Newsletter
90 Years Pass in This Skippy Ad's 30 Seconds
Eras race across the screen, so try not to blink
In “Spreading Fun for 90 Years,” BBDO Minneapolis and directing duo Les Garçons take us on a culinary journey through time, with Skippy peanut butter as the narrative’s red thread.
A lot of us probably only think of peanut butter in a few specific contexts—with celery, maybe, or in a pie. But the quirky table staple is so much more than that. The ad takes us through the Jell-O mold days of the ’30s and ’40s, “exotic” food trends of the ’60s and ’70s, and Asian fusion in the ’80s and ’90s (peanut butter is a non-negotiable feature of much Southeast Asian and islander cuisine).
We also see Skippy spread on toast, accompanying veggies, and crowning a cake. The whole thing happens almost too fast to process, but it does make us hungry, both for snacks and more elaborate, savory dishes. Peanut butter, we just can’t quit you!
Les Garçons divided 90 years into four chapters, with each layered in the colors, textures, musical cues and furnishings of different periods. A motion-controlled camera transitions zippily through each section, dropping us from one distinct table to the next.
“The nickname for this project was ‘Peanut Butter Everywhere, All at Once’, because at times it felt like there was just too much happening in 30 seconds,” say Les Garçons. “The carefully planned camera movements are what kept the concept from turning into visual chaos.”
Of their team, they add, “On a really good day, we get to a point on set where we all start reading each other’s minds—you ask for something, and someone has just done it … This is the thrill of directing for us, getting into a creative flow where it feels like we’re all just playing, with really amazing toys.”
CREDITS
PRODUCTION: L’ÉLOI
DIRECTORS: LES GARÇONS
1ST AD: ISABELLE BRUTUS
DOP: NIK MIRUS
PRODUCER: KRISTINA KIRILYUK
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR: CLOÉ FORTIER
PRODUCTION DESIGN: LÉA VALERIE-LETOURNEAU
PROPS: ROXANNE CHAGNON
FOOD STYLIST: HEIDI BRONSTEIN
BOLT OPERATOR: GUILLAUME SHEA-BLAIS
DIT: JEREMY BOBROW
AGENCY: BBDO MINNEAPOLIS
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: TAYLOR SNYDER
ART DIRECTOR: JAKE CARLSRUD
Angela Natividad is the European markets editor at Muse by Clio. She also writes about gaming and fashion, and whatever else she’s interested in, really. She’s based in Paris and North Italy, so if you’re local, say hi. She might eat all your food.
