Tommy Wiseau Takes on Bad Actors for 1Password’s Cheeky Ad

Ahead of Change Your Password Day on Feb. 1, password management software 1Password and Ryan Reynolds’ agency Maximum Effort have teamed up again to help consumers protect themselves from bad actors ready to steal their data. And who better to embody that mission than a spokesperson who knows a thing or two about bad acting?

In a hilariously meta ad, Tommy Wiseau–the eccentric director, actor and producer best known for the critically lambasted film turned unlikely cult classic, The Room—pokes fun at his own notoriety as a cinematic hack to raise awareness of real-life hackers online.

“As an established director, it’s my job to protect audiences from bad actors,” Wiseau says unironically in the film. He chides an actor for their inauthentic typing style and seizes the computer to conduct his own “heist,” via a comically short getaway ride on a cart to a faux coffee shop inside a soundstage. 

Wiseau then goes on to extol the benefits of 1Password’s software, explaining how it keeps business data safe from bad actors online who easily steal data through unsecured networks. He then proceeds to give a bad acting masterclass with a scene-chewing performance involving a “hot” cup of coffee. And for reasons unexplained (except as an easter egg for Wiseau fans), a live tiger appears on-set.

Directed by Brian Rowland and produced by Really Original, the spot launches Jan. 31 and will run through March 27 on linear broadcast, streaming, digital and social media, and news sites including CNN, USA Today and ABC News.

Making data privacy a laughing matter 

While the threat of identity theft or fraud is far from a laughing matter, many software services in data protection have recently embraced storytelling that adds levity to offset the otherwise serious subject matter.

In another campaign for 1Password last year, Maximum Effort co-founder Ryan Reynolds brought his signature self-deprecating schtick to a role in which his assistant rattles off fake passwords using iterations of his name.

CashApp launched an ad during the holiday season mocking the absurdly obvious phishing scam scripts used to target unsuspecting consumers through their emails and text messages.

And earlier this month, McAfee began a campaign to address rising online safety concerns as increasingly more sophisticated scams—such as those using AI powered deep-fake technology—pose ongoing threats to data privacy.