Jack Link’s Forms an Unlikely Friendship

Jack Link’s’ Sasquatch has been a regular feature of its marketing for almost 20 years, encouraging consumers to embrace their wild side and the spirit of the Sasquatch. Now, for the first time, he has been joined by an unlikely ally in the form of a Yeti, and together, they’re letting chaos reign.

Joining a long line of legendary duos, in this 60 second spot, Sasquatch and his frozen friend bond over their shared childlike humour and fondness for fart jokes. Unleashing havoc within the forest, arctic and everything in between, their bromance blossoms to inseparable best friend levels, proving Jack Link’s’ point that ‘There’s nothing like a great DUO’.

Taking inspiration from films such as ‘Dumb and Dumber’ and ‘Step Brothers’, the campaign brings a new dynamic to the Sasquatch, showing that on top of his wild antics, there’s a capacity for real, authentic friendship.

To learn more about how the campaign came together, LBB’s Abi Lightfoot caught up with the team at Milestone Integrated Marketing and Alfredo Films director Rich Downie.

LBB> How did you initially respond to the brief?

Milestone> Jack Link's’ brief was simple and clear: Launch Jack Link's’ DUOS – a new product combining two great flavours in one bag. At Milestone, we explored numerous approaches, but one product truth kept resonating: there's nothing quite like a great duo. Two flavours in one bag, Batman and Robin, Bonnie and Clyde, Milestone and Jack Link's… see where we’re going here?

Rich> I’ve always been a huge fan of Jack Link’s’ ‘Messin’ with Sasquatch’ spots, so when this project came through, I was already pretty excited. The commercials are exactly the kind of quirky, irreverent humour I love, and this one took the ridiculousness and funny to 11.

Then, the creative team, Gary Westgate (ECD), Cory Hansen (CD) and Brent King (senior AD) sent a script with virtually no product, just an hilarious montage of Sasquatch and Yeti wreaking havoc in the wild, set to ‘Best Friend’ by Harry Nilsson. Come on. What’s not to love?

And getting to work on such an iconic ad, and on top of that, expand the Jack Link’s universe with a Yeti seemed pretty darn cool.

LBB> Why were Rich and Alfredo films the perfect choice to direct/produce this campaign?

Milestone> Our approach to selecting a director for this job was simple: Do we want to hang out with you? We know that sounds stupid, but it’s true. This spot was about two bros coming together and doing bro stuff, so we bro’d down.

Rich got that right away, bringing his natural ability to hang out and find comedy in every moment and conversation we had about the project. But seriously, Rich is a hell of a director. His natural eye for comedy is unparalleled. He brought many great ideas and insights to the spot and really understood the characters right from the get-go. With both Rich and Alfredo, we worked together to create an ultra-collaborative space where ideas were always flowing. Even on set, we were constantly adding, trying things out, and generally just having fun out there – which you can really feel in the spot.

LBB> Rich, how did you first envision the dynamics of the duo and go about directing it?

Rich> I saw Sasquatch and Yeti almost like older and younger siblings. Sasquatch is the established vet of the forest, while Yeti is this eager newcomer who’s just thrilled to have a buddy. Doug Tait, the actor who plays Sasquatch, has been portraying him for a decade, while Kurt Carley, who played Yeti, was stepping into the role for the first time. That dynamic naturally carried over into their performances and really helped bolster their characters' relationship.
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Doug knows the character better than anyone, so I really looked to him to maintain and build on the elements that he'd established in the past, while developing a new interaction and dynamic with Yeti. Both Doug and Kurt were fantastic to work with and contributed so much to defining their characters’ relationship.

I really tried to focus on creating a subtle and believable character arc: going from two mythical creatures sizing each other up to becoming inseparable best buds. Since we were telling their story through a vignette-based montage, I wanted to make sure we had a solid mix of interactions, from big physical moments like judo-chopping a giant redwood, to smaller, more subtle beats like a casual punch on the arm while they’re watching the sunset.

LBB> How did you set the tone for comedy throughout the spot, and what were the hardest elements to get right?

Rich> The setup was crucial to the story. In just a few seconds, we had to establish Sasquatch and Yeti as potential rivals, and in a few more, show them becoming best friends. We actually used the ‘Step Brothers’ scene where Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly bond over their shared love of John Stamos as our comedic North Star. We spent a lot of time brainstorming the best catalyst to bring a Sasquatch and a Yeti together, and that’s how we landed on the age-old finger pull gag. I mean, as far as I'm concerned, if two mythical beasts were ever going to become instant pals, that feels like the most believable way it would happen.

