Stop burning your money
Unproductive work is expensive work
Description
CAKE.com, the work platform for streamlining project management, time management, and communication, flips the script on business-as-usual with its bold new campaign: This Is Not a Metaphor.
The campaign uses the simple act of burning money and throwing it out the window to highlight a very real business problem: the hidden cost of workflow inefficiency. From multiple tool subscriptions to unnecessary meetings and scattered workflows, CAKE.com emphasizes how companies, unintentionally, torch and throw their money away every day. Designed to provoke, the campaign directly calls out the everyday problem of modern teams.
To bring the campaign to life, CAKE.com didn’t rely on CGI or symbolism - they lit real bills on fire (Ok, not real bills, but you get the point). Shot in a vibrant office set, the creative direction leaned into the stillness and boredom of the actress, surrounded by wasted budgets. The team kept the visuals stripped down to amplify the tension, with a mood sound design and no voiceover.
In a world of polished software ads that promise to optimize your workday with smiling avatars and glossy graphs, CAKE.com took the opposite route. The campaign’s direct tone and visual metaphor weren’t chosen for the drama, but for accuracy. It’s a wake-up call wrapped up in smoke and urgency.
This professional campaign titled 'This is not a metaphor. You’re literally wasting money.' was published in United States in July, 2025. It was created for the brand: CAKE.com, by ad agency: CAKE.com Creative HUB. This Digital and Film media campaign is related to the Electronics, Technology industry and contains 3 media assets. It was submitted 5 months ago by CAKE.com Creative HUB.
Credits
Creative director : Miloš Jakšić
Director : Aljosa Nikolić
Producer : Marina Lukić
Designer : Ognjen Milenković
Copywriter : Kristina Belomarković
Social Media : Marijana Lacalandra
CAKE.com Video team lead : Bojan Perkucin Dakov
PRODUCTION :
1st AD : Lazar Vranić
Production Coordinator : Katarina Popović
Unit Manager : Dušan Vitanović
ART DEPT. :
Set designer : Tamara Tričković
On set Props : Marko Milošević
Decorator : Bojana Nikolić
Decorator : Filip Veličković
On set Props : Vuk Borovičanin
Labourer : Predrag Lukić
Labourer : Jovan
CAMERA & SOUND :
DoP : Aleksandar Karaulić
1st AC / Focus puller : Nemanja Andrejević
2nd AC : Nikola Bukumirić
Video asst. : Andrei Panov
Video link : Aleksa Sudar
Sound recorder : Djordje Petković
Editor on set / DIT : Stefan Rokvic
Photographer : Branislav Jovanovic
GRIPS & LIGHTS :
Key Grip : Nenad Maksimovic
Grip : Igor Maksimović
Grip : Vladimir Ljubić
Grip : Ognjen Catić
Grip : Nenad Latinčić
Grip Truck Driver : Miloš Maksimović
Gaffer : Zoran Jovanović
Best Boy : Nikola Radovanović
Electrics : Dalibor Peslać
Costume stylist : Katarina Erdeljan
Costume Assist : Anja Knežević
MUA : Jovana Vukosavljevic
Hair stylist : Biljana Vrcelj
SFX : Petar Vasiljević
SFX assistant : Aleksa Marković
Unit Runner (via Nemac) : Milan Milivojević
Unit equipment : Nemanja Djordjevic
Catering / Balkan Food Ketering : Milena Jovanovic
CAST:
Casting coordinator : Dusan Miceta
Extras coordinator : Simona
ACTORS:
Girl Boss : Maša Dakić
Jamie : Julian Griffin
Juggler : Dimitrije Radonjić
Sleeper : Olga Rodić
Gamer : Malena Selić
Reader : Adriana Vracar
TikToker : Toma Pulejković
TRANSPORT :
Transport Coordinator : Miodrag Jovicic
Driver 1 : Dejan Manestar
Driver 2 : Dejan Jovanović
