"Elite"

24 July 2025

60s

Twin peaks.

When a commercial starts on a clock at 06:00, chances are it's about to make you feel like a lazy so-and-so. That's what Sage does with a commercial that refuses to even acknowledge the existence of a snooze button. "There are some people for whom good enough is never good enough," we're told, and that sets the tone for 60" worth of productivity with a capital P.

Director Nicolai Fuglsig flits between a couple of high-flyers who get shit done and God help anyone who tries to get in their way. He's a boardroom bad-ass, she's an architectural ace—they know every motivational phrase, gesture, and pose in the book and they're not afraid to use them. Nor are they afraid to use the latest enterprise software to stay ahead of the game.

We use that phrase because Fuglsig and editor Rick Russell treat it like a sports ad. The protagonists box and swim before work, but the real intensity is reserved for analysis, tough calls, and keyboard taps. It's almost too elite for its own good (someone take a break or go to the bathroom, for goodness sake), but we suspect the target audience will lap it up.

Global

Financial Services