THE CHALLENGE: Quil Ceda Creek Casino planned to open a new Quil Ceda Creek Casino right next to the old one. Bigger, better, more slots, games, dining options and venues. It was everything their customers already loved, just more of it. Easy sell, right? Except they were opening at a time when several competing casinos were either opening or expanding. And when the economy was still a bust. And when everyone was urged to stay home. And did we mention the pandemic?

THE WORK: We figured announcing the move with a few laughs would get people’s attention so we turned to improv wizard Colin Mochrie, who brought our scripts to life and improvised a few of his own (big shock there). But getting these spots produced turned out to be, well, a production. The shoot had to happen in Toronto, where Colin lives, and travel restrictions were still in effect, so location and tech scouts, wardrobe fittings and all the rest of pre-pro had to be handled remotely. Then, just days before the shoot, Toronto itself went into lockdown, so we scrambled to permit a new location. Then aliens adducted our cameras. (Okay, that last one’s made up, but you get the gist. Curveballs were thrown.) Fortunately, we worked with a team that was quick on its feet and met every challenge with a “Yes, and…” attitude. We even discovered that the camera lens itself could be adapted so we could see exactly what was being filmed 2,586 miles away.

THE RESULTS: We laugh every time we re-watch the 8 TV spots, 8 social videos and 3 radio spots we made. And business at the new Quil Ceda Creek Casino is booming, which means our client is laughing all the way to the bank.