https://youtu.be/VDinoNRC49c
It’s that time of year again: the trees are going up, carols are getting cranked to high volume, and brands are rolling out their seasonal marketing campaigns.
Though we aren’t even in December yet, we already have a top contender for best commercial of the season in Come Together, a short film for H&M directed by one of the most iconic directors of our time, Wes Anderson.
Come Together is classic Anderson. From its balanced frames, to its eclectic lead character (played by long-time collaborator Adrien Brody), and minor details only noticed during repeat viewings, this simple tale of a train and its passengers unable to reach their destination on Christmas Day due to bad weather is thoroughly infused with his style and charm.
That alone might be what sticks with viewers after the film ends. The director’s last offering was 2014’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, and with a follow-up not expected to hit cinemas until 2018, Come Together is a nice treat for Anderson fans.
Unfortunately, the ad is still let down by viscous sentimentality and the generic nature of the characters outside of Brody’s conductor and his assistant. Presumably, the passengers are wearing H&M clothing, but our attention is rarely on them. There’s nothing too strange about that, but it’s not hard to imagine how a more daring brand might have benefited from having Anderson collaborating with them.
For those curious, this is not the first time Anderson has produced a TV ad. In total, he’s done over a dozen, for companies like Hyundai, Stella Artois, and a Softbank commercial with Brad Pitt. You can take a look at them all here.