Dee Rees directed and wrote via production house Anonymous Content this sci-fi :60, “The Box,” for Walmart out of Saatchi & Saatchi NY. The project re-teamed the filmmaker with her fellow Oscar nominees and Mudbound collaborators, cinematographer Rachel Morrison, ASC, and actress Mary J. Blige. Rees partnered with MPC to bring to life a playful, touching and out-of-this world film — even developing a scary monster straight from the imagination of a child.
The :60 premiered during Sunday’s (3/4) Academy Awards telecast.
Walmart asked filmmakers Rees, Melissa McCarthy and Nancy Meyers to each direct a :60 inspired by Walmart’s blue shipping box.
For Rees, the box contains a girl’s imagination which has her back and forth between a sci-fi world and her reality at home.
“This was an incredible opportunity for Dee to write and direct a branded film,” said Eric Stern, Anonymous Content managing director and partner. “Walmart was a terrific creative partner who wholeheartedly embraced and supported her vision from start to finish.”
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Credits
Client Walmart Agency Saatchi & Saatchi NY Javier Campopiano, chief creative officer; Wayne Best, Alex Lea, executive creative directors; Jenny Read, director of integrated production; Dean Shoukas, Diane Barton, executive producers;. Production Anonymous Content Dee Rees, writer, director; Eric Stern, managing director; Lori Stonebraker, exec producer; Kerry Haynie, head of production; Jessica Cooper, producer; Ena Nic, production supervisor; Rachel Morrison, DP; Colleen Atwood, costume designer; Hanna Beachler, production designer. Editorial Exile NY Shane Reid, editor; Vietan Nguyen, producer (NY); Brittany Carson, producer (L.A.). VFX MPC Camila De Biaggi, managing director; Matthew Loranger, exec producer; Sandra Eklund, producer; Jessica Rowley, production assistant; Alvin Cruz, creative director; Vadim Turchin, VFX supervisor; 3D lead; Eric Robertson, VFX supervisor; Rob Walker, Iain Murray, 2D lead; Mike Little, Tiago Dias, 3D lead; Tobey Lindback, Renato Carone, Adam Yost, Alejandro Taylor, Giulia Bartra, Guillaume Weiss, Vivek Tekale, S. Samson Samuel, Ragesh R, 2D team; Alejandro Echeverry, Jimmy San, Mike Lombardo, Madeline Jackson, Graeme Revell, Jacob Fradkin, Zhao Wang, Francisco Fraga, Jemmy Molero, Roberto Maki, Wesley Schneider, Sue Jang, Jamie German, Michael Marsek, David Bryan, Neil Miller, Justin Braun, Flavia Minnone, Matthew Gifford, Morten Solgaard, Simon Legrand, Tushar Kewlani, Parineeta Jasiwal, Jyoti Prakash Panda, Pritesh Krishnappa Kotian, Kalaiarasu P, SelvaKumar k, Bakiyaraj P, Vamsi Krishna, Sachin Sureshrao Dhapudkar, 3D team; Olivier Silven, Tyler Gibb, Roger Hom, Edvin Cindrak, design. Color MPC Houman Abdallah, colorist; Tanner Hladek, color assistant; Meghan Lang, exec producer; Rebecca Boorsma, Elyse Robinson, producers.
Fresh off Lay’s 2025 beloved Super Bowl spot, “The Little Farmer,” and a global brand refresh, comes a brand-new commercial airing in the first half of the big game on Feb. 8.
Titled “Last Harvest,” the new emotionally driven ad follows a father-daughter potato farming duo as they pass down generations of potato harvesting knowledge, showcasing a true legacy in the agriculture community. Academy Award winner (Jojo Rabbit) Taika Waititi directed “Last Harvest” via production house Hungry Man for agencies Highdive and Frito-Lay in-house shop D3. Waititi brought his signature storytelling style to this year’s Lay’s ad, just as he did with “The Little Farmer.”
Set against a moving rendition of “Somewhere Only We Know” (originally recorded by English rock band Keane), “Last Harvest” weaves through heartfelt flashbacks, shining a light on the family-owned farms behind many of Lay’s potato chips.
“Last Harvest” was inspired by Neumiller Farms in Illinois, a family farm that Lay’s parent PepsiCo has worked with for decades. It’s a third-generation potato and vegetable farm now run by father and daughter team Tom Neumiller and Katie Floming, who grow 3,500 acres of potatoes annually. Their farm plays a vital role in the Lay’s story, with Tom now guiding Katie as she prepares to lead the farm’s next chapter.
