Metabo HPT unveils Shop Class: Undercover

Launching from power tool pioneers Metabo HPT is Shop Class: Undercover, the hero short film for their new campaign Bring Back Shop Class. 

It was created by advertising agency Team One and directed by Hey Wonderful’s award-winning filmmaker Sam Cadman, renowned for his work in the real people/hidden camera genre.

As AI reshapes the future of work and automation accelerates across every industry, the jobs that can’t be outsourced or automated are the ones rising most in value. Yet even as the demand for skilled trades surges, shop class, once a staple of American education, has nearly vanished. It’s a glaring gap in a system where 42.5 million Americans owe $1.8 trillion in student debt and many young people are questioning whether the traditional college to corporate path still pays off.

That’s the cultural tension at the heart of Bring Back Shop Class, a new purpose-driven campaign from power tool brand Metabo HPT in collaboration with Team One that challenges students, parents and educators to rethink what success looks like after high school. It reframes the trades as ambitious, future-proof and successful careers powered by a new partnership with the Shop Class Foundation, a nonprofit that immerses students in framing, electrical, plumbing, and finishing as they collaborate on a fully functional tiny build each school year, gaining practical skills, confidence, and a pathway to the trades. Extending that mission further, the brand is also sponsoring a mobile shop class, providing materials, mentorship and professional-grade tools for students throughout the school year.

“Metabo HPT supports and celebrates our great tradespeople and their craftsmanship,” said Bill Wyman, Chief Marketing Officer, KOKI Group. “For too long, college has been framed as the primary route to a successful career. Bring Back Shop Class highlights the need for students to have a real-world path to build their future in the trades. Through our partnership with the Shop Class Foundation, we’re helping make that opportunity a reality for the next generation of builders.”

The campaign kicks off with Shop Class: Undercover, a hidden-camera short film where a young graduate and an improv actor go undercover, disguised with Hollywood-level makeup and pose as seasoned tradespeople on real job sites. Their craftsmanship and confidence win over unsuspecting homeowners, until a dramatic reveal shows they’re still teenagers. The film drives home a powerful message: when you give the next generation real training with real tools, you're not just giving them a path to the trades, but empowering them to build a future and legacy.

“Success isn’t just confined to corner offices, it’s also in the hands that build our communities,” said Jason Stinsmuehlen, Executive Creative Director Team One. “Alongside Metabo HPT, we’re reigniting the role of shop class and sparking a nationwide call to bring it back into public education. We’re challenging the next generation to see trades as they are: vital, opportunity-rich careers worth striving for, in an industry with more than 500,000 high-paying jobs waiting to be filled.”