You know Danny Trejo as the tattooed, machete-wielding tough guy who doesn’t flinch in a firefight. But in a hilarious new ad from Leo Chicago for Huggies, the Hollywood hardman trades grit for giggles—and cuddles up to a pack of lambs.
The spot, promoting Huggies’ new and improved Snug & Dry diapers, leans into Trejo’s famously rugged persona only to completely upend it. The setup? A baby’s first birthday party. Trejo casually rips a piñata in half, crushes oranges into a juice glass with one hand—pure alpha energy. But when he touches a Snug & Dry diaper? The world stops. Cue soft lighting, baaing lambs, and angelic music as Trejo is overcome by the product’s “unexpected softness.”
It’s a surreal, laugh-out-loud moment that ends with Trejo snapping back to reality—caressing the diaper mid-party while everyone looks on, stunned. Trying to recover, he quickly slips back into his steely persona. But the damage is done. The man’s been moved. Watch below:
“We are thrilled to be working with the legendary Danny Trejo,” said Andrea Zahumensky, North American president of baby and child care at Kimberly-Clark (and a mom of three). “While immediately recognized as the ultimate tough guy, Danny is anything but. His presence adds a delightful surprise and helps us bring to life just how soft the new and improved Huggies Snug & Dry really is.”
Produced by Leo Chicago, the campaign takes a playful swipe at the conventions of diaper ads—and lands the punch. It’s not every day you see a man who once played Machete snuggling imaginary lambs for a baby brand. But when softness is the name of the game, even the toughest guys melt.
And yes, the diapers really are that soft. Don’t ask how we know.
CREDITS:
CLIENT: Huggies
- Patricia Corsi, Chief Growth Officer
- Luiz Sanches, Global Chief Creative and Design Officer
- Andrea Zahumensky, President, Personal Care North America
- Gustavo Sarkis, Global Creative Lead
- Matt Baresi, Vice President / General Manager Diapers
- Justin Reekie, Head of Brand Management
- Jen Kasmarick, Director of Creative, Content & Design
- Evan Scanzera, Sr Brand Manager, Integrated Brand Experience – Huggies
- Erin Greitens, Brand Manager
- Lauren Gavel, Project Manager, Marketing Operations KCNA
- Alison Tidwell, Strategic Consultant
CREATIVE AGENCY: Leo Chicago
- Kate Jeffers, Chief Executive Officer
- Luiz Sanches, Global Chief Creative and Design Officer
- Andrea Zahumensky, President, Personal Care North America
- Gustavo Sarkis, Global Creative Lead
- Matt Baresi, Vice President / General Manager Diapers
- Justin Reekie, Head of Brand Management
- Jen Kasmarick, Director of Creative, Content & Design
- Evan Scanzera, Sr Brand Manager, Integrated Brand Experience – Huggies
- Erin Greitens, Brand Manager
- Lauren Gavel, Project Manager, Marketing Operations KCNA
- Alison Tidwell, Strategic Consultant
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Epoch Media Group
- Matias & Mathias, Director
- Melissa Culligan, Partner & Managing Executive Producer
- Megan Murphree, Senior Executive Producer
- Ritu Paramesh, Producer
COLOR/FINISH: Harbor
- Warwick Hewitt, Executive Producer
- Tia Perkins, Head of Production
- Sebastian Greene, Senior Producer
- Oisín O’Driscoll, Colorist
- Joni Brandenburg, Colorist
- Brad Martin, Producers
- Nadia Dabibi, Executive Producer, Advertising Color
- Vivian Kim, AFX Designer
- Melissa Graff, Flame Lead
- Felipe Passarini, Compositor
EDIT: Arcade Edit NY
- Fernando Raigoza, Editor
- Lee Bacak, Assistant Editor
- Adam Becht, Executive Producer
- Alexa Berman, Head of Production
- Wendy Umanzor, Producer
Audio: PXP Studios
- Jenny McDonald, Executive Producer
- Jason Ryan, Mixer
Media Agency: Spark Foundry
PR: Alison Brod Marketing + Communications
Talent: Danny Trejo
ALSO READ:
Leo Chicago boards Southwest Airline’s creative lineup
