Of course, you could just excuse yourself and take a breather upstairs. Or say you need to stretch your legs and take a walk around the block. But let’s not overthink it. 

Best to just enjoy the broad, brand-building set pieces that fill each frame, courtesy of agency Hard Work Club and Untitled Films director Francois Lallier.

Fun factoids:

• The baby shower’s “pastel hell” motif was designed as a Stepford Wives homage, we’re told. (And the movie does have a famous supermarket scene.)
• “Pigeons” was chosen as the soccer team name because “it was the most ridiculous mascot the agency could think of.” Hard Work’s Priya Mistry, stylist Kate Day and production designer Fannie Legrand created the merch and banners.
• The children at the “Smashed Eggs” table are the director’s kids. Apparently, one of them took after dad, shouting “Action!” on set. And never fear: that baby’s just a doll, bounced by a crew member standing off camera.

“Radically candid moments where our protagonists are plotting an escape from life and yet met with the convenience of grocery delivery flexes our brand voice into humor, and we are here for it,” says DoorDash head of brand and creative Heather Cameron.

“For a brand to be willing to poke a little fun at itself is pretty rare, pretty special,” adds Hard Work co-founder/ECD Meghan Kraemer. “The convenience of grocery delivery is so obvious, that it gave us license to turn that positive functional benefit into an absolute negative for our anti-heroes who just want to leave these painfully awkward situations.”

The work breaks this week across TV, digital and OOH channels.

CREDITS

Client: DoorDash Canada
Head of Brand & Creative, Canada: Heather Cameron
Head of Marketing, Canada: Carly Steinberg
Senior Manager, Consumer Brand Marketing: Delly Dyer
Senior Manager, Dasher Brand Marketing: Sarah Jue
Senior Manager, Merchant Brand Marketing: Martine English
Graphic Designer: Dustin Cordeiro

Agency: Hard Work Club
Co-Founder & Executive Creative Director: Meghan Kraemer
Head of Integrated Production: Monika Ghobrial
Agency Producer: Julie Caniglia
VP Business & Development: Marissa Gladstone
Director of Client Success: Emma Pratt
Director, Project Management: Cecilia Hui
Senior Designer: Priya Mistry
Production Designer & Studio Manager: Amanda Braun

Production Company: Untitled Films
Executive Producer: Lexy Kavluk
Production Service Company: Nova Film
Director: Francois Lallier
Director of Photography: Francois Gamache
Producer: Marie-Lou Bouchard
Editor: Louis Philippe Gagne

Transfer & Online: Studio Feather
Colourist: Kevin Wu
Colour Assistant: Win Gonzales
Executive Producer, Colour: Jacklyn Morga
Online Artist: Julian van Mil
Online Assistant: Huan Le Vu Cong
Compositors: Andrew Rolfe, Diego Dutra, Mike Morley
Head of VFX: Colin Cunningham
Executive Producer: Emily Goldberg

Audio: SNDWRx
Creative Director: Didier Tovel
Audio Engineers: Alex Gluch, Michael Henley, Colin Brown

Casting: Mann Casting
Casting Directors: Sarah Sheps, Steven Mann
French Casting: Brigitte Viau

Social Media & Influencer Amplification: ruckus Digital
Jennifer Stein, SVP
Kenneth Evans, Managing Partner
Kaitlin Blackburn, Director
Leah Howitt, Digital Strategist

Media Agency: Wavemaker
Managing Director, Client Leadership: Sandra Cardoso
Director, Media: Laura DeGrace
Associate Director, Media: Anthony Visconti
Client Business Manager: Emma Lasagna
Senior Media Planner: Anastasiia Nikolaeva
Assistant Media Planner: Kerina McMorris

“An idea about delivering all the stuff from all the Super Bowls ads was in our original pitch presentation to DoorDash but, I’ll be honest, we threw it in as more of ‘this would be awesome but it’s probably impossible’ idea,” says Bertie Scrase, CD at  W+K. “There was a real hunger from the team at DoorDash and here at W+K to do something that proved that idea out in the most ambitious way possible.”

“The idea needed to have that perfect combination of ludicrous ambition and simplicity. All the stuff from the ads delivered to one person was that. Then the way of getting it all being a special promo code was the big unlock. That felt like something so true and ownable to delivery and ordering. I believe that breakthrough idea came on a Barcelona rooftop bar after a 14 hour shoot.”

