A few new spots for Destination BC have been popping up lately. Short little hits online, broadcast, and mobile, that give the viewer a delightful, almost immersive video experience for what it’s like to visit “Super Natural” British Columbia. The series of video ads, aptly named “Moments”, takes the viewer along a journey that explores a few of the moments that can be had in BC.

Agency: One Twenty Three West Canada
Production Co.: Boldly
Director: Kalum Ko

What makes these spots so impactful? A number of things, yet, for the viewer, the video ads focus on only one thing: the moment. Simplicity with one purpose: make the viewer feel the moment.

Relevancy of the Work

Current trends help make these short video ads more relevant and even provide some urgency to act. The idea of forest bathing  and the restorative effects of immersing the body in nature, without distraction, is a hot topic, and aligning those concepts with the creative makes for an easy hook.

Sound

Sound design is huge for these ads, in fact it drives them. The sound, which is very much in the forefront, helps the viewer imagine the moment through three (mostly) types of sound: the sounds of nature, the sounds of humans, and the sounds of humans interacting with nature (or vice versa).

Imagery

The generous use of close up shots in this commercial video series provide the opportunity to see emotion and almost feel the textures. The tight angles are intimate and curious, which help pull the viewer into the experience. More on this in a moment (see Direction).

Colouring

The colouring throughout each of these spots is very rich. The treatment highlights the deep vibrant blues of the water, through to the explosive greens of the forest. Bringing out the black from each clip and mixing it with these colours gives an almost mysterious feel. It is a mesmerizing treatment, and one that Destinations BC has been using for a while.

Direction

In a unique approach these short video ads don’t feature any big destination in BC, or at least, they are not recognizable. They feature the interaction between nature and human. The decision to keep theses shots tight, makes these experiences very familiar, and thus very achievable, yet at the same time it creates the idea that although they are familiar, they can only be truly had in BC. How’s that for a paradox?

Simplicity with one purpose.