Connor Storrie’s Verizon advertisement, directed by Nia DaCosta, has been named one of Ad Age’s best ads of 2026 so far.
The nearly five-minute horror short, titled “Look Behind You,” stars Storrie as a young man staying alone in a remote cabin, where a series of increasingly unsettling events begins to unfold around him. As the tension builds, the film ultimately delivers Verizon’s message: its service remains available even in the most remote locations.
In its selection, Ad Age highlighted Verizon’s decision to release the entertaining horror short at the right moment, while describing Storrie as “a young actor enjoying lots of attention for ‘Heated Rivalry.’”
The publication also singled out DaCosta, who made her brand directorial debut with the campaign, and praised the commercial for effectively showcasing both Storrie as an emerging talent and Verizon’s core benefit.
The recognition comes as Storrie continues to attract international attention following his breakout role as Ilya Rozanov in Heated Rivalry.
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Host: “If you’re in any kind of crisis, who do you listen to?”
Hudson: “A crisis about the industry is always Connor. Yeah, because we kind of were put born through it together, right? So it’s, like, ‘Wow, this part of the fame, or this part of the noise, is really affecting me this way.’ I’ll go to him, and he goes, ‘That is the exact same as me" ,with him about that quickly feels not alone .
Hudson Williams on " The Grumpy Thespian 3 "
"The Whole Damn Book", Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series • #ConnorStorrie as Host • #SaturdayNightLive • Host: Connor Storrie • NBC • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video #Emmys2026