Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort and Autodesk Honor Fictitious Film Icon ‘Otto Desć’ in an Unexpected Oscars® Moment

Multi-spot campaign highlights the software that helps create Hollywood magic, featuring writer/director Elizabeth Banks, acting legend Ron Perlman, Academy Award winning VFX Supervisor, Paul Lambert, and Academy Award nominated Cinematographer, Mandy Walker

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On the entertainment industry’s biggest night, Ryan Reynolds’ creative agency Maximum Effort honored Otto Desć, an influential, groundbreaking … and entirely made up … Hollywood legend and icon. True to Maximum Effort’s irreverent approach to branding, the spots debuted on Oscar® night to drive awareness for Autodesk, the leader in design & make software. Autodesk’s technology helps Hollywood’s elite creatives and innovators - as well as architects, engineers, students and more - make anything. Kimmelot and Maximum Effort, with Kimmelot’s Dan Sanborn orchestrated the creative partnership between Maximum Effort and the Oscars® coinciding with Jimmy Kimmel hosting the show.

“Maximum Effort loves playing with the cultural landscape, and the Oscars are a major cultural event,” said Ryan Reynolds. “Autodesk has been a secret weapon for Hollywood’s artists for decades, and what better way to highlight that than to create a fake man of vaguely Germanic descent to receive an award that doesn’t exist? Huge thanks to my Definitely, Maybe co-star Elizabeth Banks, the legendary Ron Perlman as well as Mandy Walker and Paul Lambert for taking serious stuff so unseriously. Also if you’re thinking Otto Desć looks suspiciously like Academy Award nominee and Free Guy VFX Supe Swen Gillberg, you’d be wrong. No further questions.”

The three-part ad series that ran during last night’s Oscars® broadcast on ABC introduced viewers to Otto Desćinsk, known to his friends as Otto Desć. Though we don’t know much about the mysterious Otto, a second spot gives the viewer a look inside the impact he has had on his peers in Hollywood including Writer/Director Elizabeth Banks (Cocaine Bear, Pitch Perfect and Reynolds’ Definitely, Maybe Co-Star), Actor Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Beauty & The Beast, Sons of Anarchy), Academy Award winning VFX Supervisor Paul Lambert (Dune, Blade Runner 2049) and Academy Award nominated Cinematographer Mandy Walker (Elvis).

In the third and final spot, Otto Desć is finally revealed - ‘Otto Desć’ is actually a software technology product, Autodesk.

The full mockumentary can be viewed here.

“Autodesk is how the world gets designed and made — including the beautiful films that delight and inspire us all. The Oscars® are a night to celebrate the biggest names in Hollywood, so we're thrilled to celebrate the design and technology from Autodesk that makes this magic possible in such a fun and creative way. And with this campaign, we’re re-introducing our inspiring company tagline -- two words that effectively say it all: Make Anything,” said Dara Treseder, Chief Marketing Officer, Autodesk. “I’m grateful to have worked with our agency partner, Ryan Reynold’s Maximum Effort, to tell the incredible story of Autodesk’s impact — both on the big screen, and in the world.”

This Oscars® moment between Maximum Effort, Kimmelot and Autodesk follows the success of The Walking Dead series finale campaign in which Maximum Effort, Kimmelot & AMC Content Studios resurrected four, previously killed off characters across five creative ads. Autodesk was one of five participating brands in the #WalkingDeadvertising campaign alongside Deloitte, DoorDash, MNTN and Ring.

More at OttoDesc.com

ABOUT MAXIMUM EFFORT:

Maximum Effort makes movies, tv series, content and cocktails for the personal amusement of Hollywood Star Ryan Reynolds. We occasionally share them with the general public. Producers of the Deadpool films, Free Guy, The Adam Project and Welcome to Wrexham.

ABOUT AUTODESK:

Autodesk is changing how the world is designed and made. Our technology spans architecture, engineering, construction, product design, manufacturing, media and entertainment, empowering innovators everywhere to solve challenges big and small. From greener buildings to smarter products to more mesmerizing blockbusters, Autodesk software helps our customers to design and make a better world for all. For more information visit autodesk.com or follow @autodesk. #MakeAnything

ABOUT KIMMELOT:

Established in 2018, Kimmelot serves as Jimmy Kimmel’s creative lab, developing and producing television, digital programming, films, mobile applications, and products. Kimmelot is a collaboration with Wheelhouse. Brent Montgomery is CEO of Wheelhouse; Scott Lonker serves as Kimmelot President.

Kimmelot current productions include the upcoming ABC series, “The Prank Panel,” the hit ABC game show “Generation Gap” starring Kelly Ripa, VICE TV’s “Super Maximum Retro Show,” "Mark Rober’s Revengineers" for Discovery, ABC’s multiple Emmy^® Award-winning "Live in Front of a Studio Audience” specials with Norman Lear, and a 21st season of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Recent Kimmelot productions include “Crank Yankers” for Comedy Central, the four-part ESPN documentary “Once Upon a Time in Queens” about the 1986 New York Mets and ABC’s “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.”