Orkin's Puppets Are Awesome, But Such Pests

Let the summer extermination ritual begin!

You dirty rat!

It’s time to make a certain wiseguy rodent with underworld affectations an offer he can’t refuse.

And that would be extermination at the hands of Orkin professionals. Who, we’re told in DDB Chicago’s creature-filled campaign, are waaay smarter than household pests. (If they’re not, the human race is doomed. Even more than usual.)

Punchy puppetry delivers Orkin’s message in a quartet of spots that drop today.

First, menacing mosquitos meet their match:

“Working closely with Orkin’s team of entomologists allowed us to develop a campaign rooted in scientific accuracy, while bringing a distinct, creative, almost human-like edge to how we portray pests,” says agency CCO Colin Selikow. “The result is a visually striking and unexpected take on pest control that balances credibility with imaginative storytelling.”

Below, roaches get nicely toasted:

“We drew inspiration from those unforgettable old-school Orkin commercials featuring pests with big personalities,” GCD Amy Gozalka tells Muse. “We wanted to evolve that idea—bringing hyper-realistic, larger-than-life pests to the screen, each with a story to tell. These aren’t your average pests. They’re smart, self-assured and convinced your home is their rightful domain—until Orkin outsmarts them. “

“To tell this story with depth and humor, we gave each pest a fully developed backstory. They’re not cute; they’re cunning. Grown-up, gritty, and far too comfortable where they don’t belong.”

Case in point, here’s that villainous vermin:

“Every script is grounded in real behavioral facts—like how rats are expert burglars, cockroaches love beer and mosquitoes couldn’t care less about bug zappers. We took those insights and used them as launchpads for our stories,” Gozalka says.

They made termites, too, which ultimately lose their means of support:

Arch Model Studio, known for its Wes Anderson collabs, designed the creatures.

“Every mandible, antenna and hairy leg was crafted to be both scientifically accurate and wonderfully grotesque,” Gozalka says. “The process spanned two months, from sketching and sculpting to foam molding and final puppetry. And the result was four uniquely terrifying (and oddly charming) puppet stars.”

But wait, there’s more.

“We took things a step further by casting live-action actors for each character instead of using traditional voiceover talent,” she says. “This let us capture nuanced performances that matched the puppets’ personalities. Each line was recorded multiple ways and played during the shoot, helping the puppeteers sync movement and expression for maximum comedic impact.”

Directed by Arts & Sciences Adam Brodie and Dave Derewlany, the commercials will run through summer, including placements on NHL playoff games.