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Toad&Co

Commercial

Love Your Toad

A live-action comedy spot built around the brand's most underutilized asset: it's name (and a real toad named Duncan).

Role

Director

Director
Director
Client
Artist

Toad&Co

Agency
Label

Someoddpilot

Project Type

Commercial

01

Project Overview

Love your taod.

No items found.

Toad&Co makes clothes people genuinely become attached to, pieces that get better the more you live in them. They have a very devoted following. The challenge was making that feeling visceral and funny without losing the sincerity underneath it. Working closely with the creative team, I spent significant time in the room with the copywriters pushing the script through multiple rounds, finding the right comedic rhythm that would let the joke breathe. On the visual side, I pushed for a camera approach rooted in handheld intimacy, trying to find a focus on character, where small moments of imperfect framing and natural movement make the world feel lived-in. That texture is what keeps the absurdity from reading as a gag and instead makes it feel like something that actually happened to a real person.

Details

The toad had to be real. We did a huge casting call for toads and an extended search for the right amphibian that eventually landed us on Duncan, a remarkably composed bull frog who showed up to set with two dedicated wranglers and required a representative from the American Humane Association to fly in before a single frame rolled. Duncan, for his part, was a complete professional.

Director - Jeremy Freedberg @jfr33ds
Creative Director - Anton Jeludkov @antonjeludkov
Account - Ellen Evangelides @eaevange
Copywriters - Landon Groves @landongroves & Maddie Hester @maduhlinhesstur
1st AD - Ellie Hall @cyber_witch
Producer - Alexandra Buhrow @producerwoman

DP - Nick Shamblott @nick_shamblott
1st AC - Alan Dembek @alandembek
2nd AC - Marlon Galdamez @marlon.camera07
Gaffer - Ryan Silber @ryandsilber
Key Grip - Christian Mejia @seemejia
Best Boy - Electric Andrew L’Heureux @its.lahroo
Best Boy Grip
- Sebastián Lama
Set PA - Jack Kennedy
Set PA - Ronan Morrissey

Set Designer - Stephanie Hanes @stephaniehanes
Set / Props Assist - Jane Spencer
Makeup Artist - Beth Follert @bethfollertmakeup
Hair Stylist - Dionah Austgen @dionahaustgenhair
Wardrobe Stylist - Mia Cruz-Bastian @miaacruz

Lead - Gracie Knight @djmoneysnak
Frog - Duncan @benaysbirdandanimals w/ Iyana Banks @fairygodmamii

Editor - Ellie Hall @cyber_witch
Colorist - C. Ryan Stemple @quicksilvercolor
Sound Mixer - Ben Kruse @sosiego_

No items found.
Crew

UI Design
Design system management
UX design. support
CJM
Prototype
Bubble development

02

BEHIND THE SCENES

No items found.
03

STORYBOARDS

No items found.

Toad&Co

Commercial

Love Your Toad

A live-action comedy spot built around the brand's most underutilized asset: it's name (and a real toad named Duncan).

Role

Director

Director
Director
Client
Artist

Toad&Co

Agency
Label

Someoddpilot

Project Type

Commercial

01

Project Overview

Love your taod.

No items found.

Toad&Co makes clothes people genuinely become attached to, pieces that get better the more you live in them. They have a very devoted following. The challenge was making that feeling visceral and funny without losing the sincerity underneath it. Working closely with the creative team, I spent significant time in the room with the copywriters pushing the script through multiple rounds, finding the right comedic rhythm that would let the joke breathe. On the visual side, I pushed for a camera approach rooted in handheld intimacy, trying to find a focus on character, where small moments of imperfect framing and natural movement make the world feel lived-in. That texture is what keeps the absurdity from reading as a gag and instead makes it feel like something that actually happened to a real person.

Details

The toad had to be real. We did a huge casting call for toads and an extended search for the right amphibian that eventually landed us on Duncan, a remarkably composed bull frog who showed up to set with two dedicated wranglers and required a representative from the American Humane Association to fly in before a single frame rolled. Duncan, for his part, was a complete professional.

Director - Jeremy Freedberg @jfr33ds
Creative Director - Anton Jeludkov @antonjeludkov
Account - Ellen Evangelides @eaevange
Copywriters - Landon Groves @landongroves & Maddie Hester @maduhlinhesstur
1st AD - Ellie Hall @cyber_witch
Producer - Alexandra Buhrow @producerwoman

DP - Nick Shamblott @nick_shamblott
1st AC - Alan Dembek @alandembek
2nd AC - Marlon Galdamez @marlon.camera07
Gaffer - Ryan Silber @ryandsilber
Key Grip - Christian Mejia @seemejia
Best Boy - Electric Andrew L’Heureux @its.lahroo
Best Boy Grip
- Sebastián Lama
Set PA - Jack Kennedy
Set PA - Ronan Morrissey

Set Designer - Stephanie Hanes @stephaniehanes
Set / Props Assist - Jane Spencer
Makeup Artist - Beth Follert @bethfollertmakeup
Hair Stylist - Dionah Austgen @dionahaustgenhair
Wardrobe Stylist - Mia Cruz-Bastian @miaacruz

Lead - Gracie Knight @djmoneysnak
Frog - Duncan @benaysbirdandanimals w/ Iyana Banks @fairygodmamii

Editor - Ellie Hall @cyber_witch
Colorist - C. Ryan Stemple @quicksilvercolor
Sound Mixer - Ben Kruse @sosiego_

No items found.
Crew

UI Design
Design system management
UX design. support
CJM
Prototype
Bubble development

02

BEHIND THE SCENES

No items found.
03

STORYBOARDS

No items found.
logo for Saucony

Toad&Co

Love Your Toad

For 3.5 years I worked on the Saucony account while at Someoddpilot, their agency of record. I worked with our team to craft over a dozen CTV and broadcast spots, hundreds of social assets, and countless animations.

Over the years, we spearheaded new and creative techniques to capture their running shoes without the need for expensive and time-consuming 3D modeling and texturing.

Here is a smattering of work from over the years.

Nintendo
Nintendo Music
Continental Tires
In Any Condition
Toad&Co
Love Your Toad
BMW
Spaces Have Energy
Chaco
Thomas Rhett Collection
Smirnoff Ice
Same Swig, New Swag
Klaviyo
Meet Kate
Davines
We Sustain Beauty
Polk Audio
Dolby Soundbars
Shea Coulee
"Cocky"
Saucony
Brand Work
Chaco
SS22 Anthem
Smith
Head Out
Klaviyo
Make Your Mark
Jamilla Woods
"Holy"
Patagonia
Action Works
CAT Footwear
Crossover
Cubs
Nico Hoerner | The Offseason
Rachel Lyon
Hate Crimes in the Heartland
Compton Cowboys
Fuck Talking Go Vote
Ash Thompson
I Miss Jamie When She's Gone
Interior Define
Don't Just Dream It, Define It
Chaco
Fit For Adventure
The Omy's
Strawberry & Don't Know Better
Steelcase
Better Is Possible
CAT Footwear
Excavator Superlite
Klaviyo
Own Your Growth
CAT Footwear
Conquering Winter Work
Glam Hag
It Takes A Village
Klaviyo
Explainer Video
Living Proof
Brand Anthem
Carson Brown
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