NEW YORK - U Direct (www.udirectnyc.com) recently completed work on a :30 national spot for Holiday Inn that positions the chain a little differently than other hotels. Unlike many commercials on the air today that promote hotels' business travel accommodations, Holiday Inn's "One Fine Day" is geared toward the recreational travel market, and focuses on a father and son, who experience a simple-yet-enjoyable time at one of the chain's California locations.
The BEN Marketing Group of Stamford, CT, conceived the spot, which was shot by director/DP Tony Kaye of Supply & Demand.
U Direct principal Daniel Miller served as executive producer on the project, working with the client on casting, coordinating the shoot and handling the edit.
According to Miller, the spot was shot on location at a Holiday Inn in Torrance, with director Kaye shooting 35mm via a handheld camera. U Direct music supervisor Eric Berkowitz managed to licensed Trent Willmon's "Home Sweet Holiday Inn" track, which was edited prior to the shoot, giving the production team an idea as to how the final visuals would be cut together.
Miller says Kaye filmed many of the intended shots - the father and son checking in with the same luggage, swimming with like boogie boards, drinking from similar glasses - but also captured some unexpected, candid footage that also made its way into the final cut.
"The goal was to keep it loose," says Miller of the shoot. "We didn't want it to seem forced."
Miller cut the spot on his Media 100 844/X system. U Direct motion graphics artist Samuel Stephens created visuals for the end tag, which features the Holiday Inn logo on the television in the family's hotel room.
Victor Mulholland of Company 3 in New York handled the film-to-tape transfer. New York Sound's Jo Cunningham performed the mix. Justin Havlik was associate producer for U Direct.
The spot just began airing nationally and will run for two months.