Postmates saves the day in famous tragedies throughout history

Postmates is reimagining some of history’s great tragedies through the intervention of the perfect meal. The new brand campaign, “Hit the Spot,” features three giggle-inducing spots from the food delivery service's agency of record Mother L.A.

Reminiscent of Snickers’ “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” campaign, the ads show how famous pop-culture-ified disasters—the assassination of Julius Caesar, Blackbeard’s wrecked pirate ship and the Titanic’s run in with an iceberg—might have been avoided with the right snack.

In the Caesar spot, the emperor’s would-be killers complain about being overworked. “He sent me a scroll that said, ‘As per my last scroll,’” says one Roman, another adding, “He asked me to conquer…on the weekend.” They conceal knives sinisterly behind their backs as the boss enters, but before getting the chance to stab, a Postmates deliverer brings pizzas for Caesar.

“Just wanted to get you something to say thank you for all the hard work you’ve been doing!” Caesar says. “Dig in! Et tu, Brute!”

Another 30-second video shows Blackbeard confronting his pirate crew about their slipping physical and mental states. “Kyle, you’re freaking me out,” he says. “You have scurvy for sure.”  A Postmates worker appears to distribute citrus quinoa salads among the seafarers as the captain proclaims, “This is the year of health and wellness!”

“What about pillaging?” asks one pirate. “Oh, we’re going to be pillaging!” responds Blackbeard to cheers.

The campaign’s third spot, a 15-second ad, shows two drowsy lookouts on the Titanic. Luckily, a Postmates deliverer arrives with two nitro coldbrews. The lookouts smile as they enjoy the caffeinated beverages.

“Hey, is that an iceberg way out there?” one asks. They alert the crew. “Could you imagine?” the other says in relief.

The campaign was directed by Tim Godsall via Anonymous Content.

The “Hit the Spot” campaign is meant to stand out in the crowded food delivery category by recognizing the popular local eateries that fuel each Postmates market. The phrase evokes not just hungry thoughts, but also “allows us to shine a light on some of our favorite restaurants as ‘spots’ to ‘hit’ near you,” said David Kim, Creative Studio director at Postmates, in a statement.

“This is important because our brand isn’t just built on customers with great taste, but on the best restaurants that everyone in that city craves and talks about,” said Kim.

The spots are airing across TV, digital, social and audio channels with OOH variants to follow in December.

“We wanted to shine a light on the irrational impact that the perfect food at the perfect moment can have on you,” said Simon Bruyn, executive creative director at Mother LA, in a statement. “Sometimes it’s a salad that magically washes away the sins of last night, other times it’s pizza that makes you excited to work for a complete tyrant.”