Hello again. The benefit of having collaborated before is that we know how to bring these Southwest films to life. It was a successful campaign. The greatest drawback? I burned all my best anecdotes on the first job. You know all my tricks now so I’m going to have impress you the old-fashioned way: being myself. Sigh. Harumph.
Here goes nothing. How many flights do you take a year? I fly about forty times. Air travel becomes so routine, you zone out when the flight crew walks through emergency instructions designed to save your life in the event of a crash. That’s how we know we take flying for granted. The intimacy of the modern marvel is overlooked. The era of every-passenger-having-a-screen in the seat back has firewalled us from the communal experience of flying. 100 years ago, the notion of having 175 people flying through the air at 35,000 feet and 300 MPH was inconceivable. Today, it’s mundane. To a kid, riding on a bus from LA to San Francisco is about as eventful as spending six hours in transit from LA to NY.
But it shouldn’t be. Air travel is special. Southwest recognizes this. What I love about this campaign is that we remind people of this fact. And moreover, in this campaign, we extend the love and attention we gave to each individual passengers’ stories last time while turning up the comedy.
TONE
We’re going to follow the same template as before (for the most part), while making each piece tighter, sharper and funnier. This batch feels more focused on the surprises in everyday life (recruiting trips, getting traded) than the heartfelt momentous occasions (the big game, taking Grandma to Belize). Those were rooted in sincere emotion around huge events in each passenger’s life. These feel more like we are celebrating the comedy of the unexpected events in our lives (that require us to jet at a moment’s notice to a new city). It’s a golden opportunity to push the comedy through sight gags (tanlines), clever twists (finding a stud in the row in front of you after missing out on another), and repetition (a pitcher getting traded). These aren’t meant to be jokey, “broad” comedy spots. They are slice of life moments meant to provoke an unexpected belly laugh from the viewer when they see him or herself in the spot.
Like the previous campaign, you have written some terrific scripts. They are even more focused this time, building upon the best of last time. The strength here is that you own this basic truth: life rarely works out according to plan. It’s an excellent selling point for Southwest as an airline, but it will also help these spots resonate with viewers.
The college football coach doggedly recruiting the blue-chip athlete always results in him winning the kid over — in movies, at least. In reality, dozens of coaches pursue four-star recruits and only one walks away victorious. What makes these films effective is how we subvert expectations. Disappointment is a part of life. I think we nailed that tone in our basketball team spot from last time. It wasn’t sad; it was funny while staying real. We’re closing a door and opening a window. [With so many flights and flexible booking options, there’s always another chance to turn things around.]
This deck is an extension of what we did so effectively last fall. Heartfelt stories laced with a humor. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel with our approach. Our camera work, cinematography, editing and casting decisions will be virtually the same. Understanding that process will streamline it. This time, we will widen the scope whenever the opportunity arises. Knowing each other better means, we can arrive at our decisions efficiently.
PRODUCTION APPROACH
We were successful last time with an observational, handheld approach. Again, our camerawork will feel like the cameraman has his eye trained on the perfect moments. It’s documentary-style filmmaking with warmly cinematic light. The element of surprise allows the moments to land, be it emotional or funny. That’s a quick refresher course on what worked well last time around.
The challenge of “175 Seats, 175 Stories” was casting the sheer volume of passengers appearing on camera. This time, it’s a matter of really smart location scouting, making locations work for production. Ideally, these environments will work for multiple spots to get the most bang for our buck (approaching production more like one would a film). To capture the sweeping scope these spots require (especially certain ones), we need to see a lot of sets. On balance, we’ll spend a little less time in casting sessions and a lot more hours scouting locations.
Pushing that further, “Tan Lines” requires a beach. Multiple vignettes mean that we should try to find a sunglass shop and restaurant adjacent to the beach. This way, we can wait for the right light to capture that sunburnt moment when they come out of the water. In fact, if it’s gloomy and overcast in Florida (near the Stadium hopefully!), we can get a gag out of the pair laying out on the beach trying, with no avail, to even out their raccoon eyes.
