What do an axolotl, an astronaut, and a vampire have in common? They’re all completely obsessed with Netflix.
The streaming giant has launched Find the Thing You Never Knew You Needed, a new brand campaign featuring three wonderfully absurd short films that celebrate the unexpected shows and movies we discover, fall in love with, and simply can’t stop watching.
Created by Mother London and Netflix’s in-house Brand Creative Studio, the campaign turns familiar viewing habits into cinematic stories that are almost as entertaining as the content they’re promoting.
Three stories, three very unexpected fans
The first film, Axolotl, takes place inside an aquarium where a group of fish has become addicted to Bridgerton. When their human owners interrupt the marathon, a resourceful axolotl uses its tiny feet to keep the show playing.
In Hypersleep, an astronaut aboard a spaceship wakes a fellow crew member from suspended animation. Not because something has gone terribly wrong, but because he desperately needs someone to discuss KPop Demon Hunters with.
And in Dawn, a vampire finds himself in a race against the rising sun, determined to finish watching Love Is Blind before daylight catches up with him.
Each film takes a completely ridiculous scenario and makes it instantly relatable.
We’ve all stayed up too late to finish an episode, desperately wanted to discuss a new favorite with someone, or found ourselves hooked on a show we never expected to enjoy.
Netflix simply takes those feelings to hilarious extremes.
Advertising that looks and feels like cinema
Directed by Vania & Muggia and produced by Iconoclast, the three films were shot on 35mm film, with each receiving its own distinct visual treatment.
Axolotl uses a widescreen format, Hypersleep embraces anamorphic cinematography to capture the scale of outer space, and Dawn adopts the classic 4:3 framing of vintage horror movies.
The sets were built specifically for the campaign, while Electric Theatre Collective handled visual effects and color grading.
It’s an impressive level of craftsmanship for three commercials, but one that serves the creative idea perfectly.
Rather than simply showing clips from Netflix titles, the films borrow the visual language of entertainment itself.
Netflix is selling the joy of discovery
The campaign, launched November 10 across the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Spain, builds on Netflix’s broader What Next? brand platform.
It also extends into social media through Typecast, a series featuring cultural personalities including Willy Chavarria, Teezo Touchdown, Isamaya Ffrench, and the Compton Cowboys revealing their unexpected Netflix favorites.
Together, the work makes a compelling point: our favorite entertainment isn’t always what we think it will be.
For Netflix, that’s a powerful positioning. In an increasingly crowded streaming market, the platform isn’t simply promising more shows or bigger productions.
It’s promising the thrill of finding something you didn’t know you wanted.
And the smartest part? Netflix demonstrates that promise by making ads that feel like unexpected discoveries themselves.
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