Martin Short 'Couldn't Care Less' About Shilling for Wealthsimple

“Your monkey should work harder than you do.”

Playing an indolent, super-diva version of himself, funnyman Martin Short flubs his line while filming a commercial within a commercial for Canadian fintech company Wealthsimple. Naturally, he’s too prissy and precious to do a re-take.

Yes, we’ve seen this kind of set-up before. But Short’s pitch-perfect performance lifts solid if familiar material to new heights.

Sort of like a helicopter flying a pampered actor across the parking lot to his car…

SHORT: What am I shilling here?

CREW MEMBER: Wealthsimple.

SHORT: And what do they do?

CREW MEMBER: It’s a financial…

SHORT: I’m kidding. I couldn’t care less.

It’s self-aware, top-of-funnel stuff that’s all about getting the name across and providing some quick entertainment. At that it succeeds, with Short chewing scenery in pompously prickly, persnickety style.

“It helps that Martin is Canadian, and about the closest thing to royalty they have in those parts,” Preacher creative director Zach Watkins tells Muse. “Obviously, he’s much loved, and having a well-deserved resurgence with Only Murders in the Building. But the main reason [the agency cast him] was his abundant enthusiasm for the project and generous time in collaborating on the script before shooting. He really was a mensch throughout.”

Short suggested many of the gags, and on set “his improv chops kicked in and some of our favorite moments were discovered on the fly,” Watkins recalls, praising Martin’s “instincts for filling up every moment with something special and walking that fine line between obnoxious and charming.”

Biscuit director Aaron Stoller, always aces with sitcom-style spots, imbues the project with a dose of manic energy. Ads broke this week across TV and social.

CREDITS

Client: Wealthsimple 
Chief Marketing Officer: Rubina Singh 
Advisor to CMO: Janet Xi
Editor in Chief: Devin Friedman
Art Director: Jacob Weinstein
Senior Manager (CW): Greg Bolton
Executive Producer: Greg Tharp
Senior Producer: Caroline Brisebois

Agency: Preacher 
Chief Creative Officer: Rob Baird
Chief Executive Officer: Krystle Loyland
Chief Strategy Officer: Seth Gaffney
Creative Director (CW): Zach Watkins
Creative Director (AD): Marcus Brown 
Senior Copywriter: Andrew Singleton
Senior Art Director: Mills Adams                    
Designer: Marissa Servantez
Brand Director: Vi Nguyen
Junior Brand Manager: Dom Shipp 
Head of Strategy: Marika Wiggan
Senior Producer: Lauren Bauder
Head of Production: Stacey Higgins
Business Affairs: Miiko Martin

Production Company: Biscuit 
Director: Aaron Stoller 
Managing Director: Shawn Lacy 
Executive Producer: Holly Vega 
Head of Production: Sean Moody 
Producer: Mala Vasan 
Director of Photography: Bryan Newman
Production Designer: Kristen Vallow 
Wardrobe Stylist: Dasha Martikainen 
Hair & Makeup Artist: Kathleen Beaton

Editorial: Mackcut
Editor: Pamela Petruski 
Assistant Editor: Brandon Alexander 
Executive Producer: Gina Pagano 
Assistant Producer: Kayla Robinson 

Finishing: Schmigital
Flame: Joseph Miller 

Sound Design: Marc Healy 
Mixer: Sam Shaffer 

Color Grade: Rare Medium
Colorist: Mikey Rossiter 
Assist Colorist: TJ Seiler
EP/MD: Heath Raymond 

Music: Mozart Sonata in D major for 2 pianos K448 II Andante

Celebrity Talent: Martin Short           
Co-writer: Matt Roberts