Prière de ne Pas Skipper (Please Don’t Skip)

Québec-based commercial director Mathieu Grimard, a veteran of more than ten years in advertising, has released a bold personal project: a satirical short film titled «Prière de ne pas skipper» (“Please Don’t Skip”).

The three-minute film takes aim at an industry fighting relentlessly for audience attention, and, by extension, its own survival.

After a decade directing some of the most recognizable local campaigns, Grimard wanted to create the one ad he could never make within the traditional system.

The project struck a nerve across Québec. The film generated nearly 200 000 organic views under a week and generated close to 6 000 organic interactions across Mathieu's social platforms (Instagram and Facebook). Its reach extended far beyond the advertising community, resonating with the broader public through its sharp, affectionate critique of Québec’s ad culture.

The sketch brings back iconic Québec advertising archetypes, the yogurt mom, the submissive insurance husband, the milk-drinking kid, the beer guys, the lottery comedian and confronts them with their own tropes.

With humor and self-awareness, the film reflects on the social dynamics we portray on screen and how audiences interpret them. More than a parody, it serves as a creative call-to-action for an industry that increasingly struggles to earn - and keep - attention. As Grimard puts it, the piece is both a love letter and a challenge to the industry: a reminder that if we don’t evolve, we risk being skipped.