When it came to the first ad campaign for Emmerse, the relaxation app launched earlier this year by Vancouver creative director Mia Thomsett and producer, audio engineer Eric Mosher, writer/directors John Larigakis and Bill Hawley had a few thoughts.

They were all bad. Literally. The new 60-second spot, “Thoughts,” follows a character named Tom whose thoughts refuse to let him get on with his day. It shows a physical representation of his thoughts in the form of a thought cloud that’s, well, kind of a big jerk.

The spot shows John’s thoughts spilling a milkshake into his lap while he’s on a date; pulling his chair out from under him during a work meeting; kicking away a putt that’s headed for the hole, and crowding him while he’s riding the bus. “Your thoughts can get in the way,” reads the closing super. “Escape with Emmerse.”

Debuting next week on YouTube and Instagram, the spot was written and directed by Larigakis and Hawley, who recently launched their writing and directing company John&Bill Films.

The two had been looking for a suitable directing project, and the Emmerse ad represented a perfect opportunity, said Larigakis, who was previously creative director at Vancouver agency One Twenty Three West.

The two had previously worked together on several projects for clients including Bench Accounting and Logging More Than Trees. “We love cinematic, comedic work and incorporating surreal custom props into our projects,” said Larigakis.

“The concept came from real-life experiences I’ve had where thoughts pop up at the worst possible times,” added Larigakis. “Today with even more noise from work, news, and social media overlapping with everyday life, it’s been even harder to keep those thoughts at bay.”

John&Bill worked with production company Boldly, producer Angelica Stirpe and director of photography Jon Thomas to create the spot. Prop builder Nick Melchin, owner-operator of Vancouver’s Pro Modelbuilders, built the thought bubble character by hand. Sound design for the spot was done by Mosher.