We recently ran a contest through Zoopa, the world’s largest source of user-generated advertising, back in October to find our newest holiday TV ad. The winner was “Something for Everyone” by Tim Merlau.

Tim, a 22-year-old freelance writer and director living in Los Angeles, produces videos with a group of close friends from film school. He did a great job in capturing the essence of Zappos holiday gift giving with his catchy 30-second spot.

We thought we’d ask Tim a couple of questions to get to know more about the creative mind behind "Something for Everyone".

Where are you from?

T: I grew up in Tallahassee, Florida.

Where’d you attend school?

T: I graduated from Full Sail University in Orlando in 2009.

What’s your background in video production?

T: I received a Bachelor's of Science degree in film production from Full Sail University, and my friends and I have been making commercials, music videos, and comedy shorts for the past two years. 

Are you a customer of Zappos yourself? If so, what initially drew you to the company?

T: I have ordered clothes from Zappos before. I like the variety Zappos offers, and the return policy doesn’t hurt!

How did you come up with the concept for the “Something for Everyone” ad?

T: We wanted to make a classic, lighthearted, Christmas commercial that focused on the range of products Zappos has to offer. I like the idea of seeing characters receiving gifts "in their element" without actually seeing their faces- and of course the catchy melody is sure to be stuck in your head for hours.

What's your favorite and least favorite thing about the holidays?

T: My favorite thing about the holidays: the cold weather. I love the change in the seasons. My least favorite thing: travel. I do not like the crowded airports.

Be on the lookout for Tim's winning video ad on cable networks such as TBS, E!, ABC Family, ESPN, The Weather Channel and more!

Hey all - We've gotten tons of coverage about one of the campaigns we're running right now (this campaign is called "More Than Shoes").  In case you haven't seen it, the NY Times ran an article highlighting this campaign http://nyti.ms/nzf1uQ. 

While overall public sentiment through Twitter, blogs, etc. seems to be very positive, some people have found it offensive. We've had a few customers write in and tell us that our new campaign is all about sex & nudity. Of course, that was not our intention. If you look at the creative (above are the three active executions), you'll see that these are not about sex or nudity for the sake of it.  They're really calling out the fact that Zappos sells more than shoes (this is the primary goal of our brand marketing efforts right now) in a very obvious way. 

We wanted to break through the clutter and feel that we've been able to do that in a fun, creative way. I've also included the actual shots from the photo shoot (below).

As you can see, these models are not at all naked (not our style, let alone, probably not legal).

To view examples of the other two campaigns we’re running, please see below. 

Thank you for reaching out with your thoughts whether they are supportive or otherwise.

Thanks!

Aaron Magness

Sr. Director - Brand Marketing & Business Development

twitter: @macknuttie