When National Geographic Channel’s client solutions department began working on a sweepstakes campaign for the all-new MINI Countryman, they knew exactly who to call. 2C Creative (“2C”), with which they had worked many times before, was not only known for its inventive brand integrations, but also had a live-action director born and raised in Colorado, the location they envisioned for a shoot. The goal was to organically marry the National Geographic and MINI Countryman brands, uniting them around their target consumers’ shared passion for adventure photography in a way that inspired engagement and interaction.

2C started by developing a campaign logo for the MINI COUNTRYMAN ADVENTURE SWEEPSTAKES that captured attributes of both brands and brought a consistency across all marketing collateral. The creative agency then extrapolated a tool kit from the logo development to create 20- and 10-second tune-ins tying the sweepstakes into the promotion of the National Geographic Channel series “America’s Natural Parks.” Finally, 2C approached the main 60-second vignette spot like “bonus content” by presenting a story of acclaimed National Geographic photographer Andy Mann out practicing his craft and showcasing MINI as an enabler of this mission rather than a blatant sales pitch.

The nature of the MINI Countryman Adventure storyline required 2C to move quickly, opting for a lean crew and tools that would allow the production to avoid cumbersome setups, like vehicle-mounted stabilizing MoVi units and a mix of cameras – the main Alexa Mini and two Sony 4K mirrorless cameras; an A7 for the dash cam; and the smaller A6300 for exterior car mounts. This meant a number of shots were happening simultaneously in real time versus meticulously crafted individual setups, giving a feel of polished cinematic documentary over that of a traditional commercial.