AULANI VILLAS
Walt Disney Imagineers worked hand in hand with local artisans and cultural experts to create Aulani, the first resort in Hawaii created as an authentic Hawaiian resort for families. Inspired by the natural wonders and rich traditions of Hawai‘i, it is the ultimate Hawaiian getaway, celebrating the beauty, history and welcoming spirit of the island. But not unlike their brand cousin Adventures by Disney, they launched with a campaign of animated characters reinforcing a consumer barrier for families: they did not want to go to an exotic, tropical getaway with Mickey and Minnie. Especially when they can get that right in their own backyard at Disneyland. So we decided to lean into the authenticity of Aulani, and the rich lore of both Hawaiian and Disney storytelling by telling some Hawaiian legends and inviting families to come and create their own family legend at Aulani. With our new campaign we saw a 34% increase in bookings over the prior two years representing over $40 million in revenue. And during Hawaii’s low season Aulani was at an astounding 96% room capacity.
AULANI VILLAS
Walt Disney Imagineers worked hand in hand with local artisans and cultural experts to create Aulani, the first resort in Hawaii created as an authentic Hawaiian resort for families. Inspired by the natural wonders and rich traditions of Hawai‘i, it is the ultimate Hawaiian getaway, celebrating the beauty, history and welcoming spirit of the island. But not unlike their brand cousin Adventures by Disney, they launched with a campaign of animated characters reinforcing a consumer barrier for families: they did not want to go to an exotic, tropical getaway with Mickey and Minnie. Especially when they can get that right in their own backyard at Disneyland. So we decided to lean into the authenticity of Aulani, and the rich lore of both Hawaiian and Disney storytelling by telling some Hawaiian legends and inviting families to come and create their own family legend at Aulani. With our new campaign we saw a 34% increase in bookings over the prior two years representing over $40 million in revenue. And during Hawaii’s low season Aulani was at an astounding 96% room capacity.
eHARMONY
eHarmony had been the leader in their category since their launch in 2000, laying claim to 236 marriages a day and 2% of marriages in the United States. But over time they were rapidly losing market share to increased competition from brands like Match.com who were expressing themselves with more contemporary voices. eHarmony brought me in to re-energize their brand. I proposed they walk away from advertising their science and matching algorithm, often pitched by their founder. It felt to me that as a company responsible for 2% of marriages in the U.S. they should take ownership of something far more compelling: love. They should plant a flag in the ground and own love. I wrote the campaign line “Love Begins Here” and we built the campaign with real eHarmony spouses and couples, and singles looking for relationships. We shot with Academy Award winner Errol Morris and worked to get to the truth of dating, relationships, marriage and the life altering impact eHarmony had on many of their lives.
eHARMONY
eHarmony had been the leader in their category since their launch in 2000, laying claim to 236 marriages a day and 2% of marriages in the United States. But over time they were rapidly losing market share to increased competition from brands like Match.com who were expressing themselves with more contemporary voices. eHarmony brought me in to re-energize their brand. I proposed they walk away from advertising their science and matching algorithm, often pitched by their founder. It felt to me that as a company responsible for 2% of marriages in the U.S. they should take ownership of something far more compelling: love. They should plant a flag in the ground and own love. I wrote the campaign line “Love Begins Here” and we built the campaign with real eHarmony spouses and couples, and singles looking for relationships. We shot with Academy Award winner Errol Morris and worked to get to the truth of dating, relationships, marriage and the life altering impact eHarmony had on many of their lives.
AULANI, A DISNEY RESORT & SPA
Walt Disney Imagineers worked hand in hand with local artisans and cultural experts to create Aulani, the first resort in Hawaii created as an authentic Hawaiian resort for families. Inspired by the natural wonders and rich traditions of Hawai‘i, it is the ultimate Hawaiian getaway, celebrating the beauty, history and welcoming spirit of the island. But not unlike their brand cousin Adventures by Disney, they launched with a campaign of animated characters reinforcing a consumer barrier for families: they did not want to go to an exotic, tropical getaway with Mickey and Minnie. Especially when they can get that right in their own backyard at Disneyland. So we decided to lean into the authenticity of Aulani, and the rich lore of both Hawaiian and Disney storytelling by telling some Hawaiian legends and inviting families to come and create their own family legend at Aulani. With our new campaign we saw a 34% increase in bookings over the prior two years representing over $40 million in revenue. And during Hawaii’s low season Aulani was at an astounding 96% room capacity.
Adventures by Disney
Adventures By Disney is a great way for families to see the world, but since their launch in 2005 the brand had been running in the red. I was asked to help the brand, and upon experiencing my first Adventures by Disney vacation realized that these were very authentic experiences. Nothing Mickey Mouse about them at all. I realized that the brand had been expressing themselves in the same voice as a Disney theme park reinforcing the consumer barrier that the trips wouldn’t be authentic and real. On the contrary, what I saw were families having real and immersive experiences, sharing and connecting with one another against the backdrop of the most amazing places on the planet. It became clear to me that these vacations were so well planned, exclusive and worry free that it enabled these busy families to truly relax and see each other again for the first time. I wrote the line “Let’s Adventure Together” and created the campaign on that first trip, giving the brand a contemporary and real travel company feel, with an integrated campaign focused on bringing families together. The result: the new campaign generated an 80% increase in bookings in the first quarter, and a 55% increase over the previous year. The business made a rapid shot to profitability and is now in the black. The client conducted research to clearly identify why the business was magically doing so well. The findings: it was the creative, because the brand now had an ownable and differentiated brand voice.
The Production
Shooting for a campaign, and at the same time capturing assets needed for a multitude of purposes in far-flung countries is always a challenge on what are very limited budgets. The typical Adventures by Disney itinerary spans up to ten days, covering multiple cities and many diverse activities. The families we cast are real families compensated with a small stipend and of course the amazing experience of an Adventures by Disney vacation. We don’t “own” locations, nor do we have the luxury of time to scout those locations, and we don't have budget for wardrobe, hair or makeup. We have conversations with the families about wardrobe and styling based upon their personal closets, and supplement their attire in-country as best we can. When we arrive at a location we scout in the moment, make quick decisions on how and what to shoot, and usually have no more than an hour at the most to capture everything that we need. But it is through these constraints that we always find unique creative solutions to deliver as much authentic and beautiful content as possible. And with our small video crew and an embedded photographer we race from location-to-location capturing real moments of families having the adventure of a lifetime.
The following examples represent some of the latest content created for the Adventures by Disney Rhone River Cruise Itinerary.
Photography
With photography, just as with video, we strive to capture authentic moments that feel like you are in the action. Like you are a participant in the experience. The following are but a tiny fraction of the hundreds upon hundreds of images we capture on each shoot.
General Brand Print
As a high-end, high-affinity brand, Adventures by Disney frequently has media places in publications such as Traveler & Leisure and Sunset magazine.
