Just a few months in the past, the oldsters on the McCann Erickson (one the biggest promoting companies on the planet), reached out to us. They mentioned they have been engaged on a Microsoft tv marketing campaign, showcasing how actual folks use PCs to realize their ardour, they usually thought HoneyTrek could possibly be match. Flattered and flabbergasted, we began an intense interview course of, and three months later we’re on nationwide TV! The entire expertise from begin to current has been extremely humbling and completely surreal…right here’s the way it all went down.
HoneyTrek started as a grand thought to honeymoon around the globe, immerse ourselves in different cultures, search life-changing adventures, and encourage different folks to assume past their nation’s borders. Having ditched our desk jobs to observe our dream, we run HoneyTrek from our “satellite tv for pc places of work” (aka. seashore chairs, bus stations, housesits, ferry boats, jungle huts, and so forth.) All we want is a laptop computer and one another to arrange HoneyTrek HQ.
After a couple of rounds of Skype calls with then McCann and Microsoft groups, they mentioned they needed us to check out the brand new Dell XPS 13, loaded with Home windows 10. Attempting to include our pleasure, we despatched them our mailing deal with in Mazatlan, Mexico. Their electronic mail reply (on a Friday) mentioned, “Thanks for the deal with. The Senior Supervisor and Director of International Promoting can be arriving on Tuesday.” Wait, what? They flew their higher administration from Seattle to Mazatlan (completely loopy facet notice: Seattle & Mazatlan are literally Sister Cities…should be destiny!) to hand-deliver and arrange our computer systems in individual! We spent the subsequent three weeks exploring the newest Home windows options (Microsoft Edge, Cortana private assistant, Common Apps, 3D Maps…to call a couple of) and placing the laptops by means of the HoneyTrek ringer (7-hour bus rides, sun-drenched work areas, running a blog marathons, and so forth.) and it handed with flying colours. One factor led to the subsequent and earlier than we knew it, we have been on a firstclass flight to LA to shoot a TV industrial.
We pulled as much as the gates of Common Studios, and it was buzzing with digicam crews, set builders, present runners, and glamorous folks. A person with a RSA Movies badge walked as much as us, “Are you guys HoneyTrek?” With a mega model like Microsoft we knew this wasn’t going to be a ragtag crew, however we didn’t notice they employed among the best manufacturing firms on the planet. RSA stands for Ridley Scott Associates; he’s the Academy Award Profitable director of Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, The Martian, and a dozen extra acclaimed movies. He has an unbelievable group, together with his son and director for our industrial, Jake Scott. You’ve seen Jake’s work…the Budweiser “Merely Put” Tremendous Bowl advert with Helen Mirran, Johnny Walker’s “Gentleman’s Wager” with Jude Legislation, and music movies for U2, REM, Radiohead, and lots extra. No stress, HoneyTrek.
We have been escorted to Wardrobe for a becoming with the 2 costume designers. Kim and David had been finding out our “fashion” from photographs and movies over the previous week and choosing outfits to match. That they had us attempt on and {photograph} a dozen completely different appears, incorporating a few of our favourite private equipment, till we had strong choices to point out Jake. Pink linen gown, a beaded bracelet from Mazatlan, and leather-based sandals for Anne and a few weathered Carhartts, a short-sleeve button-down, and the signature inexperienced hat for Mike.
We tried to get night time sleep however all of the nerves and pleasure woke me up at 4am, so I made a decision to go to the gymnasium. I stroll out of our resort room on the seventeenth flooring of the Common Sheraton and I practically jumped out of my pores and skin…and so did Bernie Sanders’ aides. It was election day in California and The Bern was staying two doorways down from us! However I digress…I did some yoga, had some breakfast, then we obtained picked up at 6am for hair, make-up, and nails. How glamorous!
Primped and preened, the Assistant Producer escorted us to Stage 4. In an area the dimensions of an airplane hangar, there have been over 100 folks…organising lights, sound, cameras, and props for the “HoneyTrek Impressed” set. We rounded the nook, and everybody paused to stare at us. Gulp.
It was fairly intimidating having all these folks and large cameras round, however Jake, together with his laid-back vibe and disarming English accent, one way or the other made us really feel comfy. He sat on the fringe of the stage and simply requested us questions on HoneyTrek and the way we use our tech. They didn’t give us a script…in actual fact, they barely gave us any information about what we’d be doing to maintain our responses additional pure. We simply riffed on journey and walked them by means of how we edit photographs, compile movies, do social media, and submit blogs. Not gonna lie, it was nonetheless fairly intense however so cool that they trusted us to shoot from the hip.
We made it to lunchtime, phew! We don’t understand how individuals who work on these high-profile units don’t get fats. Lunch was a smorgasbord, the meals truck was all the time open, and the crafts service group delivered gourmand snacks each couple hours…and we cherished each minute of it.
As soon as we accomplished the shot checklist of nitty gritty stuff, they’d us share the tales behind a few of our favourite journey treasures. With Maasai spears, Japanese Kabuki masks, Bolivian miners lamps, and Tibetan Cow Bells, we had somewhat enjoyable with props…if solely I knew they’d use the footage of my bell booty shake on TV!
Because the movie crew deconstructed their gear, a 12-person picture group arrived for the nonetheless photographs. Along with what’s on Microsoft’s web site proper now, we is perhaps in some print advertisements around the globe. (That they had me placed on a sweater so it may run within the Center East.)
Our Home windows 10 TV Business
After we shot the industrial, McCann advised us there was no assure it will air on TV. They requested us a couple of follow-up questions over the subsequent two months however nonetheless gave no indication if and when it will run. Then final week, we get an electronic mail saying: “It’s airing on Monday, don’t inform a soul!” We have been bursting on the seams and in a state of whole amazement that 10 hours of intense filming could possibly be culled into 30 lovely seconds.
With a lot footage and so many platforms to share it on, the group really made three variations of the spot. Right here’s one of many 15-second clips you may even see round social media or Hulu.
We’re so grateful for this chance to work with such a proficient group and revered model. We hope we did everyone proud!
