For its new brand campaign, website builder Squarespace looked heavenward to find a cosmic metaphor illustrating the can-do spirit of entrepreneurs launching businesses during these challenging times.
"We wanted to honor all the blood, sweat and tears that go into it, the anticipation of pushing it live, and the awe of finally seeing it out in the world, especially in a year like 2020," Squarespace senior creative director Gui Borchert tells Muse. "So, we looked back at the Space Age of the '60s, and how the optimism of going to the moon cut through the tension and gloom of the Cold War, reorienting everyone toward a greater goal."
That notion of making moonshots a reality drives "Launch It," a visually enthralling ride ignited by Squarespace's in-house agency, and led by this short film from Reset director Ian Pons Jewell:
"Next thing we knew, we were dreaming up flying carrots and horse sculptures blasting off into the stratosphere," representing the vast array of businesses Squarespace hopes to help power online, Borchert says. "But more importantly, the idea gave us a natural role in the story. With ideas taking the place of rockets, our interface became mission control."
"We felt that the blast-off of a rocket mirrors the feeling you have when you hit the publish button and finally launch your website," he says. "We were inspired by the crackling radio chatter you hear from the iconic space launches of the past, so we wanted to ensure that the sound design for the film was a primary character. We set out to create a talk track that mimics the dialogue from mission control but using web design nomenclature."
As for the fantastical, almost retro vibe, "it would have been easy to make this film look shiny and futuristic, but we wanted to ensure that everything looked as nostalgic as we remembered the iconic space launches of the past," Borchert says. "Which is also why we shot it in large format. Its 4x3 ratio not only harks back to the TV sets of the 1960s, but also gave us a lot more screen real estate for the vertical nature" to show various items heading for the stratosphere.
In the film, these items take flight:
• A Bluetooth speaker shaped like an ear, aptly named "Speak-Ear." (We hear this particular item may have its own site, speak-ears.com, where you can enjoy the music of the spheres)
• An organic carrot
• A giant iron sculpture of a horse
• Honey jars from urban rooftop beehives
• Hand-painted astronaut nesting dolls
• An electric dirt bike
• A meditation instructor (no stranger to higher planes)
• A layer cake sprinkled with donuts
• Furniture and food
Too bad they didn't launch a car into orbit. Oh wait, that's been done already.
In addition to the hero spot, the initiative features shorter "Launch Kit" videos from Somesuch director Raine Allen Miller, intended to cheer on folks who've finally decided to bring long-brewing ideas to life.
"We had been developing a concept inspired by starter-pack memes that showcased how our suite of products are essential parts of the toolbox to get any idea off the ground," says Ben Hughes, Squarespace vice president of creative. "The idea of 'starter packs' turned into 'Launch Kits,' and so we had a campaign that could inspire and also help our customers execute."
"The job of the long-form film is to inspire and entertain. The job of the 'Launch Kit' spots is to bring the message back down to earth in a fun way," Hughes says. "We wanted to create quick character studies that give people the precise toolkit needed to put something new into the world."
With its gaudy effects and can-do spirit, "Launch It" recalls "Make It Real," Squarespace's big campaign from last year. Through in terms of visual panache, aspirational thrust and audacity, the new work soars much higher.
It will run in the U.S., U.K, Australia and Canada in broadcast and online, with OOH elements appearing in select cities.
CREDITS
“Launch It” Brand Anthem Film
CLIENT / IN-HOUSE AGENCY: SQUARESPACE
CEO: Anthony Casalena
CCO: David Lee
Brand Design Director: Gui Borchert
Creative Production Director: Sandra Nam
Freelance Producer: Marisa Wasser
Art Director: Ben Hodgins
Freelance Copywriter: JC Abruzzi
Sr. Business Affairs Manager: Kiersten Bergstrom
Speak-Ears.com Design Lead: McLane Teitel
PRODUCTION / RESET
Director: Ian Pons Jewell
DOP: Mauro Chiarello
Executive Producer: Deannie O'Neil
Line Producer: Jon Adams
EDIT / WHITEHOUSE POST
Editor: Tobias Suhm
Assistant Editor: Nick O’Neil
Executive Producer: Joanna Manning
Producer: Jordan Stricklin
VFX / TIME BASED ARTS
Executive Producer: Tom Johnson
VFX Producer: Jo Gutteridge
VFX Supervisor: Sheldon Gardner
Shoot Supervisor: Jim Radford
Colour Grading: Simone Grattarola
2D Team: Leo Weston, Adam Paterson, Stephen Grasso, Will Robinson, Linda Cieniawska, Grant White, Manolo Perez, Matt Shires, Richie White, Ollie Ramsey
3D Leads: Sam Osborne, Federico Vanone
3D Team: Ben Cantor, Mike Battcock, Walter How, Zoe Sottiaux, Ihor Obukhobvskyi, Joffrey Zeitouni, Ian Baird, Emma Malric
Design: Stephen Ross
MUSIC, SOUND DESIGN, MIX by Q DEPARTMENT
“Launch Kits” Brand & Product Work
CLIENT / IN-HOUSE AGENCY: SQUARESPACE
CEO: Anthony Casalena
CCO: David Lee
VP - Creative: Ben Hughes
Creative Production Director: Sandra Nam
Creative Director: Mathieu Zarbatany
Creative Production Manager: Amy Kommatas
Creative Producer; Katie Flynn
Sr Art Director; Alex Thompson
Staff Copywriter: Clare Anderson
Art Director: Gina Kim
Copywriter: Niamh Grunfeld
Sr. Business Affairs Manager: Kiersten Bergstrom
PRODUCTION / SOMESUCH
Director: Raine Allen Miller
DOP: James Blann
Executive Producer: Molly Griffin
Line Producer: Lucy Gossage
EDIT / COSMO ST & TRIM
Editors: Elise Butt and Matt Newman
Assistant Editor: Ben Elkaim
Executive Producers: Noreen Kahn, Maura Woodward
Producer: Tatayana Alexandra
COLOR / CHEAT
Colorist: Jack McGinity
Head of Production: Louise Baker
VFX / UNTOLD
Creative Director: Ben Cronin
VFX Leads: Alex Kulikov, Azma / Ahmed El-Azma
Producer: Tom Igglesden
VFX Artists: Tom Moreland, Fabrizio Ghiso, Pavel Vicik, Bence Varga, Sebastian Mayer, Cameron Johnson, Jacob Wolf, Florian Rigollet, David Forcada
MUSIC, SOUND DESIGN & MIX / Q DEPT
Music, Sound Design & Mix
Q Department
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