ADC Awards
ADC Annual Awards is the oldest continuously running industry award show in the world, with an incredible legacy of over 100 years. These awards celebrate the very best in advertising, digital media, graphic and publication design, packaging and product design, motion, experiential and spatial design, photography, illustration and fashion design – all with a focus on artistry and craftsmanship.
Wake Up
Agency Droga5, part of Accenture Song / New York + Microsoft / Redmond + 1920vfx / London + RESET / Los Angeles
Category
Television / Film / Online Video / Online - Single
Annual ID
ADC105_ADV042B
Background
Xbox set out to deepen its cultural relevance and reassert what it stands for. While new titles were giving gamers a reason to pay attention to the brand, Xbox wanted to let everyone know what they stand for: in a world that increasingly feels designed to sedate us, Xbox is here to wake up the human inside.
Creative Idea
Wake Up is a modern fairy tale about an anthropomorphized rat who uses Xbox to tap back into his own humanity. The film actualizes the proverbial “rat race” as a surreal metropolis inhabited by anthropomorphic rats. The rodent society we observe is one that’s unquestionably their own, yet undoubtedly familiar.
We follow Horatio, our furry protagonist, and discover a world burdened by routine. The daily grind has stripped all the rodent citizens of their spark—well, almost all of them. Horatio comes across a few rats who’ve found a simple, yet profound joy that rekindles their humanity: Xbox
We follow Horatio, our furry protagonist, and discover a world burdened by routine. The daily grind has stripped all the rodent citizens of their spark—well, almost all of them. Horatio comes across a few rats who’ve found a simple, yet profound joy that rekindles their humanity: Xbox
Insights & Strategy
This film brings the common expression “rat race” to life in an extraordinary way. “Rat race” is often used to describe the self-defeating pursuit of the life society tells you to live.
In recent years, a pervasive feeling has developed among Gen Z and Millennials: The pursuit for the life they were promised hasn’t fulfilled them. Infinite scrolling, easy everything, and a culture of sameness have lulled them to sleep at the wheel of their own lives. There’s a desire for change, for an antidote to this modern affliction. Young people want to be snapped out of their routines. To wake up.
In recent years, a pervasive feeling has developed among Gen Z and Millennials: The pursuit for the life they were promised hasn’t fulfilled them. Infinite scrolling, easy everything, and a culture of sameness have lulled them to sleep at the wheel of their own lives. There’s a desire for change, for an antidote to this modern affliction. Young people want to be snapped out of their routines. To wake up.
Execution
Wake Up is a modern fairy tale about an anthropomorphized rat who uses Xbox to tap back into his own humanity. The film actualizes the proverbial “rat race” as a surreal metropolis inhabited by anthropomorphic rats. The rodent society we observe is one that’s unquestionably their own, yet undoubtedly familiar.
We follow Horatio, our furry protagonist, and discover a world burdened by routine. The daily grind has stripped all the rodent citizens of their spark—well, almost all of them. Horatio comes across a few rats who’ve found a simple, yet profound joy that rekindles their humanity: Xbox.
We follow Horatio, our furry protagonist, and discover a world burdened by routine. The daily grind has stripped all the rodent citizens of their spark—well, almost all of them. Horatio comes across a few rats who’ve found a simple, yet profound joy that rekindles their humanity: Xbox.
Results
The film struck a chord with Xbox fans, shining a light on a truth they know all too well: the daily grind can make you forget your own humanity, but the joy of gaming is the perfect tonic.
Within the first few days of launch, the film took over entertainment and gaming press, generating $19.4M USD in advertising value equivalency and a potential news reach of 352M (on the live date alone), ultimately reaching over 3.63B.
Wake Up garnered consumer reactions across different metrics, indicating strong delivery against the objective of improving Xbox brand health.
The film received thousands of comments across social. Fans expressed enthusiasm for Xbox’s return to bold, unconventional gaming ads, quoting “this gave me 2000’s vibes” and “man I want more of this from Xbox—a creative ad showcasing Xbox being played on multiple devices, allowing us to game freely how we want, but also ending the device and principal in which Xbox was originally formed.”
Press featured the ad in roundups of the week’s best creative work, with headlines like “Video game commercials are art.”
Within the first few days of launch, the film took over entertainment and gaming press, generating $19.4M USD in advertising value equivalency and a potential news reach of 352M (on the live date alone), ultimately reaching over 3.63B.
Wake Up garnered consumer reactions across different metrics, indicating strong delivery against the objective of improving Xbox brand health.
The film received thousands of comments across social. Fans expressed enthusiasm for Xbox’s return to bold, unconventional gaming ads, quoting “this gave me 2000’s vibes” and “man I want more of this from Xbox—a creative ad showcasing Xbox being played on multiple devices, allowing us to game freely how we want, but also ending the device and principal in which Xbox was originally formed.”
Press featured the ad in roundups of the week’s best creative work, with headlines like “Video game commercials are art.”
2026 Awards
Total Points: 9
Bronze Cube
Credits
Agency
Droga5, part of Accenture Song / New York
Client / Brand
Microsoft / Redmond
Production Company
Reset / Los Angeles
Post Production Company
1920VFX / London
Art Director
Charlotte Simons
Chief Creative Officer
Scott Bell
Copywriter
Jared Schermer
Tomas Coleman
Group Creative Director
Joseph Russomano
Ludo Fealy
Temnete Sebhatu
Designer
Shannon Choi
Viktoria Burak
Editor
Paul Watts
Executive Creative Director
Giancarlo Rodas
Tres Colacion
Film Director
David Fincher
Roman Chassaing
Music Supervisor
Mara Techam
Product Designer
David Bersanetti
Associate Producer
Cory Souto
Communications Strategy Director
Clark Cofer
Data Strategy Director
Ty Matsunagra
Executive Producer
Ellese Shell
Jen Beitler
Group Brand Strategy Director
Beth Beckman
Senior Brand Strategist
Irma Perez
Senior Designer
Andrew Diemer
Senior Music Supervisor
Mike Ladman
Senior Producer
Connor Hagan
Account Director
Melanie Fougeres
Account Manager
Sosun Tarin
Business Affairs Manager
Megan Dennehy
Co-Head of Production
Jenn Mann
Ruben Mercadal
Creative
Derek Man Lui
Data Strategist
Fiona Wang
Director of production
Jeff Cronenweth
Director, Integrated Marketing
Josh Munsee
Editorial
Cut+Run / New York
Executive Group Account Director
Stefane Rosa
Group Account Director
Elizabeth Federico
Head of Business Affairs
Dan Simonetti
Head of Global Platform & Brand
Craig McNary
Head of PR & Communications
Alexandra Velasco
Head of Production
Marcia Wigley
Integrated Marketing Manager
Courtney Luk
Junior Data Strategist
Sterling Grube
Line Producer
Ash Lockmun
Managing Director, NA Marketing Lead
Sean Lackey
PR & Creative Coordinator
Jayda Hill
Production Manager
Ivanina Burneva
Senior Data Strategist
Sean La'Brooy
Senior Integrated Marketing Manager
Michelle Fears
Senior PR & Communications Manager
Titus Wouda Kuipers
Senior Project Manager
Amanda Cohen
Julian Velasco
Nallely Ramirez
Service Producer
Simeon Vasilev
VFX Producer
Ross Culligan
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