With great enthusiasm, New Look, one of Quebec’s most iconic eyewear brands, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. To mark this milestone, the company wanted to move away from traditional advertising and embrace a bolder, more cinematic form of storytelling.

The result is Before Seeing Clearly, a signature short film directed by Jean-Christophe “Jaycee” Pelchat and produced by Moonstruhk.

From the very first conversations between New Look’s marketing team and the director, a shared vision quickly emerged: tell a sincere, funny, and deeply human story where emotion takes center stage and the product naturally fades into the background.

The Concept

What if the infamous midlife crisis unfolded during a routine appointment with your optometrist?

Through what initially appears to be a simple eye exam, the questions meant to help someone find the perfect pair of glasses slowly become an unexpected exercise in self-reflection. The conversation evolves into a gentle, awkward, and humorous exchange, revealing that seeing clearly is about far more than eyesight.

“We wanted to capture the kindness you feel when you’re genuinely well advised. It’s similar to the relationship you develop with your barber—a place where you feel heard, understood, and comfortable. For me, it was important to showcase how the human approach of New Look and its employees creates that true safe space.”

Letting the Performances Lead

In its simplicity, the film unfolds within a single location, supported by deliberately restrained direction. Minimal camera movement and very few visual tricks allow the script and the performances to carry the emotional weight of the story.

After an extensive casting process, actress Mylène Mackay quickly emerged as the perfect choice. Her authenticity and sensitivity brought the nuance needed to make the character feel genuine and deeply relatable.

One Night of Filming

The production took place overnight inside a New Look store in Saint-Léonard, where the team transformed an everyday retail space into a cinematic setting.

Driven by an incredibly positive atmosphere and a shared desire to create something meaningful, the crew filmed throughout the night. The energy on set was made even more memorable by the Montreal Canadiens’ playoff victory that evening. A small television tucked away in the corner of the studio allowed everyone to keep an eye on the game between takes without ever losing the rhythm of production.

A Campaign That Embraces Bold Storytelling

Now released across New Look’s digital platforms and accompanied by a beautifully crafted Micromag produced by our friends at Urbania, Before Seeing Clearly has been met with an overwhelmingly positive response.

By choosing the format of a short film instead of a conventional commercial, New Look once again demonstrates its commitment to innovation and to telling stories that genuinely resonate with people. It is a bold, thoughtful, and emotionally driven initiative that perfectly reflects the brand’s identity.

At Moonstruhk, these are the projects that inspire us most: creating work where advertising borrows the language of cinema to leave a lasting emotional impression long after the credits roll.

Watch the short film here.