Prettybird delivered big hits and novel experiments in a captivating year

Super Bowl productions are usually lavish. So, when Prettybird directors Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim (aka, Tim & Eric) headed to a drugstore last winter with their iPhones, planning to shoot video for one Super Bowl advertiser, it was unusual, to say the least. The campaign, though, turned out to be a classic. See all of Ad Age’s 2025 Agency A-List winners here The footage they captured, which would turn up on Haley Kalil’s TikTok, showed Michael Cera adding “Michael” in Sharpie to bottles of CeraVe lotion on the store’s shelves. It turned out to be the teaser phase of the L'Oréal brand’s acclaimed 2024 Super Bowl campaign from Ogilvy, which imagined if Cera had formulated CeraVe’s products. @haleyybaylee Guys run to this pharmacy in BK, I just saw MICHAEL CERA signing bottles!! 😳😳😳I'm a #ceravepartner, and I'm asking @CeraVe what is going ON #nyc #fyp #celebritysighting ♬ original sound - haleyybaylee Ad Age would later name “Michael CeraVe,” which included a national in-game spot parodying fragrance ads, also shot by Tim & Eric, the best campaign of the 2024 Super Bowl. It was a promising start to an eventful 2024 for Prettybird, which brought its usual A-game to projects throughout the year, many of them in interesting formats that expanded the company’s range. “We had four or five spots in that Super Bowl, but CeraVe, that was just amazing,” said Suzanne Hargrove, executive producer at Prettybird. “It was one of the only campaigns I’ve worked on where they came in and said, ‘We’ve got a social media plan, and then we’ve got the spot.’ The social aspect was so integral to the success of the spot, and that was just really exciting.” Prettybird produced another unique project early in the year: director Alex Buono’s 15-minute “Cosmetic Criminals” for e.l.f. Cosmetics, a parody documentary on intergenerational “cos-crime” made with agency Movers+Shakers. The film, which played before screenings of “Mean Girls,” is the longest piece of branded content ever played in theaters before a movie. “Our partnership with Prettybird has been nothing short of extraordinary,” said Laurie Lam, chief brand officer at e.l.f. Beauty. “Their ability to seamlessly merge entertainment and culture resulted in one of our most groundbreaking and award-winning campaigns of 2024.” Another standout spot—more traditional, but with an interesting nostalgia play—was Levi’s “Launderette” remake starring Beyoncé, directed by Melina Matsoukas. Matsoukas has done evocative Levi’s work before; “Launderette,” which debuted in September, found her employing her stylish aesthetic to modernize classic Levi’s ads. “Melina and Beyoncé have had a long history of collaboration, and it’s great to see that continue,” said Hargrove. “Melina keeps creating things that transcend all cultures, which is awesome.” Other breakthrough spots in 2024 included Salomon Ligthelm’s “The Wrong Kind of Busy” for HP; Bradley & Pablo’s “150 Years of Good Times” for Heineken; Kirsten Lepore and Ian Schwartz’s stop-motion spot for Apple’s Mac mini; Frank Lebon’s “Skims Lab” for Skims; Quinn Katherman and Paul Hunter’s “Duck Plump” for NYX; and Calmatic’s “The Wait Is Over” for Popeyes (another Super Bowl spot). Calmatic also had a strong year in music videos, directing “Squabble Up” for Kendrick Lamar and “Mess It Up” for the Rolling Stones. “One thing I felt was special, and I’m pretty proud of, is that the directors were working across the board. It wasn’t all one director,” said Hargrove. “We had a lot of directors, and a lot of female directors, who were able to work last year. That’s pretty cool.” Prettybird’s sister company Ventureland also had a strong year. Its documentary “Bobi Wine: The People’s President” was nominated for an Academy Award. Other releases, including “The Deepest Breath,” “Beckham” and “Searching for Soul Food,” earned a collective five Emmy wins. Many Prettybird directors were also productive beyond advertising. See all of Ad Age’s 2025 Agency A-List winners here Lee Sung Jin enjoyed Emmy and Golden Globe wins for “Beef.” Paul Hunter filmed his upcoming Apple TV+ series “Government Cheese,” which he created, co-showran, directed and produced alongside Ventureland co-founder Ali Brown. Brian McGinn and Rayka Zehtabchi directed “Chef’s Table.” Janicza Bravo released her BBC series “The Listeners.” And Bryce Dallas Howard and the Daniels wrapped episodes of Disney’s “Skeleton Crew.” Nisha Ganatra wrapped the Lindsay Lohan sequel “Freakier Friday.” Megan Park and Susanna Fogel premiered films at Sundance—“My Old Ass” and “Winner.” And Michael Showalter released his rom-com, “The Idea of You,” inking a first-look deal with Amazon MGM. Prettybird has also made a notable signing already in 2025, with Goh Irimoto—director of The Farmer’s Dog’s well-received 2023 Super Bowl spot—joining from Sanctuary.

Prettybird delivered big hits and novel experiments in a captivating year

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