The Blaze: Territory
The Blaze sought to launch their debut EP by creating a visual identity that transcended standard music promotion. They tasked Iconoclast with producing a film that would establish the duo as serious filmmakers and musicians, targeting a global creative audience by exploring themes of home and identity through a lens of raw, emotional realism.
Creative Idea
Replaced aggressive male stereotypes with a vulnerable, cinematic homecoming story set in Algiers.
The Blaze redefined the music video as a cinematic exploration of modern masculinity, using a raw homecoming narrative in Algiers to replace aggressive stereotypes with a vulnerable, poetic display of male emotion and physical expression.
The Gorilla Pose and the Prodigal Son
A Casting Call on the Sidewalk
The project’s emotional weight rests on Dali Benssalah, who was discovered by the directors while he was smoking a cigarette outside a casting office. Before he became a global star in the James Bond franchise as the villain Primo in *No Time to Die*, he was a former boxing champion and theater actor. To test his range, the Alric cousins asked him two specific questions: "Can you do the gorilla?" and "Can you cry?" He performed both on the spot, securing the lead role. His real - life boxing background allowed for the rhythmic shadow - boxing sequences to be performed in perfect sync with the track’s synthesizers without digital manipulation.
The Ping - Pong Creative Process
The Blaze operates through a unique "ping - pong" methodology where the music and film are developed simultaneously. Rather than scoring a finished film, the duo allows visual ideas to dictate the song’s structure and vice versa. This fusion resulted in a viral phenomenon that transcended the music industry, earning public praise from Oscar - winning director Barry Jenkins. The film’s most iconic moment - the chest - beating "gorilla" finale - was not a scripted metaphor for toxic masculinity, but a reference to a private game Guillaume Alric’s brother played with his children.
Redefining the Arab Narrative
Filmed entirely in Algiers with production support from Deux Horloges, the campaign became a landmark for the "New Sincerity" movement. It challenged Western media tropes by depicting Arab men through a lens of vulnerability, affection, and "poetic masculinity." This shift in perspective resonated globally, driving the video to over 144 million views on YouTube and establishing Iconoclast as a powerhouse for high - craft cinematic storytelling.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
A duo that simultaneously produces music and film, ensuring a seamless, visceral fusion of sound and image.
Category
Music videos often rely on flashy aesthetics or aggressive posturing to capture attention in a crowded digital space.
Customer
Young audiences craved authentic, emotionally resonant stories that reflected the complex reality of identity and belonging.
Culture
A global shift toward 'New Sincerity' and the deconstruction of traditional, rigid definitions of masculinity.
Company
A duo that simultaneously produces music and film, ensuring a seamless, visceral fusion of sound and image.
Category
Music videos often rely on flashy aesthetics or aggressive posturing to capture attention in a crowded digital space.
Strategy:
Challenge cultural stereotypes by centering vulnerability and emotional intimacy within traditionally hyper-masculine or marginalized social contexts.
Customer
Young audiences craved authentic, emotionally resonant stories that reflected the complex reality of identity and belonging.
Culture
A global shift toward 'New Sincerity' and the deconstruction of traditional, rigid definitions of masculinity.
Strategy:
Challenge cultural stereotypes by centering vulnerability and emotional intimacy within traditionally hyper-masculine or marginalized social contexts.
Results
The campaign achieved massive global scale with over 144 million views on YouTube and more than 174 million plays on YouTube Music. It became a viral sensation within the creative industry, earning public endorsements from Academy Award-winning director Barry Jenkins and Romain Gavras. The project was one of the most awarded music videos in history, winning the prestigious Grand Prix for Film Craft at the 2017 Cannes Lions, where it famously defeated the 'We're The Superhumans' campaign. Additional accolades include a D&AD Wood Pencil, Best Director at the Berlin Music Video Awards, and inclusion in the Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors' Showcase. The campaign successfully launched the career of lead actor Dali Benssalah, who later became a James Bond villain, and established The Blaze as a top-tier creative force, leading to their signing for major commercial work.
144M+
YouTube Views
174M+
YouTube Music Plays
Grand Prix
Cannes Lions Film Craft Winner
Strategy Technique
Attack a Cultural Blind Spot
It challenges the Western media's stereotypical portrayal of Arab men by highlighting tenderness, tears, and familial intimacy, filling a void in authentic cultural representation.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Story-Driven Campaign
The campaign uses a powerful 'prodigal son' narrative to create an emotional connection, allowing the music and visuals to evolve together through a deeply personal, cinematic storytelling lens.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
The campaign is a masterclass in 'New Sincerity,' blending raw cinematic realism with a deeply rhythmic, synchronized relationship between sound and visual storytelling.
Benoit Soler captures the Algiers landscape and intimate human moments with a raw, poetic texture that redefines modern masculinity.
The track was developed simultaneously with the film in a 'ping-pong' process, ensuring every beat and synth line mirrors the emotional arc.
Dali Benssalah delivers a powerhouse performance, utilizing his real-life boxing skills and emotional range to portray vulnerability and strength.
The rhythmic pacing perfectly aligns physical movements, like the iconic chest-beating finale, with the electronic production.
The 'ping-pong' creative process allowed the music and film to evolve together, creating a rare, seamless fusion where the visuals dictate the song's structure and vice versa.
