Renaissance Hotels
What if budget constraints could expand creative possibilities?
"I called Society because I knew our budget was tight, and they've pulled off magic tricks for us before. Once again, the package they delivered blew me away.”
-Sasha White
Senior Integrated Producer, Venables Bell & Partners
When Venables Bell & Partners approached Society with their "Discover This Way" campaign for Renaissance Hotels, we faced an intriguing creative challenge. The campaign needed to reinforce Renaissance's brand promise of delivering the unexpected while featuring their flagship Paris property. The concept centered on a :60 hero film set to Judith Hill's unreleased single "Upside," following a hotel guest on a rhythmic journey through Renaissance neighborhoods around the world.
The initial brief suggested shooting between Paris and a U.S. city – a combination that would strain the budget while falling short of truly representing Renaissance's global presence. The Paris Vendome location was non-negotiable, and rightfully so – it perfectly embodied Renaissance's theatrical design philosophy and neighborhood-centric approach. However, shooting in Paris alone presented significant budget challenges that would limit our creative possibilities elsewhere. Rather than accept these constraints, we proposed a bold alternative: pair Paris with Bangkok, Thailand. This wasn't just a location swap – it was a strategic decision that would dramatically expand the project's creative possibilities while staying within budget. Director Joachim Zunke embraced this approach, capturing Bangkok's vibrant energy and Paris's elegant streets with equal finesse, creating a seamless visual journey between these contrasting worlds. Bangkok offered everything we needed: world-class production infrastructure, exceptional artisans and craftspeople, and the kind of diverse, dynamic visuals that could represent Renaissance's global perspective. Through our established relationships in Thailand's production community, we could access premium locations and talent at a fraction of typical Western costs.
The strategy paid off beautifully. The final campaign captured the spontaneous, unexpected moments that define the Renaissance brand, moving rhythmically between the elegant streets of Paris and the vibrant energy of Bangkok. By leveraging our production expertise across continents, we delivered a campaign that truly represented Renaissance's international presence – featuring over 160 hotels across 35 countries – while maintaining the creative ambition of the original concept. More importantly, we proved that with the right production partner, budget constraints don't have to limit creative possibilities – they just require more innovative solutions. By combining deep local knowledge with global production capabilities, we turned what could have been a straightforward hotel commercial into a dynamic celebration of unexpected discoveries, perfectly aligned with Renaissance's mission to help travelers experience the DNA of neighborhoods around the world.
This project exemplifies Society's approach to international production: use deep local knowledge and trusted partner relationships to expand creative possibilities, maintain consistent quality across diverse locations, and always find smart solutions to complex challenges. Whether managing intricate logistics or making strategic pivots to protect creative quality, our goal remains the same – deliver exceptional value by finding unexpected ways forward.
Treatment
BY THE NUMBERS
COUNTRIES: 2 LOCATIONS: 11 SHOOT DAYS: 4 TALENT: 100 PREP: 3.5 WEEKS
BUDGET: EMAIL US
Renaissance Hotels
What if budget constraints could expand creative possibilities?
"I called Society because I knew our budget was tight, and they've pulled off magic tricks for us before. Once again, the package they delivered blew me away.”
-Sasha White
Senior Integrated Producer, Venables Bell & Partners
When Venables Bell & Partners approached Society with their "Discover This Way" campaign for Renaissance Hotels, we faced an intriguing creative challenge. The campaign needed to reinforce Renaissance's brand promise of delivering the unexpected while featuring their flagship Paris property. The concept centered on a :60 hero film set to Judith Hill's unreleased single "Upside," following a hotel guest on a rhythmic journey through Renaissance neighborhoods around the world.
The initial brief suggested shooting between Paris and a U.S. city – a combination that would strain the budget while falling short of truly representing Renaissance's global presence. The Paris Vendome location was non-negotiable, and rightfully so – it perfectly embodied Renaissance's theatrical design philosophy and neighborhood-centric approach. However, shooting in Paris alone presented significant budget challenges that would limit our creative possibilities elsewhere. Rather than accept these constraints, we proposed a bold alternative: pair Paris with Bangkok, Thailand. This wasn't just a location swap – it was a strategic decision that would dramatically expand the project's creative possibilities while staying within budget. Director Joachim Zunke embraced this approach, capturing Bangkok's vibrant energy and Paris's elegant streets with equal finesse, creating a seamless visual journey between these contrasting worlds. Bangkok offered everything we needed: world-class production infrastructure, exceptional artisans and craftspeople, and the kind of diverse, dynamic visuals that could represent Renaissance's global perspective. Through our established relationships in Thailand's production community, we could access premium locations and talent at a fraction of typical Western costs.
The strategy paid off beautifully. The final campaign captured the spontaneous, unexpected moments that define the Renaissance brand, moving rhythmically between the elegant streets of Paris and the vibrant energy of Bangkok. By leveraging our production expertise across continents, we delivered a campaign that truly represented Renaissance's international presence – featuring over 160 hotels across 35 countries – while maintaining the creative ambition of the original concept. More importantly, we proved that with the right production partner, budget constraints don't have to limit creative possibilities – they just require more innovative solutions. By combining deep local knowledge with global production capabilities, we turned what could have been a straightforward hotel commercial into a dynamic celebration of unexpected discoveries, perfectly aligned with Renaissance's mission to help travelers experience the DNA of neighborhoods around the world.
This project exemplifies Society's approach to international production: use deep local knowledge and trusted partner relationships to expand creative possibilities, maintain consistent quality across diverse locations, and always find smart solutions to complex challenges. Whether managing intricate logistics or making strategic pivots to protect creative quality, our goal remains the same – deliver exceptional value by finding unexpected ways forward.
Treatment
BY THE NUMBERS
COUNTRIES: 2 LOCATIONS: 11 SHOOT DAYS: 4 TALENT: 100 PREP: 3.5 WEEKS
BUDGET: EMAIL US