Created via Pereira O’Dell, the project covers the brand’s partnership with Operation Homefront
“I learned to edit when I was enlisted in the Army, so I was especially honored to have a role on this work spotlighting Pillsbury’s collaboration with Operation Homefront,” says editor Karen Kourtessis of bicoastal Union, who began her career as a sharpshooter, before shooting and editing training films and news stories. Her new commercial project touches on the sacrifices made by military families and the challenges inherent in their return to civilian life. “The agency team's creative vision attracted me from the onset.”
Created via Pereira O’Dell, directed by Ritesh Gupta of Search & Destroy, and edited by Kourtessis, “Welcome Home” tells the story of childhood sweethearts Trevor and Brittany, who have managed raising their young son, Cohen, while living on a military base with Trevor often deployed far from home.
As Trevor prepares to retire from the service after 8 years, the couple faces a new set of challenges in returning to civilian life. They hope to raise Cohen in Atlanta, where their families are based. Enter Pillsbury: with Operation Homefront, the brand helps by purchasing a home for veteran families to call their own while they transition out of the military.
Brittany and Cohen tour their new home for the first time, with mother and son experiencing a range of emotions, from disbelief to amazement…and pure delight, as Cohen leaps onto the bed in his new bedroom. Of course, nothing tops the joy of FaceTiming with Trevor so he can check out the new digs with his wife and son, knowing they’ll soon be back home, together, for good.
“The shoot was complicated, with a short timeline, multiple locations, multiple cameras + Zoom records & Facetimes, not to mention real people as talent. This all made the edit that much more challenging (and fun) for me,” Kourtessis recalls. “I was thrilled with the way Ritesh captured the ‘surprise' moments and the real emotions and high personal stakes for this military family. He and the agency team worked together to deliver exceptional footage to work with, which made my job a pleasure.”
Among the notable projects cut by Kourtessis is award-winning work for Google (“100 Billion Words”/Google Translate, “Free Up Space”); Cotton "Rosie Reborn”; and Memorial Sloan Kettering Patient Stories.
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2024 AICP Awards Tour Concludes with Stops in Dallas and Chicago
The 2024 AICP Awards Tour concludes with stops in Dallas and Chicago this month as it wraps up its tour of cities across the U.S. The National Tour brought presentations, panels and screenings to marketers, advertising agencies, production and post production companies. The AICP Awards will be in Dallas on Thursday, November 14th, at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, followed by the Chicago event, set for Thursday, November 21st at The Old Post Office. Tickets are available now for both events at www.aicp.com. In Dallas, the program kicks off at 6:45 pm with a happy hour, followed by the screening and panel discussion at 7:30. The evening ends with a networking reception from 8:30 to 11:30. The Perot Museum of Nature and Science is located at 2201 N. Field Street in Dallas. Appearing in Dallas will be Abe Garcia, Chief Creative Officer, Dieste; Julia Melle, Director of Brand and Content, Southwest Airlines; and Isaac Pagán Muñoz, VP, Executive Creative Director of PepsiCo Foods. The panel will review selected winners from the suite of the AICP Awards programs, offering insights into what made them rise to the top of their respective categories and share their viewpoints on key trends in the industry. The Chicago stop starts at 6:00pm with a happy hour, followed by the presentation and screening at 7:00pm. A reception caps the event, starting at 8:00pm and concluding at 11:30pm. The Old Post Office is located at 433 W Van Buren Street in Chicago. The panel there will feature 2024 AICP Awards Curators and Winners from the marketer, agency, production and post production sectors who’ll highlight this year’s winners. The conversation will include a discussion about the winning work, including insights... Read More