We had seen the cumulonimbus menace approaching, marring an otherwise idyllic late summer day. We each took turns peeking at our phones to watch the tiny green and yellow blob move toward us with absurd precision. The sky was perfectly clear within a 50-mile radius, except for that small thunderstorm gliding straight toward Kinderhook, NY, where we happened to be filming a TV commercial for MVP Health Care.
Up until that moment, everything had been going, well, beautifully.
Though it would serve as the branding foundation of a complex, multi-layered open enrollment campaign, the concept of the TV spot was remarkably simple. (Heck, the script was originally titled “Simple and Good.”) We set out to capture the warmth and joy of a day spent with family and friends: preparing for a party, choosing locally-grown food at the nearby farmers’ market, making dinner, setting the table, lighting candles and twinkle lights and ultimately sitting down to eat. We wanted to make viewers feel like they were part of this gathering – like they could touch and taste it. Warm sun. Cool grass. Good food and friends. That perfect kind of day.
The strategy behind the spot was to provide a calming counterpoint to the healthcare anxiety of the moment. With the uncertainty of the Affordable Care Act looming large over employers and individual consumers, we were reminding prospects that MVP remains a solid, stable, locally-minded choice. The closing line of copy captured it all: “When it comes to your health, peace of mind is a beautiful thing.”
Our production partner, Working Pictures, did an outstanding job helping us realize this concept. The camera work was largely handheld, making each shot feel intimate and natural. Every last detail was carefully art directed – each place setting, serving bowl, etc. Our clients played a key role in this process, even bringing some of their own accoutrements from home to use in the spot. Everyone involved in the production felt a very personal level of ownership.
Food preparation was another vital element of the spot. We had a chef and food stylist on set – Nina Bachinsky Gimmel of Swoon Kitchenbar in Hudson, NY – to help guide our actors through each stage of preparation. I can assure you: it didn’t just look good… it tasted great, too (even the beets!).
And, finally, there was the soundtrack. On a suggestion from the client, we set out to find more of a song than a background track, and our search led us to “Beautiful Day” by an indie artist named Ryan Huston. The song’s Jack Johnson-y vibe and upbeat lyrics offered the perfect complement to the visuals. (If you like it, you can download “Beautiful Day” free at DiscoverMVP.com – a tactic we suggested for maximizing Web traffic and brand exposure.)
Good food. Friends. Music. The cool lighting of almost-dusk. It was all coming together, with the exception of the laser-guided microburst headed our way.
We scrambled to shoot the climactic dinner scene prior to the deluge, but when the surrounding shrubs began shaking violently in the wind, we had to stop filming. Just moments before large raindrops started to fall, we got the camera under cover and were able to stretch a tarp over the propped-out dinner table. Picture more than a dozen Media Logicians, video production people, an actor or two and even our clients each holding a section of tarp while the rain poured down and the wind rushed through.
The mood in this situation could have been angry, depressed, stressed or any other negative reaction, but here’s the thing: the smiles continued, and the team spirit prevailed.
As it turned out, the storm system wasn’t quite so targeted, and the whole thing blew over in about 10 minutes. And then came the unexpected twist: we reset the scene, the clouds parted overhead and offered a gorgeous blue hue… even better than we had it before. We were able to get all of our closing shots and end our perfect day on a high note.
I’ve certainly been on shoots where the conditions don’t go your way, and the footage you get is the footage you work with. But sometimes, the production and weather gods throw you a bone. Or maybe, just maybe, our positive vibes led to a positive result.