He'll Be Back

Creative studio Plural delivers a moving campaign for pet nutrition brand NutriSource, directed by Plural’s Stash Capar and led by Rise and Shine and Partners.

The spot follows a young girl reassuring her dog as her father leaves for work each morning, explaining that he helps deliver dog food so dogs everywhere can stay healthy and bring comfort to people in need. As her narration unfolds, the story reveals a deeper, emotional layer, culminating in a hospital filled with thank you cards from children supported by emotional support animals during their recovery. Among them is the daughter, who was once comforted by a therapy dog herself, reframing the father’s routine as a quiet act of care and connection.

“This is exactly the kind of project I love - something that’s grounded in human truth,” shares Stash. “Rise and Shine and Partners wrote one of the best scripts I’ve read in a long time and were a joy to work with. The client was equally engaged which made the whole process even more meaningful.”

“I had a very personal connection to the script," he continues. “While living in a refugee camp as a little kid I had to be admitted to a hospital where I had surgery on my leg. I had no idea what was going on, I didn’t understand the language that any of the doctors or staff spoke. My parents, and especially my father, visited me daily during recovery and always made me smile. My earliest childhood memories were formed here. The life parallels were too close to ignore. I remember being that child in recovery and having an unshakeable faith in my parents, but I also felt a connection to the father and the idea that “he’ll be back” to be with his daughter.”

Built around heartfelt performances from the cast, the campaign focuses on emotional authenticity, letting the story unfold through human moments while the product is woven naturally into the narrative. Stash approached directing children and animals as the emotional core of the project.

“Some people see kids and animals as challenging,” adds Stash. “For me, that’s the best part of filmmaking. You can’t direct emotion mechanically. You have to create an environment where real moments can happen. Emotionally authentic moments aren’t a checklist. They’re something more ethereal than that.”

Director of Photography Alejandro Wilkins helped shape the campaign's visual language.

“Alejandro was the perfect choice. His background in narrative served us well as he understood the essence of the film — that we were there to capture a human moment, and that all visual choices would exist to serve the story, not distract from it. He not only brought the planned shots to life, but elevated them in very smart and subtle ways, allowing me to stay focused on story and emotional authenticity. It was a great pairing and the beginning of something new. I can’t wait to work with him again.”

Stash’s early years shaped a lifelong, nuanced understanding of childhood, family, and the human condition — one that followed him across Canada, the U.K., Scandinavia, the Middle East, and ultimately the United States. He began his career as an editor and creative producer before stepping into the director’s chair in 2015. His early projects were immediately recognized at the Cannes Young Director Award and the SHOOT New Directors Showcase. Since then, Stash has directed award-winning campaigns for AncestryDNA, Durex, Fujifilm, Gerber, MadeGood, Tylenol, and others.

Plural partners closely with brands and agencies to build the right production team around each objective, maximizing every dollar and putting more on screen. For this project, the alignment between Plural and director Stash made it a seamless fit.

As Founder & EP Steve Holm explains, “We are pretty crazy about dogs at Plural, so that had us from word one – but this stood out because this is a deeper story than the everyday bonds between people and pets. Stash, with his tasteful, classically cinematic approach and deep understanding of how to tug at those emotional heartstrings, was the perfect director to bring this idea to life and the collaboration with both the agency and brand made it possible to deliver something we are all proud of. Great partnerships make great work and this is a perfect example of that.”