How Shinola and Succession Actor Created a Watch Ad Without Showing the Watch

Detroit-based brand Shinola launched its first full-funnel campaign "Set the Pace" in July 2026 for the Runwell watch, featuring actor Nicholas Braun from the TV series "Succession" not just as the brand's face, but as the director of a 60-second video. The watch appears only in the final frames—the entire narrative revolves around the character's emotional monologue in a restaurant, which viewers initially interpret as an ultimatum to a partner, until it becomes clear he's speaking to the watch on his wrist.

This approach differs radically from classic luxury watch advertising with close-ups of mechanisms and symbols of wealth. Dana Mosa-Bacha, Shinola's marketing director, explains the strategy: 90% of discussions with agency GentleForces focused on meaning rather than visuals. The goal is to communicate that time belongs to the wearer, not the device on the wrist.

Why brands are moving away from product close-ups

Shinola has existed since 2011, but never before launched integrated full-funnel campaigns. The shift came with the appointment of creative director Jonathan Bailey, who previously worked at Coach and Tiffany. The objective is to expand the brand beyond watch collector audiences and position the company as culturally relevant through storytelling with the human at its center.

The choice of Nicholas Braun is no accident: the actor is known for his role as Cousin Greg in "Succession"—a character who balances naivety and calculation in a world of the ultra-wealthy. In the show's pilot episode, there's a scene with expensive watches as a status symbol: "Every time you look at them, you know exactly how rich you are." Shinola deliberately subverts this narrative.

Braun was involved at every stage: from scriptwriting and location scouting to casting extras. This depth of involvement differs from standard celebrity integrations, where an agency shoots a ready-made script and the star shows up on shoot day. Mosa-Bacha emphasizes: the brand wasn't looking for an ambassador, but a co-author whose vision aligned with the company's values.

How content integration works across channels

"Set the Pace" was designed not as a video to be adapted for different platforms, but as a multi-format story from the outset. Shinola distributed its budget across the upper, middle, and lower funnel: content was created simultaneously for editorial placements, retail, PR, influencer marketing, paid media, and organic social presence.

When storytelling works properly, performance marketing becomes far more effective—each channel amplifies the others rather than competing for attention

Adapting content for platforms in this framework isn't simply cutting video to fit formats, but strategically designing content for each channel's objectives. For organic social, separate narrative elements were created; for influencers, a brief with room for their own interpretation of the theme of our relationship with time; for performance, creatives with direct calls-to-action, but maintaining the overall campaign tone.

Risks of emotional concepts without the product on screen

Shinola's strategy is built on delayed product reveal: viewers watch a nervous protagonist in a restaurant for 58 seconds, hearing accelerating ticking sounds, without understanding what it's about. Some call the video a "psychological thriller." The risk is losing attention before the payoff or failing to connect the narrative with the brand.

This approach works when a brand has recognition within its target audience or sufficient media budget for frequency. For Shinola, existing for 15 years with a loyal customer base, this is a calculated risk. For a young brand without a history, this strategy could result in lower direct response metrics.

Checklist: How to build a campaign around meaning, not product

• Define one central idea before developing creatives—for Shinola, it's "your time belongs to you." If the idea can't be expressed in one sentence, it's too vague for the funnel
• Choose an author/director whose values align with the message, not just a popular face—participation in creative decisions should be contractual
• Design content for every channel simultaneously, not sequentially—production should account for social formats, out-of-home, influencer integrations
• Allocate budget across the funnel before launch: determine spending for awareness (top), engagement (middle), and conversion (bottom)—brands with history can allocate more to awareness
• Plan for enough frequency to establish the narrative-brand connection—if the product appears only at the end, a single view won't work
• Prepare metrics for all funnel levels: reach and brand recall for top, watch time and engagement for middle, clicks and sales for bottom

What this means for the Russian market

In Russia, advertising for luxury watches is governed by general ad labeling requirements—disclosure of the promotional nature of influencer integrations and compliance with blogger ad placement rules. Emotional campaigns without obvious product on screen rarely trigger regulatory scrutiny, but require larger budgets for frequency to establish the brand-message connection.

Russian fashion and accessories brands (Qwerty, Traveler's Factory, Good Local) are testing similar approaches on social—short narrative videos with minimal product visibility. The limitation: most operate only on organic reach and micro-influencers due to budget constraints. Fully integrated campaigns with directors and actors remain the domain of major players.

Shinola's experience shows: with budget for multi-channel presence and willingness to hand over creative control to an external author, you can build communication around values rather than features. The key condition is measurable KPIs at each funnel level to prove the effectiveness of this approach.

Frequently asked questions

Is advertising without showing the product in the first frames effective

Effectiveness depends on contact frequency and brand recognition. Shinola revealed the product only in the final frame of a 60-second video, but compensated by distributing budget across the entire funnel and maintaining simultaneous presence in editorial content, PR, and with influencers. For a new brand without history, this strategy is risky—you need either a large budget for repetition or a recognizable face to hold attention until the payoff.

How do you measure results from storytelling campaigns vs. direct calls-to-action

Shinola uses metrics at all funnel levels: reach and brand recall for top, watch time and engagement (comments, saves) for middle, site visits and purchase conversion for bottom. The brand's marketing director states: when storytelling works properly, performance metrics grow alongside engagement—this requires analytics integration across all channels from day one.

Do you need celebrities as directors for advertising

Nicholas Braun participated not as an ambassador, but as a co-author—he influenced the script, visuals, and casting. This works when the celebrity's values align with the brand's message and there's willingness to delegate creative decisions. An alternative is working with independent directors whose portfolio reflects the desired tone, without paying for a celebrity name, but with the risk of less PR impact at campaign launch.