Tool’s Justin Chancellor channels his inner child in must-watch promo for his signature Cry Baby

It’s rare that we would describe a gear ad as essential viewing, but Dunlop has come pretty close in its promo for Justin Chancellor’s signature Cry Baby wah. 

We don’t want to give too much away, but the ad combines high production quality, a spurious Christmas story and an amusing script. Watch it now if you don’t want any further spoilers...

In particular, we admire the long list of tongue-in-cheek manufacturers’ claims inserted by Dunlop, including “Dunlop USA is a better pedal company than anyone else”, “Dunlop products don’t just fight plaque but the tartar-based enzymes that lead to gum disease”, “Justin Chancellor will personally teach you tantric yoga lessons”, “Dunlop reserves the right to be a tax free religion and “Tool totally endorsed this ad as a band. They actually did not, so don’t tell them. They are mysterious.”

We’d also like to congratulate Mrs Chancellor on her screen debut. 

Of course, it helps that the Tool man is so gamely involved, and also that Chancellor’s signature Cry Baby pedal –  loaded as it is with custom filters and a built-in fuzz box – looks capable of a comparable combination of chaos and fun. 

Dunlop has developed some form in high production ads for its products, even going back as far as 2016, its (considerably straighter-laced) MXR Reverb promo had viewers commenting on its beauty. 

As one user suggested with the alternative title: “How to Sell a Reverb Pedal to People Who Already Own Reverb Pedals”, Dunlop seems to understand the power of marketing. As such, we can imagine Santa might indeed be dishing out a few Justin Chancellor Cry Babys come December.

For more information on the Justin Chancellor Cry Baby Wah, head to the Dunlop site.