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

Act two shows a team of bakers working in synch to create tasty treats, like a fresh birthday cake, for DoorDash to deliver:

The final act follows the Dasher as he picks up the cake and saves the party:

“We knew early on that we wanted to show one story from three different perspectives,” says Meghan Kraemer, co-founder and ECD of Hard Work Club. “The category norm is to show only the customer, as if the food arrived by magic. We saw a fresh opportunity to hero each person impacted by a single order—from the customer to the merchant to the Dasher.”

Each routine is set to updates of Sam & Dave’s ’60s song “Hold On, I’m Coming,” mixed by SNDWRx in Toronto. The first two ads are currently running, with the third ad debuting during the NBA All-Star Game in February.

“Our production designer, Jay Pooley, and his team of builders stayed close at hand, making adjustments as needed and even fixing a broken wheel on a giant set piece midway through the shoot,” Kraemer tells Muse. “This campaign really is a 50/50 split between CGI magic and practical muscle.”

CREDITS

Campaign: One Delivery in Three Acts
“Act 1: The Party”
“Act 2: The Order”
“Act 3: The Dash”

Client: DoorDash Canada
Head of Brand & Creative, Canada: Heather Cameron
Senior Manager, Consumer Brand Marketing: Delly Dyer
Senior Manager, Dasher Brand Marketing: Sarah Jue
Senior Manager, Merchant Brand Marketing: Martine English
Graphic Designer: Dustin Cordeiro

Agency: Hard Work Club
Co-Founder & Executive Creative Director: Meghan Kraemer
Head of Integrated Production: Monika Ghobrial
Director of Client Success: Emma Pratt
Director, Project Management: Cecilia Hui
Strategist: Sarah Phillips
Senior Designer: Priya Mistry
Senior Designer: Dameon Neath

Production Company: Spy Films
Director: Henry Scholfield
Executive Producer: Marcus Trulli
Director of Photography: Xiaolong Liu
UK Line Producer: Ash Lockmun
1st Assistant Director: Oleksii Smoliar
Production Designer: Jay Pooley
Choreographers: Keone and Mari Madrid
Line Producer: Chris Boddy
Producer: Aasttha Khajuria

Editing House: School Editing
Editor: Izzy Ehrlich
Assistant Editor: Zhenya Dolzikov
Executive Producer: Yumi Suyama

Colour & VFX: Feather
Colourist: Tricia Hagoriles
Online Artist: Julian van Mil
Compositors: Diego Dutra, Sergej Liamin, Mike Morley
Head of VFX: Colin Cunningham
Studio Manager: Evan Spicer
CG: Karol Kisiel
Motion Graphics: Justin Wotherspoon
Online Assistant: Huan Le Vu Cong
Executive Producers: Sara Windrim & Emily Goldberg
VFX Set Supervision: Colin Cunningham, Dequiera Atherton

Music & Sound: SNDWRX
Song Production: Didier Tovel
Sound Design: Didier Tovel, Alex Gluch, Colin Brown, Michael Henley
Mix: Alex Gluch, Colin Brown
English Voice Over: Brita Badour
French Voice Over: Melanie Paiment

Act 1:
Strings: Brendan Rogers
Vocals: Londa Larmond, Jennifer Lewin

Act 2:
Vocals: Jennifer Lewin, Londa Larmond

Act 3:
Vocals: Michael Henley
Music Licensing and Supervision: Creative License

Media: Wavemaker
Managing Director, Client Leadership: Sandra Cardoso
Director, Media: Laura DeGrace
Associate Director, Media: Anthony Visconti
Senior Media Planner: Emma Lasagna
Media Planner: Anastasiia Nikolaeva
Assistant Media Planner: Kerina McMorris

That elf’s such a rebel. Ride free with DoorDash, friend—and don’t be late with my order!

“Despite the humor and musicality of this spot, it’s got a human story at its core,” Zapiola explains. “We needed to accurately showcase how demanding seasonal working culture can be, and how DoorDash serves up a very real solution to very real problems.”

