Agency: Rakuten          Director: Matt Aselton         Production Company: Arts & Sciences

The stakes are sky high in “High Stakes,” a highly elaborate spot for Japanese online retail giant Rakuten. To illustrate the potential value of Rakuten’s cash back offer, director Matt Aselton creates a James Bond style poker game featuring Emmy-winning star of hit series Ted Lasso, Hannah Waddingham.

Method Studios’ artists and compositors contributed significantly to the casino environment and significantly augmented the cat – enlarging the feline, and specifically its ears, and re-coloring the eyes red for key closeups.

This highly praised piece was the client’s first Superbowl ad.