It’s a matter of auditioning locations to double as the destinations. Florida becomes Costa Rica. Florida becomes Texas. Basically, Florida could be everything. California, too. There are plenty of interior sets we could grab with ease like the apartment and the Coach’s office. If we scout properly, production will be able to adjust to inclement weather with nearby rain cover sets.
This round of spots will require some logistical location gymnastics, but they’re nothing we can’t handle together.
CAMERA LANGUAGE
Airplanes are inherently cinematic; they combine the epic with the intimate. By combining an observational camera with big, beautiful, cinematic lighting, we can achieve a heightened view of reality. As we saw on the previous round, we carefully block our scenes and cover them with energetic, documentary-style camerawork. The end result is action that feels alive. The “zoom” ready camera style captures punchlines quite nicely. Last time, our camera language was more reserved to underscore emotion. This time, we can be a little more playful. Especially if we aren’t shooting at 4am.
We’ll keep the scenes lively by blocking them how they would truly transpire. If we give the audience enough credit to keep up, they will. I’ll rehearse with the actors to keep the performance natural. Then, I bring in two or three camera operators. Without knowing the actor’s blocking, I let the operators play catch up, covering the action like a verite documentary. This approach infuses the storytelling with an unmistakable authenticity. The camerapersons simply experience the moment as it happens…like the audience.
LIGHTING
Once again, managing light so that we blend the indie/documentary aesthetic with the big cinematic look will be important. The exterior moments will showcase natural light and all the dappled interactions spilling through windows. As in real life, actors are backlit. Unlike real life, the backlight makes them seem larger than life. This can be a technical challenge, but thanks to portable LED lights that can be strategically hidden to fill shadows and digital cameras that capture every nuance, it is achievable. The film will be striking, but the images will be nimble enough to reveal the beauty in each character. Warm lighting and thoughtful camerawork wring the most visually appeal from each frame.
These visuals apply to the “Spread the Love” and “Big Stage” spots, but those two feel more like cousins of the campaign than the cinematic mini-comedy in the other four spots. The core four depict lighthearted travel woes boiled down to a personal level. These two spots feel more anthemic. They are more expansive, eager to remind us that an airplane is a collection of passengers, pilots and flight crew gathered together for a unique moment. They breathe the same air. Whether or not they realize it, these passengers are bound to one another. Southwest has always felt more personal than the other airlines. You don’t feel like a seat number. You feel like a fellow passenger. You’re sharing an experience. Yes, the heart icon is apt for Southwest as a brand. It is the only major airline that seems to care. And while letting a singer perform a song over the intercom is unconventional, if the audience would believe any airline allowing that, Southwest would be the one.
CASTING
Good news. We don’t have to cast 175 different seats this time. OK. We didn’t have to cast 175 different characters last time, but the audition process was quite extensive. Those films hinged upon the performance. This time, our filmmaking will carry the weight. Changing locations will color much of the actor’s performance. Still, we will cast a broad spectrum of humanity. All ages, genders, colors, and looks. We need these characters to be recognizable in our friends, family and ourselves. We need to identify with these genuine personalities.
I’ve directed everything from docs to pilots to features to Southwest commercials. You know this. We’ve worked together. My secret to casting is balancing humor and heart. If you have those qualities plus well-written scripts, you’re pretty much start with the ball at the five-yard line.
On the last round, I asked you to think of “175 Stories” as our Pilot. Looks like we’ve been picked up to series. The template has been set. Quality and depth have been established. Now it’s a matter of pushing it forward. People obviously responded well to the humor because now 5 of the 7 spots are comedic. The writing is sharp so the talent need only play the scenes straight and let the script do the work.
The couple in “Tanlines” seem like two driven professionals in their early 30s. They met on Match and he brought along an engagement ring just in case the moment is right for a proposal. The tanlines delay that decision. Still, they belong together. This is a story they’ll tell their kids about. The sight gag is bold enough that they needn’t overplay these moments. These are legitimate reactions to getting raccoon eyes. There’s no panic, but they’d like to even things out, if only to avoid their coworkers’ jokes when they return to the office.
Like our previous collaboration, every moment has value. No gesture, glance or grin should be wasted. Every moment belongs onscreen.