Music helped the team “tap into the emotions of miserable workers and draw them into the worst-imaginable Christmas,” she says. “I oscillated between comedy and emotion to make the characters’ arc feel real. I didn’t want people singing just to make a point. I wanted to feature people that we knew and that we’d seen working during the holidays. They’re funny because we recognize them.”

CREDITS

Client: DoorDash
Agency: Superette @ DoorDash Creative Studio
Executive Creative Director: Mariota Essery
Group Creative Director, Dasher & Merchant: Julio D’Alfonso 
Sr. Copywriter Lead: Rachel Dady
Sr. Copywriter: Flavio Cherem
Sr. Art Director: Sarah Saltonstall
Business Lead, Dasher & Merchant: Josh Lybarger
Brand Supervisor, Dasher & Merchant: Arika Kogan
Project Manager: Lyndsey Dorian

Creative Producer: Jeremy Lewis
Chief Marketing Officer: Kofi Amoo-Gottfried
Sr. Director, Brand Marketing: David Bornoff 
Director, Dasher Brand Marketing: Brett Corrick 
Sr. Manager, Brand Marketing: Val Noonan 
Brand Marketing Manager: Lila Abramson

Production: Stink Films L.A. 
Director: Camila Zapiola
Stink President: Daniel Bergmann 
Executive Producer: Nicky Barnes Managing 
EP: Fran McGivern 
Producer: Pablo Pytlowany
DP: Leandro Filloy
Prod Designer: Natalia Grosso 

Music Composition: Papa Music 

Editorial: Whitehouse
Editor: Adam Rudd
Assistant Editor: Tiffany Taveras
EP: Ryan Smith
Sr. Producer: Melanie Klein Finishing: Carbon
Flame Artist: Michael Sarabia 
Flame Artist: Heidi Anderson
MCR: Marcus Thomas
EP: Gretchen Praeger
Color: Company3
Colorist: Jamie O’Bradovich
Color Producer: Nick Krasnic 
Sound Design & Mix: Wave
Sound Designer/Mixer: Isaac Matus 
Executive Producer: Vicky Ferraro

The approach was developed with Furlined directing duo Speck & Gordon and targets football fans. It recalls Coinbase’s lauded 2022 QR-driven Super Bowl outing. More recently, Coca-Cola gave the codes a major role in a push with Jon Batiste.

“Sports fans know better than anyone that there are a lot of commercial breaks during the games, and sometimes they can feel just as intense as the game itself with all the action,” Jennifer Richardi, head of consumer brand marketing at DoorDash, tells Muse. 

“The simplicity of text on the screen with a QR code allows fans to take an intentional moment, pick up their phones and scan the code, which takes them directly to DoorDash,” she says. “They can seamlessly explore local and national favorites and place an order before the game resumes.”

OK, but are we sure that’s really Brendan Hunt? It’s kind of tough to make out his face.

“Though physically small on screen, his presence throughout the spots is mighty,” Richardi says. “His love of and association with sports, coupled with his spot-on humor, tied the campaign together in a way that not only highlighted the refreshing simplicity of the commercials, but should also feel authentic to football fans.”

“Many can relate to being so tuned into the game that they forget to order dinner, or worse—miss a critical play while walking away for just a moment to grab a snack. Brendan helped bring the message of ‘Timeout, Order In’ to life, grabbing fans’ attention so they clearly identify the perfect time to order.” 

“Timeout, Order In” debuts across national TV, digital and social media during this weekend’s NFL schedule.

CREDITS

Agency: Superette, DoorDash’s in-house Creative Studio 
Executive Creative Director: Mariota Essery
Creative Director: Rafael Segri
Creative: Robert Cuff
Sr. Copywriter: Flávio Cherem
Sr. Art Director: Sarah Saltonstall
Sr. Manager, Business Lead: Trina Sethi 
Project Manager: Daisy Farbor 
Executive Producer: David Schiavone 
Producer: Jeremy Lewis

CMO: Kofi Amoo-Gottfried
Sr. Director, Brand Marketing: David Bornoff
Director, Consumer Brand Marketing: Jennifer Richardi 
Director, Brand Marketing, U.S. Marketplace: Alex Hebels 
Director, U.S. Marketplace: Pete Sergel
Sr. Manager, Consumer Marketing: Catherine Fagan

