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Squarespace’s 'Dream It, Domain It' Campaign: Key Findings
- Squarespace reframes domain selection as a creative identity decision, showing how naming can be as expressive as visual design.
- High-fashion visuals and music-video pacing replace product demos, aligning with Squarespace's creative decision to steer clear of utilitarian SaaS storytelling.
- In the face of growing skepticism toward AI-driven ads, the campaign relies on human craft and cinematic control to build its audience's trust.
Campaign Snapshot
Squarespace wants you to know that the first step to building a brand starts with a memorable web address.
The web domain platform just launched its new “Dream It, Domain It" campaign, reframing domain names as more than technical necessities.
The hero film was directed by PRETTYBIRD’s Bradley & Pablo and developed by the company's in-house creative team.
It plays like a high-fashion editorial with polished, cinematic visuals that put entrepreneurs front and center.
Its goal is to change perceptions about domain buying, especially after Squarespace’s 2023 acquisition of the Google Domains business introduced millions of new customers to its platform.
“Our task was simple: create a campaign that positions Squarespace as the best place to claim your corner of the internet," Squarespace GCD Mathieu Zarbatany told LBB.
The film highlights a range of more than 400 top-level domains, from .dance to .coach, .video, and .rock, showing how creative domain endings can reflect the personality and purpose of a business.
"Today, every idea begins online, and your domain is your identity," Zarbatany added.
"These new endings let people express their purpose directly in their name. The message is simple but powerful: your domain should be as unique as your business."
This focus on expressive domains ties into Squarespace’s effort to sharpen its brand identity as a one-stop destination for entrepreneurs.
It combines website building, hosting, commerce tools, and more into a single platform.
Aleksey Gureiev, technical lead at software design and development agency Shakuro, tells DesignRush this reflects how foundational choices affect the entire build process.
"When creators take naming seriously from the start, it usually shows up later in the structure of the site. You see more intention in layout, navigation, and content hierarchy.
A clear domain often leads to clearer design decisions, which makes the whole site easier to build, evolve, and maintain."
How the Spots Unfold
The “Dream It, Domain It” hero film plays out much like a music video.
Each vignette opens with a creative professional in a dreamlike, real-world setting reminiscent of haute couture shoots.
As the catchy original track drives the rhythm, viewers see dancers, SFX artists, stonemasons, and other entrepreneurs brought to life in vivid, stylish portraits that reflect their chosen domains.
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Scenes unfold with almost surreal beauty, blurring the line between high fashion and small business storytelling.
For example, one sequence shows a performer in movement-filled frames that mirror the boldness of the ".dance" domain.
Meanwhile, another captures the meticulous handiwork of a craftsperson against a backdrop that feels equally artistic and aspirational.
The campaign’s media rollout spans digital video, connected TV in the U.S., paid search, and social channels across the U.S., U.K., and Canada.
It hopes to tap into platforms where emerging founders and side hustlers are actively building their audiences.
Lessons From Squarespace’s Domain Positioning
Squarespace’s “Dream It, Domain It” teaches us the importance of connecting functional product features to authentic self-expression. Here, we learn that:
- Turning technical offerings like domains into personal stories helps humanize a SaaS brand and connect emotionally with makers.
- Integrated campaigns that use fashion-style visuals and music can stand out from the competition without relying on gimmicks.
- Broad media distribution across digital and CTV ensures that a focused message reaches both mainstream and niche audiences.
Squarespace reported surpassing $1.2 billion in revenue in 2024, driven by subscriptions, domain services, and commerce tools that support entrepreneurs and small businesses online.
Our Take: Is Humanizing Stories the Blueprint?
AI and automation have reshaped how ads look, but audiences are growing skeptical of work that feels artificial or detached.
I see this Squarespace campaign as a fresh counterpoint with its use of high-fashion aesthetics and human stories rather than generic generative visuals.
In a climate where brands like Coca-Cola and McDonald’s leaned on AI for ads, moving toward artistry and personality feels like a return to what truly connects.
To break through, marketers should focus on the real people and genuine ambitions behind the technology they’re selling.
In other news, Xbox recently launched a tribute spot to close the year, featuring their most popular games to spark nostalgia among its audience.
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