Kid Moments Become Epic Basketball Reels for McDonald's All American Games Spot
Director Charles Todd’s latest spot for Wieden+Kennedy NY and McDonald’s launches the first-ever All American Games Happy Meal. The film reimagines everyday kid moments as epic basketball highlight reels, introducing a new generation to the legacy of the Games.
Featuring McDonald’s All American alums Carmelo Anthony and Angel Reese, the spot turns sidewalks, classrooms, and doorways into dream courts. Real-life hoops meet slow motion swishes, sports commentary, and playful bursts of animation - transforming everyday play into All-Star energy.
Charles’s playful direction grounds the fantasy in real-world joy, elevating the way basketball lives in the imagination of every kid who can’t help but dunk on the air. It’s a tribute to the future of the sport — and the legends it continues to inspire.
Charles Todd explores storytelling through experimental mixed-media, bold visuals, and cinematic narratives for major brands like Apple Music, Nike, Amazon, NBA, and Sprite. For Google, he directed the interactive, shoppable adventure, 'Black Owned Friday,' featuring Ludacris and Flo Milli, which won five Pencils at The One Show and D&AD Awards, four Clios, an AICP Next Award, four Webbys, and a Bronze at Cannes. It was also named a shots Creative Top 100 pick.
For PUMA x Balmain, Charles wrote and directed 'A Dream Come True' featuring (W)NBA stars Skylar Diggins Smith and Kyle Kuzma, earning an AICP Next Award nomination. Charles directed Remy Martin’s 'Voices of Harlem,' a five film campaign honouring iconic poets of the Harlem Renaissance, for Fred & Farid that won a D&AD Pencil.
In music, Charles’ original doc shorts for Apple Music redefined the genre, creating innovative films for artists like Lil Baby, H.E.R., The 1975, Raphael Saadiq, and Christine and the Queens. He has directed projects for Rihanna, Jay-Z and Beyoncé and Travis Scott.
In feature documentaries, Charles directed Buddy Guy: The Blues Chase The Blues Away, which premiered at Tribeca in 2021 and won Best Feature Documentary at the 2022 Pan-African Film Festival. For HBO Max, he directed Romeo Santos: King Of Bachata, earning a 2022 Latin GRAMMY nomination for Best Longform Video and a Webby Award for Video: Music.
Charles’s upcoming docuseries Magic City: An American Fantasy premiered at SXSW and will be released on Starz this fall. Executive produced by Drake, it explores the legendary Atlanta strip club, its decades-long impact on hip-hop, and the lives of the women who built its mystique. It was named one of the 'Best Docuseries of 2024' by W Magazine and a 'Can’t Miss Film at SXSW' by Harper's Bazaar.
His Memes & Nightmares, a hilarious and insightful satirical film that dives into the vibrant world of NBA Twitter premiered at Tribeca and is now on Hulu. It was executive produced by LeBron James.