Production Company: Furlined 
Directors: Speck & Gordon

Post House: UnionEditorial
Editor: Graham Turner
Head of Production: Dani DuHadway Spagnoli
Managing Partner: Michael Raimondi
Producer: Lillian Ghodoushim
AE: Josh Miller

VFX & Finishing: Fancy VFX
Founder / ECD / VFX: Randie Swanberg
Owner / CD / VFX: Mario Caserta
Executive Producer: Alex Tracy
EP, Director of Sales: Amy Jones

So, you’re hosting family and friends for a big dinner party. Suddenly, time starts oscillating wildly, until you’re perceiving reality as a frenzied whirlwind of OMG! They’re almost here! Where’s the wine? WTF! Where’s the salad?

DoorDash Canada captures that vibe—and slows the flow to manageable speed—in vibrant videos that play like live-action cartoons. At key points in these scenarios, the company’s dashers show up and help calm the chaos.

Director Lonan García creates frames that really pop, while a version of Motown thumper “Reach out, I’ll Be There” pumps up the atmosphere.

Agency Hard Work Club began with a typical brief—to show how DoorDash delivers everything from snacks and groceries to diapers and bouquets. Where they ended up, however, was a tad unexpected.

“We leaned into the insight of giving yourself permission to order anything you might need,” rather than doting on the march itself, HWC ECD and co-founder Meghan Kraemer tells Muse. “We looked at occasions where the pressure is on, where time feels like it’s slipping away, and you just need a helping hand.”

“The superpower we all wish we had in those moments is freezing time so you can get everything done the way you want,” Kraemer says. “We took these relatable occasions and pushed them into the extreme visually. In each spot, our hero is able to slow down time and move in hyperspeed to solve whatever it is that they’re up against.”

It’s not groundbreaking stuff, but the hyper-stylized approach provides frenetic fun. It’s kind of exhilarating, accelerating way past the same old thing.

“We knew from day one that we didn’t want anything about these spots to feel naturalistic,” Kraemer says. “We teamed up with director Lonan Garcia for his strong visual sensibility—and knew he would lean into color and character in equal measure. We’re always looking to push the execution with a strong palette and visual hyperbolic identity. Quicksilver from X-Men was an early reference that we were inspired by.”

To achieve the frozen worlds with characters moving like Marvel superheroes, “We shot countless plates using motion control—sometimes upwards of 10 plates to create a single scene,” she recalls.

“It was an incredibly technical and rewarding shoot. Production and post worked very closely to create our wonderfully layered environments using a mix of practical and CG elements.”

The campaign drops this week, boasting playful OOH that works in tandem with adjacent signs from other advertisers:

CREDITS

Brand Campaign Strategy and Creative: DoorDash Canada and Hard Work Club
National TV, Digital, OOH: Hard Work Club
Media Planning: Wavemaker
Guerilla Out of Home: No Fixed Address
Influencer and Social Media: Ruckus Digital

Walt “Clyde” Frazier sure knows how to dress fancy for dinner.

To hype DoorDash, the New York Knicks legend, color commentator and style icon is rocking custom couture during MSG Network telecasts of the team’s last three regular-season home games.

Each suit draws inspiration from a local eatery. Fans who recognize the bistros can get up to 50 percent off when they place orders from those restaurants during the games by using the code “CLYDE.”

Dude donned this hot number, inspired by Peppa’s Jerk Chicken in Brooklyn, during Saturday’s contest between the Knicks and Cavaliers:

Even the fly’s so fly!

“DoorDash wanted to extend our ‘New York Gets It’ campaign into some nontraditional places, including their partnership with the Knicks,” says Karly Brooks, senior copywriter at The Martin Agency. “So, we started diving into Knicks fandom, looking for things real Knicks fans know and love. We came across the iconic Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier and his famous eye-catching suits. And the idea hit us: What if we could make suits based on New York restaurants, and see if Knicks fans could spot them?”

Martin’s production team screen-printed designs, logos and text onto existing suits. The goal, Brooks says, was making them recognizable for locals without giving too much away.

These details ?

If you know the spot, order it on @DoorDash. pic.twitter.com/noH1XTwJk7

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 2, 2022

Frazier will rep Han Dynasty on April 6 vs. the Nets and Rubirosa Ristorante on April 10 when the Raptors visit Madison Sqaure Garden. (We’ll post pics of those other suits after the games are played.)

