SQSP
SUPER BOWL 2023
In 2023, I finally had the chance to lead the production of my first Super Bowl Campaign at Squarespace. The goal of the campaign was simple: go back to the beginning of the brand’s story and tell people what Squarespace is. So we approached Adam Driver to contemplate the existential implications of a website that can create an infinite variety of websites.
Shot over four days by Smuggler’s Aoife McArdle, we used a variety of practical footage and VFX to create this homage to 70s sci-fi films. Dozens of men with the same build as Adam stuck it out through cold desert nights at the Trona Pinnacles in California as we captured hundreds of plates that would later be composited together with hundreds of performances by our leading man.
Editing was done by Dan Sherwen at Final Cut, while Black Kite took the VFX to epic levels. Photography was captured by our in-house photographer, Craig Reynolds, right on set. And the BTS mockumentary was directed by our creative team, Alex Thompson and Pepe Hernandez and cut by with our in-house editor, Sarah Harvey.
This project was a testament to the kind of magic that can only happen when you have great source material, a brilliant creative team, and fully committed partners.
PRESS &
RECOGNITION
The Today Show, Rolling Stone, Forbes, Vogue, Forbes (BTS), Fast Company, Hollywood Reporter, USA Today, Vulture, Indiewire, Entertainment Weekly, Shots, AV Club, NY Post, The Drum, Fast Company, Mashable, NPR, Pop Sugar, Daily Mail, It’s Nice That, City AM, People, Huff Post, Adweek, AdAge, Shots (BTS), Syfy, Muse by Clio, Uproxx, Reuters, Rolling Stone (Post Game), AdAge Editor’s Pick, Campaign, The Drum Ad of the Day, LBB Online, Televisual, Shoot Online, Digiday, The Playlist, Hollywood Life, Media Vidi, Collider, Daily Mail, Branding in Asia, Head Topics, Newbreak, Adland, Screen Rant, Bustle, W&V, Coming Soon, Just Jared, The Media Eye, B&T, Trill Mag
Emmy: Nominated for Outstanding Commercial
Cannes: Silver Film Lion for Longform TV/Cinema
Cannes: Bronze Film Lion for Longform Online Video
Cannes: Bronze Film Craft Lion for Direction
D&AD: Yellow Pencil for Integrated Campaign
D&AD: Graphite Pencil for Writing for Advertising
D&AD: Wood Pencil for Writing for Advertising
D&AD: Wood Pencil for Writing for Editing / VFX
AICP: Concept (x2)
AICP: Cinematography
AICP: Visual Style
AICP Post: Comedy
Clio: Bronze for Integrated Campaign
One Show: Best of Discipline for Integrated Campaign
One Show: Gold Pencil for Integrated Campaign
One Show: Silver Pencil for Film & Video / Television & VOD - Over :60 - Single
One Show: Bronze Pencil for Moving Image Craft & Production Editing - Single
ADC: Best of Discipline for Brand-Side / In-House
ADC: Gold for Advertising / Branded Content / Entertainment
ADC: Gold for Television / Film / Online Video / Television - Single
ADC: Gold for Integrated Series
ADC: Gold for Video / Online Video
ADC: Silver for Television / Film / Online Video / Online - Single
ADC: Silver for Advertising / Art Direction
ADC: Silver for Video / Online Video
ADC: Bronze for Branded Content / Entertainment - Online Video / Short Form
ADC: Bronze for Motion / Film Craft / Editing
Ciclope: Grand Prix for Idea (x2)
Ciclope: Gold for Idea (x2)
Ciclope: Gold for Original Composition
Ciclope: Silver for Branded Comedy
Ciclope: Silver for Long Form Direction
Ciclope: Bronze for Long Form Direction
Ciclope: Bronze for VFX
Ciclope: Bronze for Color Grading
Vimeo: Staff Pick
CREDITS
Production Company: Smuggler
Director: Aoife McArdle
Director of Photography: Khalid Mohtaseb
Production Designer: Kelly McGehee
Executive Producer: Drew Santarsiero
Producer: Brian Quinlan
Production Supervisors: Chad “Frenchie” Alburtis & Logan Luchsinger
Editorial Company: Final Cut
Executive Producer: Sarah Roebuck
Senior Producer: Jennifer Tremaglio
Editor: Dan Sherwen
NYC Assistant Editor: Hannah Wederquist-Keller
UK Assistant Editor: Thomas Brigden
VFX, Color, & Finishing: Black Kite
VFX Supervisor: Adam Crocker
VFX Lead: Jonny Freeman, Guillaume Weiss and George Brunt
VFX Artists: Warren Gebhardt, Venu Prasath, David Birkill
3D Lead: Fin Crowther
3D Artists: Jim Cullen, Joel Paulin, Pawel Luszczak, Sandra Guarda, Florian Mounie, Ola Madsen, Lino Khay, Ronen Tanchum, Ravikumar M.S, James Bown
Colourist: George Kyriacou
Executive Producer: Amy Richardson
Producer: Olivia Donovan
Music & Sound Design: Q Dept
Audio Post: Heard City
Sound Designer & Mixers: Mike Vitacco & Evan Mangiamele
Executive Producer: Jackie James
Senior Producers: Liana Rosenberg, B Muñoz
Producer: Nick Duvarney
Assistant Producer: Dylan Stetson
Assistant Mixers: Seth Brogdon, Virginia Wright, Zoltan Monori, Chenoa Tarin, Oddy Litlabo
SQSP In-House Creative Team
Chief Creative Officer: David Lee
VP, Creative Director: Ben Hughes
Creative Director: Mathieu Zarbatany
Staff Art Director: Alex Thompson
Staff Copywriter: Pepe Hernandez
Senior Producers: Wes Falik & Sion Prys
Head of Production: Erica Kung
Staff Producer: Marisa Wasser
Head of Business Affairs: Kiersten Bergstrom-Pavlik
Senior Business Affairs Manager: Michelle Crane
Senior Designer: Ryan Carrel
Designer: Wan Kang
Staff Photographer: Craig Reynolds
Associate Photographer: Spencer Blake
Senior Retouchers: Sara Barr & Derek Kalisher
BTS Editor: Sarah Harvey
BTS/Stills Senior Co-Producer: Sion Prys
My Role: Senior Producer (Campaign Lead for SB Spots, Co-Producer BTS/Stills)