Rustlers and Droga5 London Serve Up a Hilariously Untwisted Take on 'Little Red Riding Hood'

We haven’t had enough anthropomorphic animals during Covid, but Droga5 London obliges with a retelling of “Little Red Riding Hood,” which unfolds very differently than you remember, as part of a delightful new campaign for Rustlers microwave burgers.

The minute-long spot opens traditionally, with Red arriving at her grandmother’s house to find the Big Bad Wolf dressed in Granny’s clothing. But soon we learn, initially through the gifting of a remarkable sweater, that the Wolf may be big but isn’t so bad after all.

Jeff Low of Biscuit Filmworks directed the work. The visual look is irresistibly rich and detailed, the comic montage of vignettes is spot on (Red proves way better at mailbox baseball than you’d expect), and the Wolf’s one line of dialogue is hilariously awkward. (This is Low’s latest collaboration with the agency following a trio of memorable spots for Setapp that launched in August.)

The new tagline, “Better than you think,” is also remarkable for its honesty—a microwave burger brand tackling its perception problems head on.

A second spot, “Fight,” also amusingly upends expectations while gleefully indulging in clichés—as a confrontation between dudes in a high school hallway takes a West Side Story-via-the-1980s turn.

After months of somber messaging from most advertisers during Covid, comic spots are always welcome these days—especially when they’re as expertly crafted as this. In that sense, the “Better than you think” line suits the zeitgeist quite well.

“In a year where pretty much everything has gone worse than expected, it’s important we celebrate that which is actually better,” says Droga5 creative director Ed Redgrave. “Like discovering Rustlers burgers are made with 100 percent British and Irish beef. That, really, is the best-case scenario for a microwave burger. And the year 2020.”

Below, check out some OOH work from the campaign:

“With the platform ‘Better than you think,’ Rustlers tackle their perception issues head on, proving themselves a fearless brand once again,” says David Kolbusz, Droga5 London’s chief creative officer. “We hope consumers appreciate the honesty and give their range the chance it deserves.”

Finally, here are a couple of radio spots:

CREDITS

Client: Rustlers

Agency: Droga5 London
Chief Creative Officer: David Kolbusz
Creative Directors: Ed Redgrave & Dave Wigglesworth
Creatives: Ed Redgrave & Dave Wigglesworth
Philippa Baines & Melina Filippidou
Ash Hamilton & Sara Sutherland
Lead Designer: Stephanie McArdle
Designer: Julia Kuisma
Motion Designer John Beechey
Studio Director: Tim Larke
Group Account Director: Jonny Tennant-Price
Account Director: Georgie Bowie
Strategist: Guy Reason
Producer: Peter Montgomery

Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks UK
Director: Jeff Low
Md/Exec Producer: Rupert Reynolds-Maclean
Producer: Jeff McDougall
Director Of Photography: Igor Jadue Lillo
Production Designer: Caitlin Byrnes
Hair & Make/Up: Andrea Blunt
Costume Designer: Alecia Ebbels
Editing Company (Offline): Work Post
Editor: Saam Hodivala
Edit Producer: Ben Tomlin

Post Production: The Mill 
2D Lead: Dan Adams
Colourist: Alex Gregory
Post Producer: Nicola Simmons
Sound House: String and Tins
Sound Design: Adam Smyth
Sound Producer: Charlie Howard
Music Composition:
Dance Fight – Jeff Low
Red Riding Hood – Audio Network