Xfinity Adds Its Own Creepy 5-Minute Film to 2017's Fright Fest of Longer Halloween Ads

Marketers are all about the short horror film this Halloween. Fox and Mars rolled out their great two-minute "Bite Size Horror" films a few weeks ago, and Hulu went even longer with its "Huluween" shorts. Now, it's Xfinity's turn. The Comcast cable brand just unveiled its own five-minute horror short, titled "The Neighborhood," developed by Goodby Silverstein & Partners and written and directed by Dante Ariola of production company MJZ. The tale concerns a spooky old mask, made out of a burlap sack, that seems to be making the rounds in one suburban neighborhood on Halloween. But those gifted with it quickly come to regret their mysterious new present. Xfinity's role in the story also becomes clear very quickly: [kickout id="1"] It's very well made, even if the story isn't particularly original—masks having been central to so many horror villains, from Leatherface to Jason Voorhees to Michael Myers. There have also been films where evil masks take over their wearers. The product placement, too, feels a bit shoehorned in, and reminds us how nice it was that the Fox/Mars films didn't have anyone munching on Skittles or Snickers. The Comcast film does afford ample views of the Xfinity Home security product, though, and we have a fairly good idea by the end of how it works. (Rest assured that if your home life goes to hell, it will record every second of it.) Kudos to Comcast, though, for going long-form like this. It's been a fun trend to see this year, and the executions have generally been outstanding. The film will run on Xfinity's social channels. CREDITS Client: Xfinity Home Title of Creative Work: The Neighborhood SVP, Brand Marketing and Communications: Peter Intermaggio SVP, Brand Marketing: Todd Arata SVP and GM, Xfinity Home: Daniel Herscovici Executive Director, Social Marketing: Nader Ali-Hassan Director, Xfinity Home, New Business: Josephine Valenti Senior Manager, Social Marketing: Monica Blake Senior Manager, Marketing Communications: Kristin Filipovits Ad Agency: Goodby Silverstein & Partners Creative Chief Creative Officer: Margaret Johnson Creative Directors: Jeff Gillette, Jens Waernes, Jon Wolanske Associate Creative Director: Eamonn Dixon Associate Creative Director: Daniel Grech Associate Creative Director: Mike Costello Art Director: Sean Smith Copywriter: Dan Berenson Production Executive Producer: Benton Roman Director of Broadcast Production: Tod Puckett Account Services Managing Partner: Leslie Barrett Group Account Director: Jason Bedecarre Account Director: Georgia Newton Account Manager: Greta Naas Assistant Account Manager: Carmen Guan Communication Strategy Group Content Strategy Director: Nick Reggars Senior Communication Strategist: Alex Oztemel Strategist: Madison Cameron Business Affairs Director of Business Affairs: Judy Ybarra Business Affairs Manager: Jaime Szefc Production Company Company name: MJZ Writer/Director: Dante Ariola Director of Photography: Gyula Pados Production Designer: Chilly Nathan President: David Zander Executive Producer: Eriks Krumins Producer: Natalie Hill Editorial Company Company name: Rock Paper Scissors Editor: Adam Pertofsky Assistant Editor: Marjorie Sacks Producer: Dre Krichevsky Executive Producer: Rana Martin Finishing/VFX Company name: The Mill Creative Director/Lead VFX Artist: Tara DeMarco Creative Director: Chris Knight Executive Producer: Enca Kaul Senior Producer: Erin Hicke Producer: Adam Goins Telecine Company name: The Mill Colorist: Fergus McCall Color Producer: Rochelle Brown Music & Sound Design Company name: Q Department Mix Company name: Lime Studios Mixer: Rohan Young Executive Producer: Susie Boyajan

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Xfinity Adds Its Own Creepy 5-Minute Film to 2017's Fright Fest of Longer Halloween Ads

With major cameos from its home security product

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