Our goal with this spot was to create memorable characters in intense situations– we wanted the Abuelas to rival Superbowl icons like the Old Spice Guy, creating a funny commercial that stays with the viewer. Subsequently, we wanted to subvert expectations by putting two older women into an action packed and heavily physical situation, thus thrusting them into the spot of the action hero we see in movies. We also wanted them to be visually memorable, so we created costumes for them that were bright and matched the product’s colors in order to have the viewer subconsciously associate the characters with the product.

Casting was a very long process because there were numerous requirements that needed to be met– we needed actors with good comedic timing, a strong physicality in order to perform the various high energy scenes, and who had a grandmotherly warmth to them while also being intense and strong.

It was also important to try to reach a younger demographic as well, so casting a popular celebrity like Jenna Ortega was key to getting younger eyes on the commercial.