Martin Short 'Couldn't Care Less' About Shilling for Wealthsimple
"Your monkey should work harder than you do."
Playing an indolent, super-diva version of himself, funnyman Martin Short flubs his line while filming a commercial within a commercial for Canadian fintech company Wealthsimple. Naturally, he's too prissy and precious to do a re-take.
Yes, we've seen this kind of set-up before. But Short's pitch-perfect performance lifts solid if familiar material to new heights.
Sort of like a helicopter flying a pampered actor across the parking lot to his car...
SHORT: What am I shilling here?
CREW MEMBER: Wealthsimple.
SHORT: And what do they do?
CREW MEMBER: It's a financial...
SHORT: I'm kidding. I couldn't care less.
It's self-aware, top-of-funnel stuff that's all about getting the name across and providing some quick entertainment. At that it succeeds, with Short chewing scenery in pompously prickly, persnickety style.
"It helps that Martin is Canadian, and about the closest thing to royalty they have in those parts," Preacher creative director Zach Watkins tells Muse. "Obviously, he's much loved, and having a well-deserved resurgence with Only Murders in the Building. But the main reason [the agency cast him] was his abundant enthusiasm for the project and generous time in collaborating on the script before shooting. He really was a mensch throughout."
Short suggested many of the gags, and on set "his improv chops kicked in and some of our favorite moments were discovered on the fly," Watkins recalls, praising Martin's "instincts for filling up every moment with something special and walking that fine line between obnoxious and charming."
Biscuit director Aaron Stoller, always aces with sitcom-style spots, imbues the project with a dose of manic energy. Ads broke this week across TV and social.
CREDITS
Client: Wealthsimple
Chief Marketing Officer: Rubina Singh
Advisor to CMO: Janet Xi
Editor in Chief: Devin Friedman
Art Director: Jacob Weinstein
Senior Manager (CW): Greg Bolton
Executive Producer: Greg Tharp
Senior Producer: Caroline Brisebois
Agency: Preacher
Chief Creative Officer: Rob Baird
Chief Executive Officer: Krystle Loyland
Chief Strategy Officer: Seth Gaffney
Creative Director (CW): Zach Watkins
Creative Director (AD): Marcus Brown
Senior Copywriter: Andrew Singleton
Senior Art Director: Mills Adams
Designer: Marissa Servantez
Brand Director: Vi Nguyen
Junior Brand Manager: Dom Shipp
Head of Strategy: Marika Wiggan
Senior Producer: Lauren Bauder
Head of Production: Stacey Higgins
Business Affairs: Miiko Martin
Production Company: Biscuit
Director: Aaron Stoller
Managing Director: Shawn Lacy
Executive Producer: Holly Vega
Head of Production: Sean Moody
Producer: Mala Vasan
Director of Photography: Bryan Newman
Production Designer: Kristen Vallow
Wardrobe Stylist: Dasha Martikainen
Hair & Makeup Artist: Kathleen Beaton
Editorial: Mackcut
Editor: Pamela Petruski
Assistant Editor: Brandon Alexander
Executive Producer: Gina Pagano
Assistant Producer: Kayla Robinson
Finishing: Schmigital
Flame: Joseph Miller
Sound Design: Marc Healy
Mixer: Sam Shaffer
Color Grade: Rare Medium
Colorist: Mikey Rossiter
Assist Colorist: TJ Seiler
EP/MD: Heath Raymond
Music: Mozart Sonata in D major for 2 pianos K448 II Andante
Celebrity Talent: Martin Short
Co-writer: Matt Roberts