Milestone> After years of bringing Sasquatch to life, we've discovered pure comedy gold: watching a 7-foot mythical beast attempt everyday human activities is hysterical. There's something magic about seeing this powerful creature struggle with a cookbook, or humans messin’ with him all the time. We doubled down on those relatable bro moments – farting, karate chopping, even starting avalanches – while still throwing in those jaw-dropping ‘immortal beast’ moments that make our campaigns unmistakably Jack Link's.

LBB> The campaign is all about the idea of the “greatest duo”, did you look to any famous duos or partnerships for inspiration?

Rich> The dynamic between Sasquatch and Yeti was all about that classic ‘unlikely duo’ energy – two big personalities who start off unsure about each other but quickly become inseparable. We wanted their friendship to have that mix of ridiculousness and heart, like the best comedy pairings.

Movies like ‘Dumb and Dumber’ were a huge inspiration – just that pure, dumb joy of two characters fully embracing their weirdness together. And while we weren’t directly pulling from ‘Step Brothers’, that kind of absurd, over-the-top bonding montage definitely helped guide the tone.

We also looked to the Rocky and Apollo Creed montage (‘Rocky III’) as a really fun character arc and dynamic. They go from rivals to training partners, running on the beach together in slow motion. That kind of ‘two worlds colliding and becoming stronger together’ energy was exactly what we wanted for Sasquatch and Yeti… except instead of sprinting in tank tops, they’re tackling trees, causing avalanches, and terrorising human campers.

LBB> Where did the shoot take place, and what was the experience like?

Rich> We filmed in the forests and mountains around Vancouver, and the weather was all over the place. During our tech scout, it went from foggy to rain to hail to sunny – all within a few hours – so we really had no idea what to expect on the actual shoot days.

Luckily, we ended up with mixed conditions that actually worked in our favour, helping make the spot feel like it took place over a sizable period of time. We shot mostly around a national park called Stave Lake, which had an incredible variety of landscapes – dense forests, mountains, a lake bed, and open fields – all within a stone’s throw.

It was a two-day shoot, but with all those locations, it looks like way more.

LBB> Did you face any interesting challenges during production? How did you overcome them?

Rich> We wanted the spot to feel like it took place over days or even weeks, spanning different environments – Sasquatch’s dense, verdant forest, Yeti’s arctic landscape, and everything in between. The scouting process was intense, and with the weather being so unpredictable, it was tough to visualise exactly what we’d get on the day.

We also had to use a fair bit of ‘movie magic’ to achieve those expansive landscapes. We incorporated practical snow on set, then planned out VFX in post to really sell the idea that these two terrains seamlessly meet.

Fortunately, we had an incredible crew. Between our amazing production designer, Robin Tilby, our insanely talented cinematographer, John Ker, and the post team at Outsider Editorial, I’m not at all surprised it came together visually as well as it did.

LBB> Were any specialist techniques or approaches used to achieve the final look of the campaign?

Milestone> When working on Jack Link’s, the team at Milestone lives by a simple rule: If it takes four hours to get the suit – perfect, why would we put them in front of a green screen? Drawing inspiration from amazing actors and effects people who have spent years to hone their craft and put blood, sweat and tears into bringing these two characters to life, off to the mountains we went.

We also really wanted to ground the spot in reality, to make these two characters feel real, drawing the viewers in as they watch this bromance come to life. We didn’t want anyone to be distracted by any stylised or whimsical effects – just focus on the funny stuff that’s happening here. To be honest, the best technique we used throughout the entire project was restraint to add more. Wide shots showcased the scale and beauty of their world, while close-ups of our characters let their emotions and comedy punch through. All paired with a mix of simple hand-held, dolly and tracked shots really allowed the focus to be on the moments the characters were creating without getting lost in anything over produced.

LBB> What was your most memorable moment of the production experience?

Rich> My favourite scene we shot was Sasquatch and Yeti doing snow angels in a blizzard. I think our actors were actually experiencing the same pure joy it looks like their characters are feeling in the scene. And that energy spread through the entire set – everyone was cracking up. Even some of the departments that don’t normally crack a smile or laugh were full-on thigh-slapping.

Milestone> It truly takes a village. Bringing these two legendary characters into the mountains, alongside an agency that shares a deep-rooted connection with Sasquatch, is a tall order. The rugged terrain and mythical elements at play make this endeavour both exciting and daunting – a challenge worthy of the legends themselves. And Alfredo delivered. Seeing Alfredo’s EP crawl into the tent to be a stand-in was really a first for us. But it truly reinforced why they were the best choice to partner with both Jack Link’s and Milestone.

LBB> Anything else you’d like to add?

Rich> Getting to bring Yeti into the Jack Link’s universe was such a cool opportunity. I love that we got to keep the spirit of Sasquatch’s humour alive while introducing a new dynamic. I can’t wait for people to see these two wreaking havoc in the wild; I think it’s going to be a fan favourite for sure.