Believe in Something Better

The American telecommunications leader in the Pacific Northwest, Ziply, has launched a new campaign that turns the tables on typical commercials from fiber optic providers. Two :30 spots for broadcast and two longer versions for social present Ziply customers in unusual tonque-in-cheek scenarios. In “Council,” Ziply customers harangue a company representative at a town hall meeting, complaining loudly about how great their service is. They are not used to fast, reliable and inexpensive fiber service, with no strings attached. In “Neighbors,” zombie-like Ziply customers recommend the service to a family that has just moved in: “We saw the light. We all did,” they say in a weirdly affectless tone. “No bundles, no speed sharing with neighbors. We’ve never been happier.”

The campaign was created by Ziply in collaboration with NorthxWest, a creative advertising consultancy led by award-winning freelance creative director Mishy Cass, celebrated creative director/copywriter Jeff Barry and former Head of Production turned prolific freelance producer Tanya LeSieur. The work was produced by Good Behavior, the two-time (2024/2025) Advertising Age A-List Standout Production Company, with Brandt Lewis directing.

Multiple agencies pitched the business. All were paid by Ziply Fiber for their concept work before NorthxWest was ultimately selected to produce the full campaign. Both Ziply Fiber and NorthxWest benefitted by keeping the production lean – leading to lower production costs, minimal overhead and expedited decision making.

"The evolution of the Ziply Fiber brand has always been about balancing this critical piece of technology our customers rely on nearly 24/7 in their lives, with a company that wants to be friendly, responsive, and easy to do business with," said Ziply’s VP Brand Marketing Ryan Luckin. "Our previous campaigns were very successful at capturing interest from early adopters – those anxious to make the switch from cable to superior fiber internet. North X West recognized that introducing elements of comedy and more live action would separate this campaign from previous work, while also attacking the belief that all internet is created equal.

"I can honestly say this was the first time during a wardrobe fitting that we were all laughing hysterically, just seeing how all the characters and their quirks were coming to life," said Cass. "Plus, thanks to Brandt and his team, we were able to land on an incredible cast with major comedy and improv chops; casting was an embarrassment of riches to say the least."

"This was such a fun project to work on," said Lewis. "It was a much tighter, smaller team that was working closely with the client and it made everything run super smooth. All the key decision makers were present and collaborating every step of the way which made our ability to adjust and try new ideas much faster and more feasible. It’s how we wish every project could work."