Beyond the Brief: SICKDOGWOLFMAN peels back the creative process behind SLATHER’s new campaign

One year after launching with a cinematic warning that “the sun is not your friend”, SLATHER has followed up with a hilariously gruesome Aussie infomercial that peels back more than just skin. Developed by SICKDOGWOLFMAN and Haven’t You Done Well, the campaign shifts focus from brand story to product performance, using shock, comedy and craft to stand out in a category crowded with sameness. In this edition of Campaign Brief’s Beyond the Brief series, SICKDOGWOLFMAN Creative Director Jess Wheeler takes us on the creative journey behind SLATHER’s second chapter.

What inspired the move to an Aussie infomercial for SLATHER’s second chapter?

Jess Wheeler: We launched with a longer, more filmic piece to establish the sun as a ‘villian’ and the positioning of ‘the sun is not your friend’, and it did a really good job of that. This time round, we wanted to shift the focus towards the product itself. We lean hard into anything we do with this brand, so when we started playing with that thought – there’s nothing more retail/product than the infomercial. So what would a SLATHER infomercial look like? This, it would seem.

Grotesque, shocking, hilarious – how did you decide what to push and what to hold back?

JW: There was a lot of back and forthing with the guys at HYDW, Will & Sej. Playing with different scenes and scenarios, but ultimately the dramatisation of the truth is generally the way to go. Everyone has had the unpleasant experience of ‘having to peel their skin off’ – so why not start there?

Was there a moment in the creative process that completely surprised you?

JW: More so, on set. The first ‘back peel’. Holy shit. It looked incredible. Even I wasn’t expecting to see what actually looked like bones and muscle under the skin. The team at SharpFX did an incredible job.

You reunited with directors Will and Sej, along with much of the production team from the first campaign – what was it like working together again, and why was that continuity important?

JW: SLATHER has an entertainment-first DIY attitude about it. The guys have great energy and are super industrious. They also innately push the envelope. It made sense the first time, so there was little question the second time around.

Most great creatives you come across find a way to put themselves into the work to some degree, and W&S definitely fall into that category. They care about the output, and they find unexpected solutions to problems.

You’re wearing two hats here, agency and brand founders. How does working on your own brand change the way you pushed boundaries creatively for this spot?

JW: It presents new opportunities and obstacles at the same time. But, most of all, it’s given us a lot of perspective on what it’s like to be directly responsible for a brand. And that goes far beyond just marketing and advertising. Everything, quite literally. A level of perspective that we can take into the work we do with our clients as an agency that other agencies simply don’t have. There’s a lot of talking in this business, but when push comes to shove, arguably less walking.

What’s the reaction been like since launch – anything that’s surprised you?

JW: The response to the brand has been really positive. With making the kind of content we have, there was definitely a level of nervousness, but people seem to mostly just really enjoy it. So it gives you confidence that you’re on to something.

George Lois said something to the tune of “People think the ice is three inches thick and it’s two feet thick”, in regards to how much unnecessary fear holds brands back. What we call ‘brave’ and ‘risky’ in this business is pretty tame compared to other lines of work. We’re in a position to put things into the world that make people smile, laugh, share, and it’s a privilege we often take for granted. Advertising needs to embrace having fun again. If you’ve made it this far, and haven’t already, chuck us a follow on insta – @slatherspf

Agency: SICKDOGWOLFMAN
Production Company: Haven’t You Done Well
Director: Will Suen & Sejon Im
Producer: Louise Todd-Smith
Producer: Bea Barbeau-Scurla
Executive Producer: Georgia Mappin
Executive Producer: Tom Rickard
Post Producer: Louise Todd-Smith
DOP: Nyssa Mitchell
1st AC: Indigo Tait-Atkin
Gaffer: Hamish Rayner
LX Assist: Cooper Clark
Sound Recordist: Mark Day
Production Designer / Costume: Ella Lawry
Production Assistant: Bec Syed
SFX Makeup: Anne Swoboda @ SharpFX
SFX Assist: Clara Fosso @ SharpFX
HMUA: Amanda Lissant-Clayton
Editor: Will Suen & Sejon Im
VFX: Will Suen
Colour: Daniel Witt @ Mood Lab
Sound Mix: Rodney Lowe @ Production Alley

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