For Workday, Classic Rockers Hit the Corporate Grind

Billy Idol! Paul Stanley! Gwen Stefani! AI agents, too!

Paul Stanley leaves for home after a day at the office exactly like he exits the stage of a sold-out show: With a fist raised amid sparky pyrotechnics, wishing the crowd an anthemic, hoarse-throated “Good-NIIIGHT!”

The Kiss frontman stars with Billy Idol and Gwen Stefani in an amusing encore to Workday’s 2023 Super Bowl commercial.

Paul and Billy appeared in that effort for the enterprise applications provider, too. The artists asked whether corporate types can truly call themselves “rock stars” if they don’t have any gold records on the wall.

Now, thanks to Workday’s AI Agents, maybe they can:

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Memo to HR: Paul’s makeup is sapping my productivity. Also, he keeps asking if I want to “party EV-ER-Y day.”

O Positive’s Jim Jenkins directed, with Ogilvy Chicago leading creative development.

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Billy’s still got that ’80s ‘tude:

Dude makes an ugly shirt and tie look rebellious, almost, in a memorable gig that deftly uses nostalgia to plug cutting-edge tech.

“Our latest campaign playfully illustrates how our customers—the true rock stars of business—use Workday to manage their people, money and agents,” notes CMO Emma Chalwin.

As the Starchild might say: “Well ALL-RIIIGHT!”

Ogilvy ECDs Chris Turner and Christine Montaquila offered these tidbits from the shoot:

• Paul went through three breakaway guitars in his guitar-smash scene.
• He stood nearly 7-feet tall and towered over the rest of the cast in his signature platform boots.
• Paul seemed “genuinely confused with the salad-shaking phenomenon.” (Editor’s Note: That figures. He’s got Gene to prep his lunch.)
• Gwen and Billy brought a hair and makeup crew, but Paul did it all himself.
• Billy spent an hour prone on a thin rolling platform for his crowd-surfing bit. (Thankfully, no “more! more! more!” was required.)