke in 2018, creating ads in Beto’s failed bid to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz. Here, his advent calendar approach feels on point, and cleverly subversive, using a Christian framework to make progressive points in a state where religion frequently gets co-opted by archconservatives.

“Richard has always enjoyed playing with the concept of time in his work, so he wanted to create a month’s worth of films that you could watch one day at a time or all at once,” says Preacher CEO Krystle Loyland. “We realized that’s sort of how an advent calendar works. While a traditional advent calendar is meant to welcome Christmas, our version of Christmas will be getting to finally vote Greg Abbott out. So, we wanted to release this calendar exactly 31 days in advance of Nov. 8.”

CREDITS

Director: Richard Linklater 
Director of Photography: Shane Kelly

Production Company: The Bear 
Executive Producers: 
Berndt Mader, Ben Steinbauer, Elizabeth Spiva, Alan Metni, Sean Haynes 
Producer: Katie Jewett

Casting: Vicky Boone 
1st AD: George Sledge 
2nd Camera Operator: Alonso Lujan 1st AC: Mark Roethke 
Gaffer: Charlie Seligman 
Grip BJ Lewallen 
HMU: Daisy Maldonado

Creative Agency: Preacher 
Chief Creative Officer: Rob Baird 
Chief Executive Officer: Krystle Loyland Chief Strategy Officer: Seth Gaffney 
Art Direction: Will McLeod 
Copywriting: Sydney Solis

Digital Agency: Simply Good Work Owner: Garrett Winder 
Director of Strategy: Ariel Kidwell Developer: Jeff Irwin

Audio Mixer: Brian Ramos

Editors: Mike Saenz and Gavin Tatro

Finishing and Mix: Stuck On On

Executive Producer: Allison Turrell Colorist: Parke Gregg 
Sound Mixer: Lyman Hardy, III

Assistant to Richard Linklater: Catherine Gonzales

PAs: Juan Selvera, Andrew Wortico, Ryan Schwenn

Special Thanks: Sen. Sarah Eckhardt