Martians Spotted at Sequoia Content
Keen-eyed visitors of the Sequoia Content website may have noticed some unusual details within the production company’s scrolling website header images, of late. Specifically, what seem at first glance like beautiful yet simple landscape pictures now appear to have inadvertently captured some extraordinary details. A field of wheat has a crop circle on the ground. Is that a UFO flying over a body of water? And, the icing on the cake, two little green guys appearing in more than one photo. The only obvious answer? Aliens!
As it turns out, however, an insider scoop has revealed that these aren’t just any aliens, but extraterrestrial visitors from the planet Mars, or Martians. And, shockingly, Sequoia has been in on their existence for a very long time! In fact, the company has actually just signed these two green little guys to its director roster, as they’re none other than critically-acclaimed duo The Martians.
While over the years, others in adland may have discovered this otherworldly directorial pair, the fact that they’ve now landed in Canada, specifically at Sequoia, is very exciting, and intriguing. So, to learn more about what brought them to Earth, their out-of-this-world approach to craft, and why they’ve specifically chosen to work in her local market, LBB’s Jordan Won Neufeldt sat down with the pair for a chat.
LBB> From the top, tell us how two Martians came to work in Earth’s commercial space. What was your journey like here, and what made it the right industry to stay in?
The Martians> Greetings, earthlings. Thank you for your bravery in talking to two green beings.
Working in commercials was a very premeditated decision. Before touching down, we hovered around the planet for a while, studying different types of humans to see whose lifestyles were worth abducting. First, we considered footballers, but got scared off by the fanatic supporters. Then, we observed finance people (apparently they rule your world), but we kept falling asleep watching them work.
Eventually, our gaze fell upon two humans: one, a creative at an agency, the other, a commercial director. They seemed to have this sweet ‘work-fun-chaos’ balance and, somehow, made up stories for a living. We said, “THIS IS IT!”, and we soon took over their bodies. Strangely enough, no one noticed. Either they were already a bit cray-cray, or their friends and family just assumed it was business as usual.
LBB> What was your first impression of the human ads? Did you find them confusing or captivating, and were there any specific markets which stood out to you early on?
The Martians> As Martians, we usually spend our days trying not to be seen by human radars. What we love about ads is that we are able to do the total opposite. We need to find ways to stand out. It’s refreshing. In fact, it’s relaxing.
Just for a bit of context, as Martians, we spend most of our working hours finding ways to avoid being detected by humans radars and sensors, and what we love in ads is that it breaks completely with that. We actually enjoy and relax, trying to find ways to be seen, or in this case, help brands get seen.
Hovering around the globe gave us the chance to watch a lot of different commercial cultures. We’ve developed a real soft spot for ads with humour. We love the dry wit of the British, the bold slapstick of the Americans, and we have a particular affection for the Canadian ones; there’s something so beautifully bizarre about them. We actually have a completely unsubstantiated theory that the reason for this is because one of the early pioneers of Canadian advertising was a fellow Martian.
LBB> Now that you’ve been on Earth for a bit, what are some of the interesting trends you’ve noticed from country to country? How do these differ from what you’re used to back on Mars?
The Martians> Mars used to be a very funny place. Seriously! But over the last few millennia, it got a little… dry. One thing we’ve noticed here on Earth is that trends come in waves, probably because of your oceans. Right now, the comedy wave is hitting everywhere, and we’re loving it.
Another trend that’s made our antennae tingle is the rise of diversity in advertising. We’re seeing so many different faces representing brands – it’s a beautiful thing. Back on Mars, everyone still tries to fit the same outdated beauty standards. Round green heads. Big eyes. It’s exhausting.
LBB> Recently, you’ve decided to spend an extended touchdown in Canada, signing with the humans at Sequoia. What made these earthlings the right collaborators for your future endeavours?
The Martians> As superior beings, we don’t really believe in destiny. But sometimes, life makes us doubt our own logic. Our first crash on Earth was against a big sequoia. We were distracted watching a Sasquatch showering in a river (a majestic moment), and BAM, tree. Later, we googled ‘Sequoia repair crew’, and Sequoia Content popped up instead. Not exactly engineers, but they spoke Martian. We hit it off instantly, and our connection just kept growing, like a good tree.
LBB> You mentioned humour already, what sort of work will you be looking to deliver to the people of Canada?
The Martians> We’re two very serious Martians. Unfortunately, our seriousness tends to come across as comedy to humans. So we’ve embraced it.
We like to think of our genre as ‘beautiful comedy’ because, while we’re always aiming to be funny, we’re also incredibly picky about the visuals. Blame our time spent gazing at stars. We like things to look good while making you laugh.
LBB> Let’s talk a little more about you – how would you describe your approach to direction, and artistic style? What sort of perspective does your unique extraterrestrial background grant you while on set?
The Martians> Martians don’t sleep like humans do. So, we spend most of our time watching ads and films from all over the world. Then, we mix all those references together and push them into visuals that feel striking, surprising, and hopefully funny.
Sometimes, our ideas don’t make a tonne of sense, and that’s when we rely on the human creatives to give us a bit of direction. This useful tension between the two mindsets often leads to something beautiful: a weird idea that somehow works.
LBB> Building on this, what’s it like working with humans all the time? How do you ensure you translate your Martian vision into something understandable, both pre, during and post production?
The Martians> It’s not easy. First, we have to translate what’s in our Martian minds into words. Then, we translate those words from Martian into human. The key for us is finding fellow Martians. Many of them don’t even realise they’re Martian, but you can tell. If we start talking gibberish and they understand us, it’s a match. Some people call it ‘chemistry’. We call it intergalactic gibberish telepathy.
LBB> From a technological point of view, are there any useful tools, techniques or technologies from Mars which you use to make gravity-defying work? What are some of your favourites?
The Martians> There’s a curious story about this. On our first Earth shoot, we needed to levitate a glass. The crew started pulling out fish wires and tape. We told them to step aside and we just lifted it with our minds. Everyone froze. Total silence. It got a little awkward, so we agreed, no more using Martian powers on set.
Since then, we’ve grown to appreciate Earth’s practical effects. They’re charming. A little janky, but fun. We also became masters of CGI use because we can nudge the machines with a bit of Martian magic. Turns out humans are fine with that. If it’s machine magic, no one panics.
LBB> Looking across your body of work, what would you say are some of the most out-of-this-world pieces you’ve created?
The Martians> Our two most recent ones are closest to our green hearts.
Jordans was special because we managed to cast a whole bunch of fellow Martians, and recreated what Martian factories actually feel like. The vibe, the joy, the rhythm – it’s a love letter to home.
Bacana Play let us stage a full-blown Martian take on a Western brawl. We still can’t believe humans let us shoot that much madness in a single day.
LBB> Finally, how do you handle craft services? It’s not hard to imagine that your dietary needs are… different.
The Martians> Yeah, we have very different eating habits. We eat ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING.
There’s no food in the galaxy like Earth food. If you can’t find us on set, check the snack table first. We’ll be there, grazing like cows in craft heaven.
That said, by our 20th shoot, we did finally learn not to speak with our mouths full. We’ve come a long way.
