Squarespace’s new ad encourages merchants to think weird and ‘sell anything’

The new spot features zany businesses selling cryogenic chambers, space simulators and elevated laugh therapy

Published On
Mar 22, 2023
An alien octopus at a computer

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Squarespace is the go-to platform for sellers of cryogenic chambers, space simulators and elevated laugh therapy, according to the website development company’s eccentric new ad. The campaign, “Everything to Sell Anything,” builds on Squarespace’s ongoing theme of unbridled imagination. 

The company debuted an ad on this year’s Super Bowl titled “The Singularity,” which featured actor Adam Driver and his clones repeating the phrase, “a website that makes websites.” The new commercial maintains the absurd theme, a trippy visual atmosphere and a sense of humor.

“Ads don’t have to be boring and purely informative,” Gui Borchert, senior creative director at Squarespace, told Ad Age. “You can sell anything with Squarespace, so take that truth and ask what is the most unique, fresh way to tell it so that people will enjoy and therefore remember it?”

 

The 30-second spot comprises several vignettes, combining surreal scenes such as an alien-bug puppet, space battle and deep-sea exploration with regular people selling their services on Squarespace sites. The merchants repeat the word “anything” to emphasize the breadth of creativity Squarespace fosters. 

Borchert said the ad features a diverse cast of actors to reflect Squarespace’s democratizing technology. “We’re not just saying, ‘Hey, we look inclusive.’ Our product is inclusive,” Borchert said. 

Squarespace’s in-house creative team led the campaign. Director Felix Brady of production company Stink shot the commercial. 

The ad will run on YouTube and other social media platforms, as well as Hulu, Amazon and Spotify. The social-media spots will be short clips of individual vignettes.