It all started with a text message.
Adrian Rios, 33, was contacted in mid-January about directing a shoot for a Dr. Pepper campaign that would feature the quarterback from the College Football Playoff national championship-winning team.
Rios has worked as a creative director for the past eight years and has been contracted to direct upwards of 500 shoots in his career. But this one felt different. Not only would it include a quick turnaround — game on Jan. 20, fly to a filming location on Jan 21, shoot on Jan. 22 — but the individual they would be working with remained up in the air less than a week away from the shoot.
“In the beginning stages, we didn’t know exactly who we were going to be shooting with because it depended on who the winner was,” Rios said. “We also had an idea for both quarterbacks, but we had no idea if they would be OK with it.”
The idea, which originated from a group of individuals, including members of Dr. Pepper’s brand marketing team and Jake Korman, who works for Dr. Pepper’s NIL partner, VaynerSports, was to shoot a fun, laugh-out-loud social campaign that was inspired by the 2001 hit comedy movie, “Zoolander.”
“When he (Korman) approached me with the idea, I loved what he brought to the table,” Rios said. “So, then it was up to me to set up the shots and really bring it all to life.”
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