Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood are kicking off their annual “Halloween Horror Nights” events with a terrifying commercial created in partnership with TM Advertising and directed by Eli Roth, the filmmaker behind such horror features as Hostel and Cabin Fever. This marks Roth’s spot directing debut produced by Tool of North America.
The campaign includes one :30 and four :15 TV spots which began airing just after Labor Day weekend. Also included in the campaign is this two-minute director’s cut entitled The Mourning After posted by Roth online.
The spots feature a group of friends that find themselves at a twisted Halloween party. Things quickly take a dark turn as the group encounters an array of references that pay tribute to the horror films and television-themed mazes guests will experience as part of “Halloween Horror Nights.” These include FX’s critically-acclaimed, Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning television series, American Horror Story, Stanley Kubrick’s psychological horror film, The Shining, and the upcoming SAW: The Games of Jigsaw movie.
Lisa Bennett, chief creative officer at TM said, “We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect person to direct this year’s campaign. Eli is a passionate filmmaker, an expert when it comes to this genre and a huge fan of ‘Halloween Horror Nights.’”
Roth shared, “I first got involved with ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ as a fan–I felt that I was in a horror movie and I didn’t want it to end,” said Roth. “For this spot, I wanted to pay homage to these brilliant and scary films, and yet put my own spin on it.”
CreditsClient Universal Orlando Resort/Universal Studios Hollywood Agency TM Advertising, Dallas Lisa Bennett, chief creative officer; Chris Bettin, group creative director/copywriter; Marc Mintle, group creative director/art director; Hal Dantzler, director of production. Production Tool of North America Eli Roth, director; Javier Zarco, DP; Oliver Fuselier, managing partner; Mary Church, exec producer. Editorial/Sound charlieuniformtango Jack Waldrip, editor; Jake Kluge, sound engineer; Mary Alice Butler, exec producer. Music JSM Music Joel Simon, creative director.
Top Spot of the Week: Honda, RPA, Director Rupert Sanders Share “Unstoppable Dreams,” An Inspiring Reverse Poem
This inspiring Honda spot--directed by Rupert Sanders of MJZ for agency RPA--is the centerpiece of the “Unstoppable Dreams” campaign which brings to life the brand’s “Challenging Spirit” and the idea that resounding success is often the result of failures. The :60 follows the distinctive journeys of competitors with strong ties to Honda as they pursued their racing ambitions, including the late F1 racing legend Ayrton Senna and current FIA Formula 1® World Champion Max Verstappen.
The cinematic spot deploys an engaging reverse poem format, so what begins as a disheartening story about failure and giving up reverses course to showcase how personal setbacks can serve as the greatest teacher and catalyst to achieve big dreams.
The “Unstoppable Dreams” film features iconic Honda race machines including the 1992 Formula 1® winning McLaren Honda MP4/7A driven by Senna and the FIA Formula 1® championship 2021 Red Bull Racing Honda RB16B driven by Verstappen, as well as exciting forthcoming products including the Honda hybrid-electric Prelude Concept and the Honda eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft). The “Unstoppable Dreams” tells a story about how the starting point of achieving success is how one responds to failure.
“Unstoppable Dreams” made its TV debut earlier this week on NBC’s Sunday Night Football and will continue to air during NFL and college football games, and the opening night of the 2024-25 NBA season. The campaign also will be featured on the big screen this fall, at theaters across America during major movie premiere releases, and on Netflix’s ad-supported plan in the U.S., for the highly anticipated series Senna.
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