Responses by TJ Arch, creative director, Target.
Background: In Newfoundland and Labrador, there are no accidental tourists. We’re a bit further away, a bit harder to get to. Our job is to overcome. And with a shorter tourism season than most destinations and limited capacity, we also need to attract the right visitors: Travelers, not tourists. Those who want to come for an extended stay, book experience, dine out and embed themselves in the culture.
Design thinking: Most tourism advertising is exhausting, full of jam-packed itineraries for people always looking for more to see and do. Real travelers want a more meaningful trip. And here, in Newfoundland and Labrador, one thing has always proven true: they come for whales, icebergs or puffins, but when they leave, the first thing they talk about is the people.
Challenges: Our biggest challenge is always to live up to our own expectations. The Newfoundland and Labrador brand has been built over decades. We hear all the time from Canadians who say they eagerly await our new campaign every January. And so, we pour through footage in an edit. We write and rewrite the voiceover right up to the recording session. Newfoundland and Labrador isn’t just our client; it’s our home. That means a lot of passion goes into the work every year.
Favorite details: We have always had the luxury of working with incredible directors for the brand. This year was no different—except in one important way. Who better to shoot a spot about the people of Newfoundland and Labrador than people from Newfoundland and Labrador?
Christian Sparkes is an award-winning writer and director of film and television. his films have been screened at Cannes and The International Film Festival. He’s worked on the brand in various capacities since 2010, but this was the first time he directed our broadcast shoot. And right next to Christian was our director of photography Scott McClellen. Scott is an acclaimed and highly sought-after director of photography now based in Toronto, but he’s a proud Newfoundlander himself.
Visual influences: There was definitely some Terrence Malick influence in our cinematography and editing. Malick is known for emotive and poetic visual storytelling—something we strive for. His work is often voiceover driven and unafraid to verge into the philosophical. His pacing is deliberate. There’s something about the spot’s opening sequence with the mother and daughter that feels like it would have a home in a Malick film.
Time constraints: Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism espouses the value of slowing down. And, to a certain extent, we live through that process. We shot hours and hours of footage, so the editing is always a labor of love. This year especially, we changed the narrative several times, rewriting the script again and again. Our partners at Nimiopere were exceptionally patient and resilient when helping us shape the story.
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