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Shiv Rajagopal is a filmmaker based out of Hong Kong & Los Angeles. With a background as a producer of indie films, music videos, and commercials, he writes about the entertainment industry at large. He is also the Co-Founder of Forgotten Films, an indie film company with a slate of films revolving around superheroes from the golden age of comics.
At Wrapbook, we pride ourselves on providing outstanding free resources to producers and their crews, but this post is for informational purposes only as of the date above. The content on our website is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for legal, accounting, or tax advice. You should consult with your own legal, accounting, or tax advisors to determine how this general information may apply to your specific circumstances.
Damien Chazelle. Martin Scorsese. Chloé Zhao.
What do these three directors have in common? Besides winning an Oscar for best director… They’re all part of Superprime’s roster.
Superprime was founded in 2015 by industry veterans Rebecca Skinner and Michelle Ross, along with Oscar-winning producer John Lesher. Over the years, it has quickly established itself as a powerhouse in the commercial and branded content space.
Their team has helped bridge the gap between Hollywood and the commercial industry, creating a portfolio that rivals the best in the business.
In addition to the directors already mentioned, the production company represents Sean Baker, John M. Chu, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Terrence Malick to name a few.
Today, we’re taking a closer look at Superprime’s journey and work over the years, exploring how it has become the juggernaut it is today.
While the company was founded in 2015, 2022 marked a major turning point, and Superprime exploded into the mainstream. That year alone, Superprime produced two NFL Big Game campaigns, the NBA’s 75th Anniversary spot and a Truly spot starring Dua Lipa.
The recipe for Superprime’s success lies in its leadership team's early vision for the company. In a 2015 interview, Skinner speaks about how they want:
“... [To] bring feature directors into this world of brand-centric narrative storytelling and also help clients with packaging celebrity talent within the creative.”
Superprime’s expansion was fueled by finding a way to bridge this gap between Hollywood celebrities and top-tier brands.
Ad Age reported that under Skinner and Ross’s leadership, company revenue grew by 30% in 2022. The production company was also recognized in Ad Age’s Production Company A-List in 2022 and 2023 for its impressive track record.
Superprime’s directors, in collaboration with several top brands, have produced some of the most memorable commercials in the last three years. Their portfolio spans branded content, music videos, commercials, and art campaigns.
Let’s dive into Superprime’s standout directors and their work.
First on our list is the legendary Martin Scorsese’s 90-second short film for Bleu de Chanel starring Timothée Chalamet. Set in the mean streets of New York, the commercial isn’t a hard sell of the fragrance but a great visual collage of what the brand represents.
Interestingly, this was Scorsese’s second commercial for the year.
His first was a Squarespace commercial for the 2024 Big Game. Scorsese also makes a surprise cameo at the end, highlighting Superprime’s strategy of infusing celebrity talent within the creative of the commercial.
Adweek ranked this 30-second spot in sixth place on their list of the best Big Game ads for 2024.
Another notable Superprime spot for the 2024 Big Game was Chloé Zhao’s commercial for United Airlines. The spot features Kyle Chandler reprising his iconic role from Friday Night Lights. He gives an inspirational speech to the camera, which Zhao skillfully flips to deliver United’s core message.
Zhao’s first commercial under the Superprime banner was also for a Big Game campaign. In 2022, she directed a Budweiser spot titled “A Clydesdale's Journey.”
The film depicts a Clydesdale horse’s journey through injury and recovery, symbolizing the perseverance shared by countless Americans.
In 2023, Damien Chazelle, in collaboration with Hennessy, directed a seven-minute cinematic piece focusing on the brand’s craftsmanship and legacy. Chazelle documents the journey through the eyes of a musician, experiencing all of life’s important moments, big and small.
Under the Superprime banner, Chazelle also directed the coffee brand De’Longhi’s global campaign in 2021. The commercial features Brad Pitt riding his bike across the highways on a mission to brew the perfect cup of coffee.
Once again, this is an excellent example of Superprime’s ability to package celebrities with branded content for maximum exposure.
Gucci’s 2020 spring/summer campaign features Yorgos Lanthimos’ unique surrealistic style. The commercial portrays models in classic Gucci garments cruising through the streets of Los Angeles with a horse. Like his films, you’ve got to watch it to believe it.
In fact, the director’s ties with Gucci go beyond the video format. Before the commercial campaign, he created a limited-edition art book, which features photographs of models posing with sculptures in the Villa Albani Torlonia in Rome. Check it out!
Early in 2019, Google teamed up with Terrence Malick to produce a commercial shot entirely on the Google Pixel 3. The spot features an eclectic montage of different children playing and enjoying their lives.
When edited in Malick’s style and tone, the phone camera footage looks surprisingly cinematic, giving way to the idea that it’s the artist, not the tools, that creates magic.
We could discuss Superprime’s impressive roster and track record for hours and hours. But it’s also important to note that their growth and success didn't come without challenges.
Any expanding production company can relate to the difficulty of scaling production logistics to match the increasingly ambitious projects. There is a significant administrative burden when you’re a production company of that size and notoriety.
Superprime’s meteoric growth revealed problems with its payroll and accounting workflow. Head of Production Matt Sanders admits how he...
“[Was] in a dark hole with payroll-not being able to get the information that I need or generate the reports I want.”
This forces producers into guesswork, and without real-time accounting data, the production budget can quickly spiral out of control.
When Superprime had outgrown its existing payroll provider, its team turned to Wrapbook.
Wrapbook’s payroll and accounting platform offers an efficient and accurate alternative to traditional payroll processing. With Wrapbook, producers can automate payroll processes to ensure that payments go out on schedule without touching any physical paperwork. Wrapbook’s intuitive platform also offers producers real-time data, which enables them to make better spending decisions and stay under budget.
Switching to Wrapbook allowed Superprime to optimize its production accounting operations. With Wrapbook, the company could continue scaling without compromising on the quality of its productions.
Superprime’s journey from an upstart to an industry leader is a testament to its unique ability to merge Hollywood storytelling with branded content. By leveraging its roster of directors and innovative technologies, like Wrapbook, it continues to produce iconic, high-impact campaigns.
To learn how Wrapbook can optimize your production accounting and payroll, watch our demo! Check out our Customer Stories page for more information about Wrapbook’s track record in the commercial industry.
