Hasta La Creative!

W+K Portland launched the latest chapter in its “Jordan & Chelsea’s Booking Wedding” campaign for Booking.com with a pair of spots starring Jane Lynch and Bobby Lee.

The 40-second “Romantic Escape” sees the comedic pair playing a couple, with Lynch feeling some guilt about missing Jordan and Chelsea’s destination wedding due to their vacation. Lee lets her know that, thanks to Booking.com’s free cancellations, they can go to the wedding after all. “I love it when you take charge,” Lynch tells him. And then things get…uncomfortable.

The 15-second “Sushi” is a little lighter on the cringe humor shock tactics. It features a voiceover claiming that “With Booking.com’s range of accommodations, the world is your oyster…or sashimi, really, whatever you’re into” as Lynch and Lee dine on sushi laid out on his body.

The new ads follow a pair of spots last month featuring Rebel Wilson and Keegan-Michael Key. Like those efforts, the latest installments might not live up to the comedic expectations created by its cast but are memorable enough all the same. Once again W+K uses Booking.com’s free cancellation as a key selling point differentiating the brand in “Romantic Escape,” effectively tying it to the larger narrative of “Jordan & Chelsea’s Booking Wedding” with two more friends deciding to attend. The more ambiguous nature of “Sushi” and its appeal to the variety of options the site offers makes it somewhat less effective at making Booking.com stand out from the competition.

The campaign will conclude with a final installment next month, which we’re told will be “centered around the theme of brocations (bachelor parties).” So expect some more comedians and another take on travel humor for W+K Portland some time in July. 

Credits:
W+K PORTLAND
Creative Director: Micah Walker
Copywriters: Nick Morrissey/Mike Egan
Art Director: Jon Kubik/Meaghan Oikawa
Producer: Hayley Goggin Avila
Art Producer: Andrea Bakacs
Account Service: Regina Keough/Tristan Harvin/Mimi Kim/Thomas Harvey
Comms Supervisor: Destinee Scott
Strategic Planning: Eugee Krasnopolsky/Nicole Brandell
Business Affairs: Karen Roche
Interactive Producer: Blake Carrillo
Studio Design: Dana Beaty/Grey Jay
Studio Manager: Sally Garrido-Spencer
Retouchers: Kyle Pero/Saskia Thomson
Motion Designer: Adam Sirkin
Motion Producer: Sarah Gamazo/Tori Herbst

PRODUCTION
Production Company: SMUGGLER
Director: Randy Krallman
Executive Producers: Patrick Milling Smith/Brian Carmody/Shannon Jones/Andrew Colon
Line Producer: Ian Blaine
Director of Photography: Darko Suvac
Production Designer: Jason Schuster

EDITORIAL
Editorial Company: Cartel
Editor: Andy McGraw
Assistant Editor: Eddie Mikasa
Post Producer: Meagen Carroll
Post Executive Producer: Lauren Bleiweiss

PHOTOGRAPHY
Photographer: Emily Shur
Line Producer: Tricia Sherman
Production Company: Bauerfeind Productions

VFX
VFX Company: Joint
On Set Supervision: Brad Hayes
Lead Flame: MB Emigh
2D Artists: Leif Peterson/Noah Poole
VFX Producer: Gail von Dedenroth
VFX Coordinator: Nathanael Horton
VFX Executive Producer: Alex Thiesen

MIX + SOUND DESIGN
Mix Company: Lime
Mixer/Sound Design: Sam Casas
Producer: Susie Boyajan

TELECINE
Telecine Company: The Mill
Color Producer: Diane Valera
Colorist: Adam Scott

Team One and Lexus have launched a new series on Lexus’ broadband channel L/Studio, entitled “It Got Better.”

“It Got Better” is a six-episode docuseries telling “the inspiring personal stories of a diverse group of LGBT actors, athletes and musicians including Jason Collins, Jane Lynch, Tim Gunn, Tegan & Sara, George Takei and Laverne Cox.” A collaboration between Team One, executive producers Lisa Kudrow and Dan Bucatinsky, and the It Gets Better Project (executive producers Dan Savage and Brian Pines), the docuseries just launched with its first episode, featuring Jane Lynch, star of Glee and, more importantly, Party Down. Lynch tells her story of growing up identifying more with boys, discovering her sexuality and treating it as something she was afraid her peers would discover, to finally embracing and accepting it and finding a supporting community. It makes for compelling viewing, well worth the time if you have six minutes or so to spare (yes, this runs a bit long), and a promising start to the “It Got Better” series, which has the potential to do a lot of good for struggling teens. We look forward to upcoming installments (especially from George Takei).

Credits and video after the jump. continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.