The Craft
Q&As and behind-the-scenes info on the latest and greatest
commercials, shorts and music videos.
How KDSP and John Hillcoat found the key to therapy
Putting people's internal monologue to music might not be the first thought when promoting a mental health platform, but with its latest campaign for Grow Therapy, KDSP did just that, with heartfelt and humorous results. shots speaks to Brock Kirby and director John Hillcoat to find out what makes the campaign sing.
How hungryman woke the dead
In the second year of its “anti-award show award show”, the production company brought to life another abandoned script and found a brand to run it. Here, Jamie Madge speaks to Dead Ad Society founder and hungryman managing partner Caleb Dewart, director Lena Beug and copywriter Jagger Moore about resurrecting All Grown Up, the creative freedom afforded by doing things backwards, and why some lost ideas deserve another shot.
How Honda’s dream team revved up some reveries
From puppeteered spheres to smoke-filled bubbles, bringing Honda’s Your Dreams Engineered campaign to life demanded as much ingenuity behind the camera as it celebrates on screen. Director Ryan Chun and Black Kite Studios’ VFX Supervisor Jonathan Box explain how they manifested a beautiful film about manifesting dreams.
How Dermot Malone navigated the RNLI's new campaign
Banjoman Films director Dermot Malone's recent film for the RNLI turned what was meant to be an instructional PSA into a moving story about a young man and the danger posed by the sea. Here, Malone talks about the project, its inception, and what brought him to tears when writing the final scene.
How Vanessa Stachel hand-crafted a queer fairytale for Greenpeace
Director Vanessa Stachel talks us through how her sublime graduation film, The Nymph, created in partnership with Greenpeace, harnesses painstaking practical craftsmanship to personify humanity's destructive relationship with nature in a dark and haunting cautionary fable.
How LUMA’s sweet dreams were made from this
Jason Kreher, CCO of creative studio DE-YAN and Caroline Ingeborn, COO of Luma AI, discuss their collaboration on the Luma Dream Brief. This competition to create ads using Luma AI tools garnered entries from 400 creatives who were able to play around with the fanciful work they thought they’d never make.
How Anyrin brought controlled madness to the screen
A new film by director Arran Anyrin Bowyn is a dark, brooding short which explores quiet psychosis, the many layers of personality, and the curation of self. Here, he talks about the challenge of being subtle, the importance of sound design, and the power of quiet hysteria.
How Ian Pons Jewell made Hornbach's timber limber
A strip of wood might not make the most exciting subject for an ad, but in its latest campaign, Hornbach made it the star. Jamie Madge sat down with director Ian Pons Jewell and Thomas Houthave from audio company Klankwerk to find out the theme behind the beam.
shots co-editors Jamie Madge and Danny Edwards chat to a handful of the production heads, brand creatives, adtech gurus and all-round decision-makers.
From seed to screen: How Tesco grew its green(s) giant
BBH London ECD Felipe Guimaraes and MJZ director Nick Ball describe the meticulous processes involved in creating Tesco's new hero Plumbert, a character that’s basically a sack of fruit and veg minus the sack.
How Uncommon made sparks fly for Airwallex
Entrusted with Airwallex's first global campaign, Uncommon London created a beautiful, black and white campaign that celebrates the inventive nature of the human spirit. Creative and director Sam Walker talks us through the process, from the spark of an idea, to the completed film.
Stay up-to-date with the latest news, insight and inspiration for the global creative community.
How straight 8's challenge can unleash creativity
With the deadline for Shootout 2026 looming, filmmakers from Drool, new-land, Mr+Positive, Snapper Films, and VCCP discuss the terror, joy and creative freedom that comes with creating films under uniquely unforgiving restrictions.
How 4Creative found inspiration in initials
As Channel 4’s in-house agency unveils its new identity, Miketta Lane and David Wigglesworth chat to Jamie Madge about collaborative authorship, creative chaos, and resisting polished uniformity.
How radical tenderness became a dance of protest
Arriving in Mexico for a commercial shoot, director Rachel McDonald was disturbed by events unfolding in the US and, finding her feelings aligned with the ad’s choreographer, embarked on an ambitious dance film.