You’d think it would be risky to give pests personalities given that the aim is promote killing them, but Louie the Fly has been killed by Mortein in Australia since 1957. Now Orkin has given mosquitoes, cockroaches, rats and termites unexpectedly charming personalities, humour and smarts. DDB Chicago’s new campaign for the pest control brand, Pests are Smart, Orkin Pros are Smarter, highlights the surprisingly clever way pests sneak into our homes and businesses – and the even smarter Orkin Pros who stop them in their tracks.
The pest stars are Wes Anderson team’s handcrafted-designed puppets. Their voices come from Brian Huskey, Hugh Scott, and Chris Candy, son of comedy legend, John Candy. Their stories are built from real entomological facts that show how cunning pests can be – until they run into an Orkin Pro.
“With this campaign, we wanted to spotlight just how smart and well-trained our Orkin Pros really are,” stated Cam Glover, vice president of marketing at Orkin USA. “So, we mixed real pest facts with a little puppet magic to bring each scenario to life. The result? A fun, memorable way to show how Orkin delivers serious know-how—and serious peace of mind—to every home and business we serve.”
“Working closely with Orkin’s team of entomologists allowed us to develop a campaign rooted in scientific accuracy, while bringing a distinct, creative, almost human-like edge to how we portray pests,” added Colin Selikow, CCO at DDB Chicago. “The result is a visually striking and unexpected take on pest control that balances credibility with imaginative storytelling.”
The campaign will run through the end of September 2025 in the US, with major placements during the upcoming NHL playoffs and championship games.
Credits:
Client: Orkin USA
President: Pat Chrzanowski
Vice President: Cam Glover
Marketing Directors: Brian Harrison, Lia Vaughn & Andrew Foster
Marketing Managers: Devika Mathur & Khadijah Abe
Entomologists: Ian Williams & Benjamin Hottel
Creative Agency: DDB Chicago
Chief Executive Officer: Caroline Winterton
Chief Creative Officer: Colin Selikow
Group Creative Directors: Amy Gozalka & Katie Bero
Creative Directors: Jeff Hodgson, Eli Ferrer & Ross Saunders
Producer: John Paul Ward
Business Lead: Samantha Olis
Account Executive: Charlie Sorrells
Head of Strategy: Jaime Mcgill
Strategy Director: Lucy Remitz
Strategist: Abby Dehyle
Production Manager: Ericka Lynn Svenonius
