Bil Zelman Photographical Campaigns Bring Holiday Humor to Ocean Spray and Manscaped

By Ahmed Hassan

Vintage 1982 toy film cameras and a Christmas demon named Cranpus are driving the holiday advertising season.

Photographer Bil Zelman has launched two commercial campaigns that combine humor, nostalgia, and cinematic storytelling. The projects feature Ocean Spray and Manscaped, bringing festive narratives to life through distinct visual styles.

Bryan Cranston Becomes Cranpus for Ocean Spray

Ocean Spray’s integrated campaign, titled “Just Add Cran, Beware of Cranpus,” stars Bryan Cranston as Cranpus, a Christmas demon who steals cranberries. Shot in Los Angeles, the project depicts Cranpus causing chaos across holiday parties, cranberry bogs, karaoke bars, and cooking shows.

Zelman captured the imagery using vintage 3D toy film cameras from 1982 to give the photographs a naïve, kinetic feel. He cycled through multiple cameras to maintain reliability during tight shooting windows, while employing a fifth digital camera as a safety backup.

Manscaped Taps Into 1970s Nostalgia

For the Manscaped holiday campaign, Zelman served as writer, creative director, and photographer. Production took place over two days in San Diego, drawing inspiration from 1970s nostalgia and family traditions.

Sets were designed to look lived-in and imperfect, featuring gifts wrapped to resemble the work of slightly buzzed college students, tape left on walls, and intentional scratches on decorations.

Prioritizing Narrative Authenticity

Zelman utilized his signature fall-off vignette lighting to prioritize narrative authenticity over polish, producing humorous holiday imagery for print, social media, and in-store signage.

Images from both campaigns are available on the creator’s blog, while additional portfolio work can be viewed through Workbook.