Neighborhood Watch and Kirby, Dryer & Sullivan Make Angry Desirable

Surprise parties are either the thing of nightmares or the thing of dreams – there really is no in between. In the instance of cider brand Angry Orchard’s latest campaign, it’s clear what side of the spectrum this unsuspecting birthday girl sits on.

The surprise, in this case, comes when the previously pro-surprise party guests decide that they too, really hate the idea… like really hate it. Chaos ensues – there’s screaming (lots of it), tables are flipped, windows are smashed, balloons are popped, and someone swings around on a ceiling fan. It’s an uninhibited descent into chaos that is only subdued by a taste of Angry Orchard cider.

Directed by directing duo Fatal Farm (Zachary Johnson and Jeffrey Max) through Neighborhood Watch and creative agency Kirby, Dryer & Sullivan, the spot sees the brand “embrace unabashed yelling,” and “fully commit to the bit” as it goes all-in on humour.

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LBB> Fatal Farm, what caught your attention about the brief?

Fatal Farm> The scripts were appealing right from the beginning because they do something we love to see in advertising: blowing an everyday nuisance way out of proportion. Anger and screaming are great comedic catalysts, and in our opinion, way underutilised in commercials. It was pretty noteworthy that Angry Orchard, as a brand, was excited to push boundaries and embrace unabashed yelling in their spots. Sometimes comedy spots can feel very safe, and we appreciate when a brand has the confidence to know something is funny even when it could be a little risky.

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