Something wicked this way comes in Droga5's first work for sports supplement brand MET-Rx, featuring an ominous 80-second spot about a football player arriving with his team in an opponent's town—musing about the hell he's about to unleash on the unsuspecting enemy.
The spot, which has also been cut into 15- and 30-second versions, was beautifully shot by filmmakers T.J. Martin and Dan Lindsey, who made the Oscar-winning documentary Undefeated, about a high school football team.
Check out the spot below, which features the unapologetic tagline "Love the monster."
The new spot marks the first national ad campaign for the 25-year-old MET-Rx brand in decades, according to the company. Even for an agency that's used to making gritty sports ads—Droga5 handles Under Armour, of course—the spot borders on sinister.
"This isn't another sports campaign about trying your best," says group creative director Matt Ian. "This is about celebrating the beast that lives inside the fiercest competitors: the heartbreaking, spirit-crushing monster who extinguishes all hope on the field and in the stands. We didn't want to make another underdog story. We wanted something different: an alpha-dog story."
In addition to the ad campaign, MET-Rx us unveiling three new lines of products and a full packaging refresh. It has also enlisted Joey Bosa, defensive end from Ohio State and one of the year's top football prospects, as a brand endorser.