For fans who didn't know that A-list movie star Drew Barrymore is shilling for a Weight Watchers-like program, surprise! And for those who didn't know she's playing a cannibal in her new Netflix show: double surprise!
As we mentioned last night, those two revelations—the first one's not exactly true, but the second definitely is—came via a new ad campaign that kicked off during Sunday night's Golden Globes for the upcoming black comedy Santa Clarita Diet. The 10-episode show, launching Feb. 3 on the prolific streaming service, also stars Timothy Olyphant, who plays Barrymore's real estate broker (non-zombie) husband.
The campaign also includes out-of-home billboards in major markets, print and digital ads, intentionally leans into the traditional tropes of weight-loss marketing. Bankable celebrity? Check. Testimonial-style spot about how great she feels? Check. Flattering shots of the star twirling around in a body-hugging outfit? Check.
But this spokeswoman isn't touting juice cleanses, point systems or green shakes. The first clue that this isn't a Jenny Craig ad comes fairly quickly in the 30-second spot.
"I can satisfy all my cravings and eat whoever I want," says Barrymore. And though she's in-character as Sheila, a suburban mom, the ad never makes that clear. Only when she starts talking about eating "the food that deserves it" and dipping into a grisly bowl of fake flesh and eyeballs might viewers catch on to the real message.
When she asks if you're "ready to take your life to a whole new level of wow," with a crimson streak of blood dripping from her mouth, there's no longer any question that this is a tongue-in-cheek (literally?) ad for a twisted piece of entertainment.
The work was created by Los Angeles-based Stun, a creative agency, commercial and branded content production company that collaborated with Netflix for the debut of the new series from Better Off Ted creator Victor Fresco.
The comedy, which also features Nathan Fillion, is set in L.A.'s bedroom community of Santa Clarita, where Sheila goes through "a dramatic change," sending her loved ones' lives "down a road of death and destruction … but in a good way," according to Netflix's description.
There's also a new ad with Olyphant, which you can see below.