The rumors are true: everyone hates commercials. You've all had to sit through Budweiser's frogs or the Geico caveman, and it gets worse still if you really start looking. But occasionally, there's a diamond in the rough. We've rustled up eight commercials you didn't know had famous directors, and maybe didn't even know existed. And lucky for you, kind readers, they're some of the best commercials ever made. Comprised of a few classics, a few to remember, and a few that are hard to forget — pause your shows and sit a spell, and try 'em before you buy 'em.
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Black Mamba
Directed by: Robert Rodriguez
For: Nike
Heroes come and go, but legends are forever.
Brilliantly self-referential and blithe, troublemaker and acclaimed director Robert Rodriguez (Once Upon A Time in Mexico, Grindhouse, Machete, Sin City) takes Kobe Bryant and his signature shoes to task in this fun and gritty comic-like film for Nike, pitting the baller against Danny Trejo, Bruce Willis, and "The Boss" — none other than the irreverent Kanye West. -
My Life, My Card
Directed by: Wes Anderson
For: American Express
If you're not familiar with his work and aesthetic, have a go at getting with the program. He's the quirky director behind the brilliance of Rushmore, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, and The Royal Tenenbaums (to name a few). The 2006 American Express ad featured Anderson materializing a tongue-in-cheek look at himself and the tasks of his profession (and, if you're a real film buff, you'll see that the ad could handily be called a valentine to the term "auteur"-coiner and filmmaker Francois Truffaut's Day for Night). Explosions, snacks, and Jason Schwartzman pepper the demure director's scenes — and, especially if you're a fan, make watching this ad two well-spent minutes of your life. -
1984
Directed by: Ridley Scott
For: Apple
The tech behemoth is well-known for its simple, clever ad campaigns — but before "I'm a Mac/I'm a PC," there was "1984." Played during the third quarter of the Super Bowl in 1984, this commercial only needed a single daytime airplay to win the hearts and minds of 1980s techies. With Dr. Who's (and Thunderbirds') David Graham as the Big Brotheresque ominous voice on screen (that gets hammer-smashed by a heroine, wearing what can only be described as an Olympic style Hooters uniform), and opening scenes reminiscent of Fritz Lang's sprawling dystopian masterpiece Metropolis, the dramatic Macintosh announcement makes Apple seem like the rebellious underdog — a far cry from the reality of their market share today. -
Mechanical Legs
Directed by: David Fincher
For: Adidas
A marriage of Fight Club director David Fincher and the well-known sports outfitter, this 2003 CLIO award-winning ad is high on the replayability scale, especially if you like robot legs and fancy athletic footwork. Shot in the director's signature color scheme (read: dark), below you'll find the embedded video, but you can also watch a short piece on the making of "Mechanical Legs" here. -
Resignation
Directed by: Michel Gondry
For: Polaroid
Conceived and directed by famed avant-garde director Michel Gondry, "Resignation" straddles the line between cute and edgy. Captivating the viewer for every second of its one-minute airplay, tedious, super Gondry-style music and artful camera work are staples of the beautiful ad. Seemingly culminating in a "quit your day job and do what you love" message for those of you running the rat race, Polaroid scored big with this director and ad campaign.Bonus: One of a plethora of ads that he's directed (GAP, Nike, Smirnoff, and Coca-Cola, to name a few), Gondry also crafted this spectacular, minimal Air France ad, to the tune of Willy Wonka's "Pure Imagination."
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Doctors
Directed by: Spike Jonze
For: Levi's
If the recently-all-grown-up people who never missed an episode of Matt Pinfield's 120 Minutes on MTV when they were supposed to be in bed comprised an awards panel for commercials, this Levi's ad would take home the trophy for Best Pre-TiVo Use of A Minute. Centering the ad around the perennially catchy and unforgettable "Tainted Love" (by Soft Cell, of course), veteran multi-faceted ad director (and, of course, incredible movie director — among his credits are Where the Wild Things Are, Being John Malkovich, Jackass: The Movie, and Adaptation) Spike Jonze sardonically injects camp into a dingy, urban operating room. The result? Just like the jeans the commercial is peddling: classic.Bonus: Check out what you’ve always wanted to do at the Gap.
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Jude Law in Dior Homme
Directed by: Guy Ritchie
For: Dior Homme
Although it's unclear (and more than a little pretentious) why high fashion must conceive of their advertising campaigns as commercial iterations of artful films, guy's guy Guy Ritchie directed 2010's brooding, five-minute piece to critical and aesthetic acclaim. Starring Jude Law and Michaela Kocianova, and featuring Muses' intense"Exogenesis Symphony", the short film is a staccato, vague exercise in detached coolness — perfect for Dior's mise-en-scène, and the lovers (or secret agents, or stylists, or prostitutes, or used car salesman, or tourists — seriously, it's that unclear) that personify it. -
Mars Blackmon
Directed by: Spike Lee
For: Nike
What's better than Nike's early-'90s ad personality via legendary jumpman Michael Jordan? Answer: That, plus Spike Lee. This series of Air Jordan III ads from 1991 featured the basketball legend, bad actor, and illustrious director (same person, those last two) as Michael Jordan and Mars Blackmon, with a star-studded host of cameos. Not only do these ads adequately capture the urban spirit of the late 20th century (Jordans were, quite literally, all the downtown rage during these golden years of plucky Americana), but they also remind you that Spike Lee is the world's biggest sports fan — and it's always fun to see a person making art about what they love.Bonus: Here, you'll find a few more ads. And don't worry about being Mars Blackmon-less; as of January 2011, the character has been reanimated for the Spiz'ike Nike shoe.
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