SMUGGLER

Another Mag: C Prinz unpacks the creation of Chains of Love, her fever-dream collaboration with Charli XCX for the Wuthering Heights soundtrack. Building on their long-running creative partnership, Prinz channels Charli’s raw performance energy into a high-voltage mix of visual storytelling and gothic spectacle. The music video highlights Prinz’s distinctive ability to fuse performance and world-building, shaping pop imagery that feels both fiercely modern and steeped in cinematic drama.

Little Black Book: Guy Shelmerdine speaks with LBB’s Addison Capper about the delightfully surreal launch film for Stiller’s Soda, Ben Stiller’s playful reimagining of the classic soda commercial. The launch film, Introducing Stiller’s Soda, casts Stiller as a well-intentioned spokesman whose pitch slowly unravels into a bizarre, ASMR-infused exchange with Justin Theroux. Guy discusses how he and Stiller struck the perfect balance between nostalgia and modern humour, blending glossy ’80s aesthetics, slow-motion pours, and meticulous craft to create a parody that feels both cinematic and unexpected.

Little Black Book: Olivia De Camps directs ‘The Periodic Fable’, a surreal new film for The Ordinary and Uncommon Creative Studio that challenges the beauty industry’s reliance on misleading marketing terminology. Set in a dystopian classroom, the spot features students hypnotically reenacting viral skincare rituals while chanting a litany of buzzwords. Blending sculptural choreography with sharp satire, Olivia brings Uncommon’s concept to life with a vivid, unsettling clarity that underscores The Ordinary’s ongoing commitment to transparency and truth in skincare.

Jovan Todorović delves into presence, joy, and trust in the creative journey, in a talk inspired by David Foster Wallace’s “two fish” parable. Through behind-the-scenes stories and hard-earned lessons from music video and commercial productions, he encourages those in the creative field to embrace chaos, reject cynicism, lead with love, and be their own toughest critic. It’s about recognizing the water we’re swimming in and staying true to ourselves.

Little Black Book: For its debut brand campaign, OpenAI swaps sci-fi for sincerity, showcasing how ChatGPT fits into the small but meaningful moments of daily life. Directed by Miles Jay and in collaboration with Isle of Any, the 35mm-shot films turn prompts into poetic closing credits, framing real user stories like cinematic finales. The campaign balances warmth, craft, and emotional authenticity, spotlighting AI as a quiet co-creator in people’s lives.

Little Black Book: A playful, behind-the-scenes dive into the making of Randy Krallman’s Telstra sci-fi campaign starring Steve Buscemi. The spot transforms cybersecurity into an intergalactic workplace drama, blending retro-futuristic design, dry humor, and a cinematic mix of practical and visual effects. With nods to Kubrick and classic space operas, the production balances high-concept world-building with sharp comedic timing.

The Guardian: A House of Dynamite is a terrifyingly precise nuclear endgame thriller built on an 18‑minute countdown that’s replayed from multiple standpoints. Tightly structured and driven by intense ensemble performances, the film balances emotional control with flashes of high-stakes drama as world leaders face the unthinkable.

Creative Review: Simon Davis and Jason Sondock, the directing duo behind rubberband., have developed a distinct visual language that blends bold storytelling with a genre-bending style. Their work with iconic brands and musicians, coupled with a passion for shooting on film, has made them key players in the creative world. Their journey began in New York, where they were inspired by the vibrant energy of the city and the artists they worked with, including A$AP Mob.

Forbes: Directed by Henry-Alex Rubin, ‘Heartstrings’ has been nominated for Outstanding Commercial at the 2025 Emmy Awards, marking Apple’s eighth consecutive nomination. Viewed over a billion times, the spot tells the moving story of a father, a daughter, and a guitar, bringing the conversation around hearing loss to a global audience with empathy and cinematic craft. As featured in Forbes, the film centers on AirPods Pro 2 user John Pelletreau, whose real-life experience adds authenticity to a campaign that redefines accessibility as both innovative and deeply personal.