From prompt to national broadcast: Teaming up with ONLYCH1LD to bring Proofpoint AI to life.
Here’s a fun one.
I just directed my first AI commercial to air on broadcast television. No set. No crew. No craft services. Just a brief, a core of smart creatives, and the tools to make it real.
This comes on the heels of CDing a very beautiful, and traditionally crafted spot for MLB Japan, shot on location in Tokyo with the Fridman Sisters and Stink. If I had my choice and an unlimited budget, I would make films the old-school way every time.
Welcome to 2026. With one foot planted in the traditions of film craft, and the other under the desk in my AI-powered portable studio, I bring what I’ve learned from nearly 20 years of experience in advertising to this new frontier.
My early AI experiments, like my original AI sports comedy series, Deadball Academy, have brought me a series of interesting meetings. One with the San Francisco-based production company ONLYCH1LD.
It was from these talks that the opportunity to direct my first broadcast AI commercial popped up. The timeline was aggressive and the plan ambitious. But with ONLYCH1LD as steady, experienced, and enthusiastic partners, we took the plunge and immediately started production on a spot for Proofpoint, a leading cybersecurity company in Silicon Valley.
The vision for the spot was chaotic, comedic, and a little bit unhinged. An AI CEO walks calmly through an office under siege while Proofpoint’s agents extinguish fires, stop robbers, and prevent data theft, all with the energy of a Saturday morning cartoon directed by someone who grew up on Tony Scott.
Working with the team at ONLYCH1LD, the creative came together in a matter of weeks; a timeline that would have been impossible in traditional production. AI didn’t replace the creative process. It compressed it. The brief still needed a point of view. The script still needed a voice. And putting it together required a lot of human conversation.
After spending a couple of weeks “directing” the AI-actor, I had grown a little attached to that cluster of pixels. I even gave him a name: CLIFF DATAMAN. One thing led to another, and soon I had a full-on behind-the-scenes blooper reel, profiling Cliff Dataman’s “on-set” antics.
As I said, things got a little unhinged.
Via Ads of the World — Part of the Clio Network, March 2026:
ONLYCH1LD brings cybersecurity to life in its latest campaign for Proofpoint, turning an office under attack into a chaotic, comedic AI-powered spectacle. The fully AI-driven spot blends absurd humor with bold visual storytelling, showcasing how Proofpoint protects people, data and brands against cyberattacks.
“ONLYCH1LD has been a trusted creative partner for us, and they quickly understood the need to deliver something memorable that balanced humor with clear messaging,” shares Proofpoint CMO Joyce Kim. “Their team proposed a fast, intentionally over the top AI approach that allowed us to move quickly while still creating a bold piece that stands out.”
The campaign came together in just a few weeks following a marketing pivot by Proofpoint’s new CMO, who turned to ONLYCH1LD to reimagine messaging and tone. The :30 broadcast spot, currently airing on ESPN, features an AI CEO casually walking through a chaotic office while Proofpoint’s AI agents prevent data theft, extinguish fires and stop robbers in their tracks. ONLYCH1LD also produced a blooper reel and short clips for social media, giving audiences a look behind the scenes and amplifying the campaign’s absurd, cinematic humor.
“It’s funny, because I wasn’t really ‘on set,’ given a computer made this commercial. But had I been, I would’ve been thrilled with the commitment!” concludes ONLYCH1LD’s ECD Samuel Miller. “In reality, there was no reason to play it safe given the timeline and desire for memorability. We decided to go a bit over the top — or, as Oyl said, ‘bombastic.’ Oyl gave us the freedom to do that while still staying grounded in Proofpoint’s message. It ended up being this fun, controlled chaos — while still fully on brand. And kind of weirdly authentic in its humor.”
Andrew “Oyl” Miller is an advertising Creative Director and Copywriter. He spent 15 years working at Wieden+Kennedy on brands like Nike, PlayStation, MLB, Amazon and IKEA. You can follow his insights and updates on his newsletter.