Tom Brady Replays His Life Story in Cinematic Short Film for Luxe Watchmaker

Tom Brady has come unstuck in time.

The iconic quarterback passes through key phases of his life in a sophisticated short film made by German agency Scholz & Friends and director Une Milton for luxury watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen.

The six-time Super Bowl winner with the New England Patriots randomly revisits important moments from his past and contemplates what lies ahead after signing a two-year, $50 million deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in March.

In this superbly paced, expertly edited four-minute montage, Brady plays his adult self while two young actors ably portray the future NFL Hall of Famer as a schoolboy and teenager. We visit youthful practices, draft day in 2000, a thrilling Pats contest played in a rainstorm, and quieter, more contemplative moments:

The crew filmed in Boston and Salt Lake City late last year, with the dramatic deluge staged at Boston College’s Alumni Stadium using a rain machine and 4,000 liters of water. That sequence represents Brady’s fighting spirit in the face of adversity, not any particular game.

Brady’s quest for greatness reflects IWC’s core values and mirrors the rise of founder Florentine Ariosto Jones, who left Boston for Switzerland in 1868 to form the company. No. 12 is an avid collector of fine watches and owns several IWC timepieces, which puts the project squarely on brand.

“Just like Brady on his path to the NFL, Jones never gave up despite the many obstacles he faced,” says Scholz creative director Jörg Waschescio. “We wanted to make this brand spirit relevant again for a modern target group. Tom Brady, and his dream, were a perfect match” for that mission.

Of the production, Brady says: “Right when we got the idea for this project, I loved it. It is one of the most unique things I’ve done, and it brought up a lot of different emotions and memories. The production was incredible, and the parallel to IWC’s brand history spoke to a lot of different core beliefs that I have. F.A. Jones took on his dreams with the support of others, but in his mind, he was going to make it happen no matter what. I have always said that if you don’t believe in yourself, then why would anyone believe in you?”

Waschescio identifies the target audience as “watch enthusiasts, with a focus on millennials. We saw an opportunity to reach them through an elevated branded content campaign, with a focus on digital storytelling.”

Dubbed “Born of a Dream: A Boy from San Mateo,” the film lives mainly on IWC platforms and revels in its time-shifting effects. It tells a familiar small-town-boy-makes-good (and buys lavish watches!) story in a way that feels fresh and dynamic. Such impressive style should keep viewers entranced until the final frames fade and the game clock runs out.

In this brief interview clip, Brady discusses his love of fine watches:

CREDITS

YOUNG TOM BRADYs:
Teenager: Braden Lust
Pre-teen: Ethan Bird

AGENCY: SCHOLZ & FRIENDS BERLIN, VMLY&R Network
Managing Director: Robert Krause
Group Creative Director: Jörg Waschescio
International Account Director: Janin Brauer
Art Direction: Leonardo Valadão, Nathalie Poets
Copywriter: Alannah Stritch
Account Management: Janice Kretschmar
Producer: David Voss, Daniela Berther, Kerstin Mende
Inhouse Editor: Daniel Klessig, Jan Lagowski, Thomas Griesbach

CLIENT: IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN
Chief Marketing Officer: Franziska Gsell
Creative Director: Christian Knoop
Head of Advertising, Media & Digital: Maurice Moitroux
Strategic Brand Planner: Thomas Scheuring
Project Management: Caroline Spoerry

PRODUCTION: WHO’S MCQUEEN
Director: Rune Milton
DOP: Paul Meyers
Editor: Adam Nielsen, Emil Gundersen
Executive Producer: Clemens Petersson, Philipp Petersson Producer: Niels Kau
Script Supervisor: Christopher Disher
VFX: Copenhagen Visual Effects & Who’s MCQUEEN
VFX Supervisor: Mikael Balle, Alexander Schepelern, Christian Sjostedt, Robin Scheller (WhosMCQ)
Sound Design & Mixing: Kevin Koch
Composition: Jonas Larsen & Anders Vesterdahl