Way back when film still meant celluloid, Directors’ pitches for TV commercials were a few paragraphs of writing. Really, that was it.

Then one day, some bright spark decided to add pictures. And so it began…

Hi there,

I’m Alf, Founder of The Moon Unit. I’ve been running this business for over 10 years. Over that time, we’ve secured over US$2 billion worth of TV commercial production budgets for our clients. More, for TV series and features.

We’re on an amazing journey. But it wasn’t always like this.

As a startup, The Moon Unit looked like more of a rock band with a radio station. For our first website we spent almost the entire budget (about $2,500 and slab of beer) on audio, space orchestras and sci fi SFX like those whooshy doors from early Star Trek and some irritating grating noises that sounded like a second-generation fax machine that needed a belt tightening. It was rubbish. People likely fell off their chairs laughing.

I wish I could say it was all some stroke of genius, or sudden flash of insight. Hand on heart, The Moon Unit was born out of necessity. Life happened.  I’d gone to film school. I’d been a TVC Director. I’d been an ad agency CD. Then I started ghost writing for politicians and a Prime Minister. It totally sucked.

TV Commercial Directors started coming to me asking me to write their treatments. They were great visual Directors, but they weren’t great Writers. I just tightened things up, polished some edges, tweaked a few things around, or just wrote stuff after having a chat. If I could express their ideas in clear, persuasive language the way they intended, then they started to win more pitches.

I got obsessed with the pitch process as a gateway. After all, Directors’ careers and a production company’s fortunes depend entirely on winning them. Turns out, thousands of other Directors have the same issues.

Once we got noticed, it all got a bit out of control. Frank Zappa’s daughter tried to sue us.

I hired another Writer. Then a Visual Researcher/ Designer. Then another ten, in other countries. Lift-off was intense. Fast-forward a few years and we’ve grown to a global family located in 10 time zones, working with the world’s top brands. And some visionary Directors who have pushed us to new levels of collaboration – you are absolute legends and we love working with you.

For several years running we’ve done more treatments than some of the world’s biggest production companies put together. We’re 10,000+ treatments in now and counting, each pitch unique, tailored specifically to the individual Director’s vision in every project.

But really, there are parts of that clunky first website that still appeal – perhaps it’s the desire to be different, to stand out, to disrupt.

The Moon Unit continues to push this category forward in innovative ways, leading the charge in bespoke digital and online pitches while throwing in thought leadership that defines our industry and our times.

We have so many people to thank on our trajectory, not least our multicultural, multilingual global family of amazing talent. But most of all in the competitive pitch market, we have a deep sense of responsibility, not just making winning easier, but while doing the good sh*t too which we consider to be table stakes in these times.

Thanks for reading and for working with us. We’re here for you, 24/7/365, around the world, around the clock, for the last decade and running. You can always contact me directly at alpha@themoonunit.com if you think we can do even better, or if you have any questions.

Kind regards,

Alf

Founder & CEO

TMU Ltd.