American Airlines is running an advertising campaign focused on the airline’s effort to create a seamless travel experience for its customers. Each ad communicates the message that American Airlines and its innovative products and services enable the enlightened, modern traveler to, “Fly without putting your life on pause. Be yourself non-stop.” Modern special effects were used to give the ads a contemporary, cutting edge feel. Shot on-location in the Bahamas and Los Angeles, post-production special effects matched the lead characters’ experiences in their personal lives to their onboard experience. These special effects and seamless transitions required extensive use of a motion-control camera and digital production.
After School opens on a mother and daughter discussing the youngster’s role in the school play as they sit cross-legged in their living room. But something’s a bit off kilter -- as the camera swings around the room, a pair of airline seats, which had been casual living room chairs in the previous shot, appear; then the soft glowing lights of a fasten-seatbelt sign blink on along the wall; and, very faintly, a droning voice states, “This is your captain speaking,” in the background. When the camera makes one final swing from daughter to mother and pans out, the elder is not in the living room with her daughter at all, but in the cabin of an American Airlines jet, engaged in the conversation via instant message on her laptop.
Scuba follows a couple scuba diving through the rays of light, schools of fish and sea turtles off a sprawling reef. The first indications that this is not your standard reef appear in the form of a “Priority Access” sign lodged into the plant life, followed by a bank of screens showing the status of departing flights, which is just one example-in addition to text notifications and mobile boarding passes-of how American Airline passengers receive a streamlined, mobile boarding experience. As a school of fish darts in front of the camera, blurring the panorama, the water evaporates and the couple comes out in an airport terminal. “Fly without putting yourself on pause,” a narrator intones. “Be yourself, nonstop.
Credits
The Non Stop campaign was developed at TM Advertising by creative director Bernard Park, art director Brian Wood, director of broadcast production Hal Dantzler, producer Stephanie Murdoch.Filming was shot by director Gerard de Thame via Believe Media with director of photographyMick Coulter, executive producer Michael McQuhae, producer Fabyan Daw.
Editors were Jack Waldrip, Artie Pena at Charlie Uniform Tango with executive producer Mary Alice, audio engineer Jake Kluge
Post production and effects were produced at Absolute Post by lead VFX/Flame artist Dirk Greene, VFX artists Warren Paleos, Krissy Nordella, Alex Gabucci, designers/animators Ed Manning, Jim Vidal, executive producer Sally Heath and producer Melissa Stephano.
Colorist was Ben Eagleton at Smoke & Mirrors, New York, with managing director Jo Morgan and producer Lauren Shawe
Advertising Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi, Dubai, UAE
