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It’s no secret that there’s a long-standing creative dialogue between the advertising world and Hollywood. But are we, as an industry, drawing enough inspiration from the big screen?
Traditionally, advertising has been an art form of its own, built on masterful editing, storytelling, and the ability to evoke emotion within seconds. This power even fascinated Stanley Kubrick—who, according to Eyes Wide Shut star Sydney Pollack, was influenced by the precision of TV commercials when crafting The Shining. In the 1970s, Hollywood turned to UK commercial directors like Ridley Scott for fresh talent and new perspectives. Yet, even those pioneers looked back to classical Hollywood to shape their vision.
Today, advertising still borrows from cinema, but too often, this influence is reduced to nostalgia—recognisable characters and familiar set pieces. Sainsbury’s recent Christmas ad featuring The BFG is a good example. While undeniably effective in triggering memories, it raises the question: Could we go beyond mere homage and instead embrace Hollywood’s ability to build new cinematic worlds?
With the Oscars just around the corner, now feels like the perfect moment to reconsider what brands can truly learn from cinema—not just IP but the deeper principles of world-building tone, and bold creative risk-taking.
The Return of Originality
While Hollywood is still awash with sequels, we’re also seeing a resurgence of distinctive, original storytelling. Take The Brutalist—an unexpected film about the horrors of WWII. Despite its niche subject, the producers believed in Brady Corbet’s artistic vision, trusting that audiences would connect.
Similarly, brands should encourage their creative teams to push the limits of advertising, not just by riffing on pop culture but by crafting their own visual and narrative universes. The best ads don’t just sell a product; they immerse the audience in a mood, an aesthetic, a feeling.
Mastering Tone
When I think of commercials directed by David Lynch, Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, or Spike Jonze, what stands out is their sheer playfulness. These weren’t straightforward product showcases—they were cinematic experiments that made brands feel larger than life.
Take Tony Scott’s SAAB commercial. By framing the car exclusively in an aircraft hangar, he elevated it beyond a mere vehicle and into an object of desire—so much so that the ad landed him the directing gig for Top Gun. Or Lynch’s New York City PSA, which suggests that litterbugs could spiral into a full-blown Lynchian nightmare. Whether it was Gucci, Parisienne cigarettes, or a public service message, his surrealist touch made these brands unforgettable.
This contrasts starkly with today’s hyper-literal advertising. While products need to be sold, a willingness to embrace creative world-building fosters emotional resonance and brand longevity.
Spike Jonze’s Pardon Our Dust campaign for GAP is a perfect example. Instead of a standard rebrand announcement, Jonze’s commercial saw shoppers literally wreck the store in anticipation of something new—subverting expectations and making a mundane moment exhilarating. Ads like this show how creative risk-taking pays off, balancing surprise, humour, and a strong brand identity.
The Power of Trust
Ultimately, the biggest lesson brands can learn from Hollywood is courage. And that lesson isn’t just for the ad industry—it’s for clients, too.
As an editor and filmmaker, my job is to take a brand’s voice and translate it into a story that fits the brief while also inspiring its audience. The best projects are the ones where brands trust their creative teams to push the envelope and experiment with tone, atmosphere, and mood.
So, brands. Look to Hollywood—to Scott, Lynch, and Jonze. Ask yourself why certain ads stay with you for years, why they still make you laugh or give you chills. It’s because those campaigns aimed higher than just selling a product or chasing a viral moment. They committed to a creative vision.
As David Lynch once said: “Everything I learned in my life, I learned because I decided to try something new.” That’s a lesson brands should take to heart.
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