The Unlikely Way

Client: Studio Underd0g

Studio Underd0g is one of the fastest-growing brands in British watchmaking. The brief for its inaugural brand film? To capture the irreverence and detail of Underd0g, and appeal to both committed watch collectors and new prospects. The strategy? To challenge the bland conventions of the sector – by showing the most interesting choices can be unlikely ones. The film to provide assets for the “Unlikely” campaign – deepening brand engagement and driving sales across digital, social and print.

“The Unlikely Way” is an absurdist spoof, starring the Underd0g crew. Rich Benc, head of Studio Underd0g, drops a tear from his eye, explores the pink lemonade room, dispatches a diver for luminous jellyfish, sees flamingo feathers extracted… and even runs into watch influencer Justin Hast, in a Thor cameo, before a final quality review. To achieve the film’s distinctive Willy-Wonka style (on a tight £30k budget) took ingenuity. As Creative Director Matt Carrington puts it, “From the hand-built sets and props to the idiosyncratic script, every element was crucial in creating an elevated aesthetic to evolve Studio Underd0g from playful positioning to a more premium, intentional space.” The results were impressive. 68,547 website visitors on drop day (up 15%), generated £1.64 million in revenue, with 2594 watches sold. (85% to new customers), with average order value up 10% to £683. The watch collecting world went wild for the film, with one key commentator noting, “Studio Underd0g have claimed the unlikely narrative as their own (as Patek has claimed the generational one).”