THE PLANE
It wouldn’t be a Southwest spot if we didn’t have some iconic Boeing 737 moments. No matter if we’re shooting on an actual 737 at LAX, parked on a soundstage or an interior built to look like the cabin of a 737, the plane is going to look spectacular. It’s a warm, inviting space you’d gladly spend the day in. The nature of these spots opens us up to comedic reveals, with characters popping into frame from behind chairs. Each spot concludes in a Southwest plane. The common thread between all these characters is the airline that carries them nonstop from point A to point B. Southwest Airlines provides a worthwhile experience that makes greater experiences possible.
Obviously, the availability of the right aircraft type will drive where and when we shoot the plane. My favorite version would probably be to shoot on a real plane that we have access to during the day. I think it would be wise to pull a few rows of seats to give us more room to work. If we have the budget to construct a portion of the plane and shoot that on a stage that would be amazing, and probably allow for some savings elsewhere, but I recognize that could be a tall order.
We’ll make it work no matter what plane availability dictates. I thought the look we arrived at last time was excellent and would strive for that again here.
“TANLINES”
This one opens on a relaxing beach that’s closer to reality than the pristine beaches found in Club Med ads. Our couple emerges from the surf, waist deep and still wearing their snorkel gear. Like clockwork, they remove the flippers at the same time. Next, they rip off the suction masks from their faces. Hers comes off with ease revealing a tanline to the viewer. She has no idea, assuming it’s the standard red indention you get after snorkeling. The boyfriend finally wins the battle over the mask, removing it to reveal a more pronounced tanline, three shades paler than the rest of his skin. He looks to her lovingly, eager to see her reaction to their day spent in the water.
All she can see is that tanline. Naturally, she laughs hysterically. The boyfriend is taken aback as he wonders why. Touching his face, he can feel the heat of his sunburnt skin. Embarrassment reddens his face. Not enough to even things out.
Until he really looks at his girlfriend. She, too, is a reverse raccoon. He grins, but doesn’t dare laugh. Her face goes slack, knowing exactly how she looks from his glance.
Next, we find the couple in a surf shop so close to the water that we hear the waves crashing. They’re sliding on the most “Elton John in 1975” sized sunglasses they can find to obscure the pasty skin. No luck. He’s looking in the mirror, shifting the glasses to try and cover the border of his tanline.
Next, we find them in a candlelit dinner. The atmosphere is semi-romantic. Not that they would know. Their faces are buried in their menus. The waiter walks into the frame and must wait a minute. He clears his throat to get their attention. They barely peek over the menus.
Back to the beach. The two are in their bathing suits, trying to make their pale faces even out with the rest of their bodies. The guy has surrendered, laying on his stomach. The sun abandons them, as clouds roll over it. Noticing, she sits up. Off her boyfriend stupidly laying on his stomach, she gently taps him. He pops up. They look at each other. They’re still wearing nature’s ski-masks.
On the Southwest flight home, they appear in the shade. You don’t notice the tanlines, then as the flight attendant approaches with the drink cart the light shifts revealing those gloriously lobstered faces. The couple has accepted their raccoon eyes. The Flight Attendant smiles sympathetically, cracking open drinks, “Let me guess. Snorkeling trip?” They nod their heads in unison. Finally seeing the humor in their tan lines, they both crack up. The super comes in telling us about Low fares and Transfarency.
FINALLY…
I have long been a fan of Southwest Airlines. That was before I was paid to direct a campaign that’s now on my reel. So you can imagine that I’m fairly excited about the prospect of getting the band back together and bringing this next round to life. I can honestly say that it was the most fun I’ve ever experienced on a commercial set.
Like a second season of a TV show, we have to up the ante. We will amplify what worked best last time around. I can’t wait to take what we did well and do it even better. It’ll be a privilege.
If the previous version led with heart and brought the humor, this version puts funny first. We probably won’t evoke tears this time around, but we’re sure to draw more laughs.
Thanks for inviting me back to pitch on this. It’d be a privilege to further develop this campaign with you.
Cheers,
Sep Hoiberg
Patrick McConville 