Justyna Obasi of production house Love Song directed this commercial titled “Wisdom & Obi,” part of Expedia’s new “Never Give Up On Going” campaign.
Following a father and young son, the spot match-cuts the child’s hands running over a common beige carpet as he imagines the feeling of sand on the sunny beaches of Jamaica, his father’s childhood home. Inspired to show his son the place where he grew up, the boy’s father utilizes Expedia to make this goal a reality. The spot ends with the family in Jamaica creating new memories, experiencing what, before that moment, had only been a dream.
The film strikes a personal note for Obasi, an alum of SHOOT’s 2020 New Directors Showcase, who shared, “It took me back almost 30 years ago when my mother decided to finally show me Nigeria. This is me; this is a familiar feeling.” Leading with empathy, the camera follows the characters as they grow, move through the story, and reveal more about themselves. Obasi speaks to the need for “Wisdom & Obi” to unfold organically, adding. “If we are not authentic enough, then we risk a cliché. These characters are not clichés.”
Credits
Client Expedia Group Hector Muelas, SVP global creative; Michele Rousseau, SVP global brands; Kevin Tenglin, Luke Harris, executive creative directors; Michael McCommon, creative director; Bruno Barbieri, Diogo de Souza Valim, associate creative directors; Perrin Rausch, head of integrated production; Lindsey Wood, executive producer; Kara Fromhart, sr. producer; Lauren Bautista, associate producer. Production Love Song Justyna Obasi, director; Kelly Bayett, managing partner/exec producer; Daniel Wolfe, partner/exec producer; Deannie O’Neil, exec producer; Nicole Powell, producer. Editorial Exile Edit Sound Barking Owl Kelly Bayett, creative director/co-founder; Gus Koven, sound designer; AJ Murillo, mixer; Beau Manning, assistant mixer; KC Dossett, producer. Music "Ballerina" by Yehezkel Raz Color/Finish Trafik Mark Gethin, colorist; Nate Seymour, assistant colorist; Greer Bastiche, color producer; Megan Lang Bice, color exec producer; Benji Davidson, VFX supervisor/sr. Flame artist; Jacob Goldberg, Markis Lazarre, Flame artists; Charlotte Preuss, finish producer; Karena Ajamian, finish exec producer.
For the global EX30 Cross Country launch, Volvo and creative agency Forsman & Bodenfors wants to de-dramatize the outdoor experience--and remind people that small trips into nature can be grand experiences.
Cross Country is Volvo’s concept of turning their regular cars into more outdoor-capable versions, with higher ground clearance, all-wheel drive and other features making it more capable and off-road ready. And now, the compact, fully electric EX30 becomes available as a Cross Country version. It’s a small car designed for big experiences, made to elevate both urban living and outdoor adventure, and to bring people closer to nature.
“With Volvo being such a human-centric brand, it felt natural to focus on the human side of nature. The child’s perspective became the perfect metaphor for this, to spend time in nature on nature’s terms,” said Karl Risenfors, creative at Forsman & Bodenfors.
In a category that often portrays epic journeys deep into the wilderness, the campaign serves as a reminder that even everyday adventures can be memorable experiences. Thus this launch spot--directed by Marcus Ibanez via production company New-Land--shows nature through the point of view of a child. A child’s imagination and perspective generates a visual metaphor for the magic that nature can bring, no matter the scale of the adventure.