The fun promo combines DoorDash’s local focus with Martin’s penchant for pop-culture tie-ins.

“It’s one thing to tap into something everyone knows about. It’s another thing entirely to show up in a place where only a very specific demographic will recognize what you’re doing,” Brooks says. “DoorDash stands for local, neighborhood spots that are beloved by the community. It only makes sense to show up in a hyper-local way and reward those people who know and love the communities we stand for and serve.”

The food-delivery service will expand that recipe to new markets soon.

“In every city, locals take pride in knowing the local spots,” Brooks says. “We have plans to turn this idea into a program—creating fun fashion pieces based on local restaurants, tapping sports and fashion icons to wear them, and rewarding all the fans.”

CREDITS

Client: DoorDash
Julie Baruh: Senior Manager, Consumer Marketing
Cristen Milliner: Consumer Communications Associate
Liz Cooper: Senior Communications Manager
Ashley Devalle: Sports Partnership Marketing Manager

Client: Wavemaker
Jeff Grande: Associate Director, Wavemaker Sports & Live

Agency: The Martin Agency
Chief Executive Officer: Kristen Cavallo
Chief Creative Officer: Danny Robinson
Managing Director, Executive Creative Director: Jerry Hoak
VP Creative Director: Mike Kelly
Associate Creative Director: Julie Koong
Senior Copywriter: Karly Brooks
EVP Head of Production: Tasha Dean
Executive Content Producer: Ann Parker
Senior Producer: Evan Frank
Senior Activations Producer: Marleny Castanos
SVP Director Financial and Legal Affairs: Kerry Ayers
Associate Director Business Affairs: Angela Eddleman 
Senior Financial Affairs Manager: Elizabeth Moore
SVP Managing Director, Jaclyn Ruelle 
Cultural Impact Lab:
Associate Director, Cultural Impact Lab: Matt Kessler 
Senior Cultural Impact Specialist: Alex Angert
Cultural Impact Specialist: Kenia N
Brand Communications Specialist: D’Eric Watson
SVP Group Planning Director: Morgan Acenio
Communications Planning Director: Stuart Augustine
Senior Strategic Planner: Blake Smoral
Managing Director, Head of Account Leadership: Jordan Muse
Group Account Director: Marisa Weber
Account Director: Katie White 
Senior Account Executive: Myna Sharma
Group Project Manager: Sagar Shah
Senior Project Manager: Tessa Hart

Tacos al Pastor just tastes better when it arrives in a shiny metallic basketball, and who doesn’t enjoy pulling out the old telescope to watch scoops of ice cream streak across the Milky Way?

Such cosmic imagery pervades a fun new commercial, with WNBA all-star and ESPN commentator Chiney Ogwumike charging down a Kurbrickian court—made of pad Thai instead of parquet—for DoorDash:

Created in-house with VFX house Parliament and Smuggler director Brian Beletic, the spacey spot, titled “Enter the Zone,” dropped this week, timed to International Women’s Day on Monday, as part of a broader DoorDash effort to champion women-owned businesses.

The film’s celestial vibe feels fitting given Ogwumike’s status as a rising star. And it syncs with the brand’s commitment, in providing exposure and cash, to help female entrepreneurs reach new heights.

To that end, the delivery service just launched “Made by Women,” an in-app feature that make it easier for users to discover and support hundreds of participating restaurants. For example, searching with the keyword “Women Owned” pulls up ordering information for such eateries across 40 states.

What’s more, DoorDash will match loans for women-owned businesses, up to $5,000, through a partnership with global non-profit Kiva, which provides crowdfunded interest-free capital. The company will also donate $1 per order from participating merchants, up to $100,000, to the James Beard Foundation’s Women’s Leadership Programs.

“DoorDash and Chiney have many shared values, which made her a natural fit,” says Mariota Essery, the company’s executive creative director. “Chiney is blazing her own trail of entrepreneurship with broadcast, basketball and now business, and is dedicated to the mission of opening up opportunities for women worldwide. Additionally, Chiney is a self-proclaimed foodie, so the creative direction of the spot really resonated with her.”

