On cult comedy “Detroiters,” Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson played a pair of creatives at a hapless local ad agency that makes low-budget TV ads for companies like Devereux Wigs and Husky Boys. While “Detroiters” only lasted two seasons, the pair — who also appear in Netflix’s “I Think You Should Leave” — have returned to adland on behalf of General Mills-owned brand Totino’s.

Launched last month, “Chazmo Goes Home” features Robinson and Richardson as two dads who help bid farewell to “Chazmo,” an E.T.-like extraterrestrial who has been living in Richardson’s garage and eating all of Robinson’s pizza rolls. The pair try to get paid back for the snacks — which retail at about 10 for a dollar — and argue about the alien’s name in 30-second spots. A two-minute cut amps up the Amblin as three kids take flashlights and make tearful goodbyes to Chazmo.

The campaign aired across streaming platforms, online video, social media and partner channels including Paramount, Hulu, Peacock and Vix. It also represented the next step in a yearslong partnership between Totino’s and agency Dentsu Creative that has sought to lean into humor.

“We're exploring an entertainment-first content approach by working closely with comedians,” said Taylor Roseberry, brand experience manager for Totino’s at General Mills. “We fell in love with [Tim and Sam’s] style of comedy, and we thought they would be an amazing fit for our strategic approach around really delivering comedy, but also reinforcing this value message.”

Getting the band together

With fans at both Dentsu and General Mills, the inclusion of Robinson and Richardson was “one of the easiest sell-ins that I've experienced as a creative,” said Alyssa Ollis, group creative director at Dentsu Group. 

“Their quick banter is just so signature for these guys,” Ollis said. “Their unfiltered self-awareness, how they go towards cultural truths and make such an absurd point of them… it was undeniable that it would be right for Totino’s.”

But if “Chazmo Goes Home” feels like “Detroiters” or “I Think You Should Leave,” it isn’t just because of its co-stars. The spots were created with writer Zach Kanin, co-creator of both shows, and director Alice Mathias, who worked on the latter. 

“The team behind this was perfectly collaborative. It was sort of like bringing the band back together,” Ollis said. “It was really inspiring to see them all come together and bring this cinematic, absurd style of comedy to life.” 

Filming the spot gave the brand and agency teams an opportunity to experience the chemistry and camaraderie between long-term friends and collaborators that has helped create two recent cult comedies, and now, an ad campaign.

“We were capturing audio, so we had to all behave and laugh between takes,” Ollis said. “They would keep the jokes going and laugh with each other, so it brought a real lightness to set, even though we were shooting everything in the pitch-dark middle of the night.”

Collaborating with a ready-made cast and crew gave the brand and agency team a chance to make sure the Totino’s product was integrated seamlessly and the value message articulated, but then step back and give the comedic crew room to do what they do best.

“Their comedy is just incredibly signature and effortless, and that's what makes their show so meme generating,” Ollis said. “It was an easy process, to be honest.”