Emma Stone cannot register a domain with her name. This is the problem that Yorgos Lanthimos captures in the new commercial for the technology company Squarespace. However, this is not the first time the Stone-Lanthimos duo has worked together. They have previously collaborated on the film The Favourite, the Oscar-winning Poor Things, and, last but not least, the film Bugonia, which premiered last year. However, this is their first joint advertisement, even though the commercial is more suited to the big screen.
The commercial was created for the unofficial marketing holiday, also known to Americans and sports fans as the Super Bowl, the American football league final. Stone is portrayed in an advanced stage of frustration when the actress is unable to register an internet domain with her own name. After each unsuccessful attempt, she destroys the laptop she is using to create the domain in a fit of rage.
The campaign, called Unavailable, was created in-house with the help of Superprime, Trim NY, One of Us, Company 3 London and Wave Studios.
According to the brand's creative director, Mathieu Zarbatany, the advert was written with Emma Stone in mind. "There are very few people who could deliver such a raw, emotionally charged performance, capturing frustration, urgency and vulnerability without coming across as cheap," he explained to The Drum website. "It took on an even more personal dimension when we discovered that she didn't own the domain with her name, which gave her a real personal connection to the story," says Zarbatany, adding that when they approached Stone, they didn't really expect her to accept the offer.
Once Stone confirmed her participation, the company approached Lanthimos. "When we first came up with this concept, I think we subconsciously imagined it through the lens of Yorgos as a director. That influenced many creative decisions in building the visual world of the campaign, even before we approached Emma," Zarbatany describes the creative vision.
When Lanthimos joined the project, he supported the company's vision that the commercial should be shot entirely in black and white. "Shooting on black and white film soon proved to be a way to enhance the drama and sense of gravity," explains Zarbatany. "When Yorgos joined the project, he encouraged us to take this choice to its fullest, and we trusted him to push it to the max," he adds.
In an interview with The Drum, Zarbatany also emphasises Lanthimos' precision, which was reflected in the set design. "The filming space was built almost entirely as a real environment, including four walls and a ceiling, all on a real scale," continues Zarbatany. "Even the fireplace was fully functional. Every detail was carefully thought out, and it took 12 days to build the entire set, which gave the production an incredible sense of realism. This level of craftsmanship also allowed us complete freedom to move the camera in any direction without having to rely on digital extensions of the scene in post-production," he adds.
The campaign also includes a spot called The Negotiation, in which Stone desperately tries to get her domain back. It also includes A Message from Emma Stone, in which she advises viewers not to delay in securing their dream domain.
Source: mam.cz