COMCAST
CREATIVE DIRECTOR. WRITER.
CONCEPT. FILM DIRECTOR.
Whenever a creative hears a client request to “make it fun,” they probably think, “I bet we have different opinions on what fun is.”
For my clients at Comcast, I was determined to keep things fun. From edutainment videos and interactive games to new brand voice designs and ads, it all had to be fun.
That takes a commitment to your client, to your team, and to yourself.
NOW
Comcast Xfinity was launching a new Gen Z-focused suite of services that were lighter than Xfinity’s normal offerings for the young and budget-conscious.
This entailed a whole new brand development. I was tasked to concept, write, and direct three videos (for cable, internet, and mobile) that would each educate Comcast employees, commercial partners, and even consumers about what NOW is, how it compares to Xfinity, and how to decide which option is best for you.
Finding it more effective to pitch a full script than a mere concept, I eventually wrote over 30 full scripts as I wrestled to get three finals approved.
What we landed on was a series of reality television parodies. “Match NOW” was the first of the series. I was able to sneak some of the edgier humor past the brand team but was also forced to give our contestant a believable job, rather than the original script’s “celebrity dog groomer.”
I had our VO talent tape a few alts just in case (shared below).
SURVIVING THE CHALLENGE
After the client turned down my Catfish parody, where NOW TV had deceived a woman online into thinking he was actually Xfinity cable, I was able to get the green light on a Survivor parody. This was going to be a challenge though, because I had to shoot it in Philadelphia so the clients could attend (not very tropical), I had to film it at night to match the show’s “Tribal Council” vibe, and I had to do it all in about 12 hours.
Fortunately, everything went smoothly, and the client still refers to this as their favorite video our agency had created for them.
APOLOGIES TO THE FRENCH
Sticking to the promise to always be fun, Comcast asked our team to create an interactive PDF to discuss Comcast and NBC Universal’s presence in Paris for the 2024 Olympics.
As creative director, I asked my team to do everything in their power to ensure this wouldn’t be boring.
My copywriter suggested an anthropomorphic baguette mascot to talk to the reader. I asked, “Like Clippy?” He said, “EXACTLY like Clippy.” Though he was joking, I demanded he see it through. He partnered with our art director and came back with Christophe le Croissant. We all fell in love. “There’s no way the client will let us do something like this,” someone said who later ate their words.
We then expanded on the idea of an interactive PDF and instead created an interactive map of Paris, with Christophe as your guide.
Determined to make Christophe all the more precious, I found a young French child to voice him—a son of a professional acquaintance, who informed me that this was all “very offensive to the French.”
