The art of art directing the hell out of a side-by-side

P&G has never met a side-by-side demo it didn’t love, so when Febreze set out to compare their high-tech, micro-chippy PLUG device with competitors’ single wick antiques… we went all out and created an entire 30-second TV spot (and set) that is a side-by-side demo—taking what is usually the most boring part of an ad and turning it into not just the most iconic part of the ad but the entire ad itself.

Walking the line with practical magic

Old versus New. Lame versus Cool. Dumb versus Smart.

Right out of the gate, we knew we had to make the competitor side of the screen feel stuffy and out-of-touch, while also not alienating or insulting our target audience (after all, the people using the competitor products are the same people we want to convert). Performance would help but couldn’t do it alone. And of course, the competitive user in our spot HAD to “cross the line” to experience the future of plug-in air fresheners for herself—so we built a side-by-side set that was 100% practical.*

The carefully crafted 2-in-1 space meant more authentic performances, an easier shoot day, a new twist on an old P&G favorite marketing device, some badass behind-the-scenes photos, and an unforgettable reveal in the final spot… in other words: 10/10, would do again.

* Several coffee tables were harmed (read: sawed in half) in the making of this ad.