Of course, DoorDash’s very existence depends on restaurants achieving positive trajectories, and the brand has shown its willingness to serve as a booster stage before. Notable efforts include last year’s program matching closed eateries with “ghost kitchen” operators to keep local businesses alive, and a zippy animated tour of Canada’s diverse “flavorhoods.”

CREDITS

DoorDash Creative Studio
Director of Creative Studio: Jennifer Richardi
Executive Creative Director: Mariota Essery
Senior Creative Lead, Art Director: Ben Bellayuto
Senior Creative Lead, Copywriter: Driscoll Reid
Art Director: Sarah Saltonstall
Executive Producer: Peter Ostella
Producer: Jeremy Lewis

DoorDash Marketing
VP, Marketing: Kofi Amoo-Gottfried
Senior Director, Consumer Marketing: David Bornoff
Director, Partnership Marketing: Vanessa Carr
Senior Manager, Partnership Marketing: Ariel Gaylinn
Senior Manager, Partnership Marketing: Kelly Lee
Director, Offline Performance Marketing: Mike Lorenzen
Manager, Consumer Growth Marketing: Helen Pfeiffer
Sr. Associate, Consumer Growth Marketing: Pooja Pandey

Production Company: SMUGGLER
Director: Brian Beletic
Executive Producers: Patrick John Milling-Smith & Brian Carmody
Executive Producer: Sue Yeon Ahn
COO: Andrew Colon
Head of Production: Alex Hughes
Producer: Brian Quinlan
Director of Photography: Larkin Seiple
Production Designer: Anthony Gasparro

Work Editorial
Editor: Biff Butler
Assistant Editor: Will Nguyen
Executive Producer: Marlo Baird
Head of Production: Brandee Probasco

Lime Studios
Sound Design: Michael Anastasi
Audio Mixer: Zac Fisher
Audio Assistant: Michael Baran
Executive Producer: Susie Boyajan

VFX: Parliament

Color: Primary
Executive Producer: Thatcher Peterson
Colorist: Daniel de Vue

Music Studio: Lightning Studios
Composer: Seth Olinsky
Additional Sound Design: Seth Olinsky
Music Producer: Cord Amato
Music Editor: Justin Miller

Sports Agency Partners:
OneTeam Partners
Disrupt The Game

DoorDash and Shake Shack are hooking up with Boyz II Men for Valentine’s Day. 

Alas, they won’t make love to you, like you want them to. How about a streaming concert and frosty shake instead?

You’ll find details in this clip with the smoooth, sex-ay voiceover:

“Sip on some romance,” eh? Now that’s hot copy!

Limited-edition items include a “Berryz II Men” chocolate-covered-strawberry shake available through DoorDash at participating Shake Shack locations through Feb. 14.

Also on the Boyz II Menu: scented candles (they smell like cocoa and strawberries, not an aging boy band) plus T-shirts and more. Such swag’s available in free “Love Delivered” kits with Shake Shack orders placed via DoorDash in New York City and Philadelphia.

On V-Day at 8 p.m. ET, the group will appear on Facebook, Instagram and Twitch, performing “love jams” and “soulful ballads.”

“While I haven’t had a haircut in months, get ready, because this is one virtual performance you won’t want to miss,” says Boyz II Member Nathan Morris.

Wow, that sounds … romantic? 

“Celebrating this year has taken on a new meaning as we look for ways to show our love even if we can’t be together in person,” adds DoorDash vp of marketing Kofi Amoo-Gottfried. “We hope this event will help create special memories whether you’re celebrating together or apart.”

CREDITS

DOORDASH
Katie Coffee – Director, Consumer Marketing
Francesca Ravella – Senior Manager, Partnerships Marketing

SHAKE SHACK
Madison Shapiro, Manager Digital Experience
Steph So, VP Digital Experience  

CREATIVE TEAM
Mariota Essery – Executive Creative Director, DoorDash Creative Studio
Jennifer Richardi – Director of Creative Studio, DoorDash
Ben Bellayuto – Senior Creative Lead, DoorDash Creative Studio
Driscoll Reid – Freelance Creative Lead, DoorDash Creative Studio
Max Gold, Creative Producer, DoorDash Creative Studio
Peter Ostella – Freelance Executive Producer, DoorDash Creative Studio

PRODUCTION PARTNERS
MediaMonks
MacGuffin Films
PS 260
Rue 47