A few months ago we were contacted by someone from McCann Erickson, one of the largest advertising agencies in the world. They said they were working on a Microsoft TV campaign to show real people using PCs to fulfill their passions, and they thought HoneyTrek might be a good option. Flattered and dumbfounded, we began the intense interview process and three months later we were on national television! The whole experience from the beginning to now has been incredibly humbling and absolutely surreal…that’s how it all went down.
HoneyTrek started as a great idea to honeymoon around the world, immerse ourselves in other cultures, seek life-changing adventures, and inspire others to think beyond borders. We gave up our desk jobs to run HoneyTrek from our “satellite offices” (aka beach chairs, bus stops, homes, ferries, bush cabins, etc.) in order to follow our dreams. All we need is a laptop and each other to set up HoneyTrek headquarters.
After a few Skype calls with the McCann and Microsoft teams at the time, they said they wanted us to test the new Dell XPS 13 with Windows 10. To contain our excitement, we sent them a mailing address in Mazatlan, Mexico. Their email reply (on friday) said, “Thank you for your words. The senior manager and global advertising director will be arriving on Tuesday.” Wait, what? They flew top executives from Seattle to Mazatlan (Totally crazy side note: Seattle and Mazatlan are actually sister cities…must be fate!) personally delivered and set up our computers! We spent the next three weeks exploring the latest Windows features (Microsoft Edge, Cortana personal assistant, universal apps, 3D maps, etc.) and putting the laptop into HoneyTrek environments (7-hour bus rides, sun-drenched workspaces, blogathons, etc.), and the results were stellar. One thing led to another and before we knew it, we were on a first class flight to Los Angeles to shoot a TV commercial.
We parked in front of Universal Studios and it was packed with camera crews, set designers, show hosts and glamorous people. A man wearing an RSA Films badge came up to us and said, “Are you HoneyTrek?” For a big brand like Microsoft, we knew this wasn’t going to be a ragtag bunch, but we didn’t realize they hired one of the best production companies in the world. RSA stands for Ridley Scott Associates; he is an Oscar-winning director Gladiator, black hawk down, martianas well as a dozen critically acclaimed films. He has an incredible team, including his son and director of our commercial, Jack Scott. You’ve seen Jake’s work… Budweiser’s “Simply Put” Super Bowl commercial with Helen Mirran, Johnny Walker’s “Gentleman’s Wager” with Jude Law, and music videos for U2, REM, Radiohead and more. No pressure, HoneyTrek.
We were escorted to the wardrobe for fittings with two costume designers. Kim and David have been working on our “style” through photos and videos for the past week and choosing outfits to match. They had us try on and photograph a dozen different looks, including some of our favorite personal accessories, until we had a solid selection to show Jack. Red linen dress, beaded bracelet from Mazatlan, Annie’s leather sandals and some distressed Carhartts, short sleeve button down shirt, Mike’s signature green hat.
We tried to get a good night’s sleep but all the nerves and excitement kept me awake at 4am so I decided to go to the gym. When I stepped out of my hotel room on the 17th floor of the Universal Sheraton, I nearly panicked…and so did Bernie Sanders’ aide. It’s Election Day in California bern Only two doors away from us! But I digress… I did some yoga, had some breakfast, and then we were picked up at 6am for hair, makeup, and manicures. How charming!
The assistant producer dressed up and escorted us to stage four. In a space the size of an airplane hangar, more than 100 people…set up the lights, sound, cameras and props for the “HoneyTrek Inspired” set. We turned the corner and everyone stopped and stared at us. Gurgling.
It was really intimidating to have so many people and huge cameras around, but Jack’s laid-back vibe and disarming British accent somehow made us feel at ease. He sat on the edge of the stage and just asked us questions about HoneyTrek and how we use our technology. They didn’t give us a script…in fact, they gave us almost no information about what we were going to do to keep our reactions more natural. We simply talked about the trip and walked them through how we edit photos, compile videos, create social media, and blog. Not going to lie, the competition was still pretty intense, but it was cool that they trusted us to shoot whatever we wanted.
We’re at lunch time, phew! We don’t know how people working in these high-profile scenes don’t gain weight. Lunch was a buffet, the food truck was always open, and the craft service team provided delicious snacks every few hours…we loved every minute of it.
Once we completed our shot list of specific content, they asked us to share the stories behind some of our favorite travel treasures. With Masai spears, Japanese kabuki masks, Bolivian miners’ lamps, and Tibetan cow bells, we had so much fun with props…if only I’d known they were going to use the shot of my bell booty shaking on TV!
As the crew deconstructed their gear, a 12-person camera crew arrived to capture still photos. In addition to content currently on the Microsoft website, we may appear in some print advertising around the world. (They made me wear a sweater so it could run in the Middle East.)
Our Windows 10 TV commercial
After we shot the commercial, McCann told us there was no guarantee it would air on TV. Over the next two months, they asked us a few follow-up questions, but still didn’t reveal if and when it would run. Then last week we got an email that said, “It’s airing on Monday, don’t tell anyone!” We were so surprised that 10 hours of intense filming had been compressed into 30 seconds of beautiful footage.
With so much footage and so many platforms to share it on, the team actually created three versions of the ad. This is one of those 15-second clips you might see on social media or on Hulu.
We are extremely grateful for this opportunity to work with such a talented team and respected brand. We hope we made everyone proud!
