One of the main reasons ARA exists is to promote the success of our members and advance the growth of the equipment and event rental industry. This year, to bolster that promotion, we launched a national campaign to raise awareness of the equipment and event rental industry and drive consumers to think rental first. Taking on a large-scale marketing campaign has many different facets. From choosing a location to selecting your target audience, picking the best production team, and even making sure your actress has a hair and makeup artist on site. Here’s a walkthrough of a behind-the-scenes look at filming a national advertising campaign resulting in a 30-second video spot.
Preparing for the Shoot
In the beginning planning stages of this project, we decided on our target audiences by choosing four segments of rental consumers we wanted to engage - DIY Homeowner, DIY Party Planner, Professional Contractor, and Professional Event Planner. We began the process by focusing first on the do-it-yourself homeowner audience. Once that was decided, it was time to pick our ideal location to showcase the perfect DIY project.
In preparation for the big day of filming, we began working with a scouting company to find a perfect location for the shoot. The location we chose in Phoenix was part of a national registry where homeowners can submit their homes and potentially be selected to be featured in commercials by production companies. The amazing Arizona location offered us the ability to shoot the entirety of the commercial in the backyard of this home, which was why it ended up being our winning location.
Once the location was secured, we picked our acting talent by vetting several submission tapes and reviewing resumes. The strong female lead actress was chosen based on her previous acting experience appearing in other commercials and films.
Day of Filming
When filming day arrived, the ARA team flew out to Arizona to meet up with the actress, production team, and rest of the agency. We had wonderful, but very warm weather, for filming, which was to be expected in Phoenix. Our acting talent was provided by a makeup artist who tended to her hair and makeup throughout the very warm day. The onsite RV included a bedroom decked out with a vanity, lighting, and more makeup than I have seen in my lifetime. Her wardrobe included some of her personal selections as well as clothing provided by the agency.
The film production company hired a prop artist and team to help with staging the scene in the backyard. The team constructed numerous props needed to enhance the scene, such as building fake planter beds by using a wood frame and a brick façade. The planter helped frame the backdrop for the pool house and the grass was sprayed a beautiful green color to help showcase the yard and equipment.
When we started filming, the production team shot each scene numerous times to make sure we had the best footage and photography to use for the commercial, as well as additional marketing materials for the national campaign. The grand reveal of the beautiful backyard occurred shortly before sundown to achieve the best lighting for the home, pool, and backyard. It came as a surprise to us that it took over 12 hours to film a 30-second commercial, and while it was a long day, we were very pleased with the results.
Finished Product
Overall, from start to finish, filming our national advertising commercial was a success, but our favorite part was by far the ability to include actual rental equipment donated by A-to-Z Equipment Rental in Gilbert, AZ. They delivered the equipment in the early morning, making sure it was clean and in good working order, delivering amazing rental service, for this commercial shoot.
To check out the finished product of the DIY homeowner commercial visit our YouTube video. With shoots for the rest of the target segments coming soon, we can’t wait to continue showcasing how impressive the rental industry is on a national level!