Just a few months in the past, the parents on the McCann Erickson (one the biggest promoting companies on the planet), reached out to us. They stated they had been engaged on a Microsoft tv marketing campaign, showcasing how actual folks use PCs to attain their ardour, they usually thought HoneyTrek could possibly be an excellent 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 suppose past their nation’s borders. Having ditched our desk jobs to observe our dream, we run HoneyTrek from our “satellite tv for pc workplaces” (aka. seaside 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 number of rounds of Skype calls with then McCann and Microsoft groups, they stated they needed us to check out the brand new Dell XPS 13, loaded with Home windows 10. Making an attempt to include our pleasure, we despatched them our mailing deal with in Mazatlan, Mexico. Their e mail reply (on a Friday) stated, “Thanks for the deal with. The Senior Supervisor and Director of World Promoting shall be arriving on Tuesday.” Wait, what? They flew their higher administration from Seattle to Mazatlan (completely loopy aspect notice: Seattle & Mazatlan are literally Sister Cities…have to 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 number of) and placing the laptops by way 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 had been on a firstclass flight to LA to shoot a TV business.
We pulled as much as the gates of Common Studios, and it was buzzing with digital camera 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 understand they employed probably the greatest manufacturing corporations on the planet. RSA stands for Ridley Scott Associates; he’s the Academy Award Successful director of Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, The Martian, and a dozen extra acclaimed movies. He has an unbelievable crew, together with his son and director for our business, 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 many extra. No stress, HoneyTrek.
We had been escorted to Wardrobe for a becoming with the 2 costume designers. Kim and David had been learning our “model” from images and movies over the previous week and deciding on outfits to match. That they had us strive on and {photograph} a dozen totally different appears, incorporating a few of our favourite private equipment, till we had strong choices to point out Jake. Crimson linen costume, 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 an excellent evening sleep however all of the nerves and pleasure woke me up at 4am, so I made a decision to go to the health club. I stroll out of our lodge room on the seventeenth ground of the Common Sheraton and I almost 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 acquired 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 scale 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, along with his laid-back vibe and disarming English accent, by some means made us really feel comfortable. 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 data about what we’d be doing to maintain our responses further pure. We simply riffed on journey and walked them by way of how we edit images, compile movies, do social media, and publish 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 know the way 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 crew delivered gourmand snacks each couple hours…and we cherished each minute of it.
As soon as we accomplished the shot listing 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 just a little 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 crew arrived for the nonetheless pictures. Along with what’s on Microsoft’s website right now, we is perhaps in some print advertisements around the globe. (That they had me placed on a sweater so it might run within the Center East.)
Our Home windows 10 TV Industrial
After we shot the business, McCann advised us there was no assure it will air on TV. They requested us a number 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 e mail saying: “It’s airing on Monday, don’t inform a soul!” We had 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 crew truly 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 crew and revered model. We hope we did everyone proud!
