Intel's "Look Inside" film series about inspiring people scales new heights in this 90-second spot about Erik Weihenmayer, who's beaten long odds to climb the world's seven tallest peaks.
There's a potent reveal—which we won't spoil—around the minute mark, where we learn about Weihenmayer's physical condition and what he's had to overcome to reach those summits. It's an emotional jolt that powers his narration. "One of the shortfalls I think many people have is that they allow all these distractions and fears and doubts to get into their head and sabotage them," Weihenmayer says. Later, when he asks, "Is there a way to make that difficult thing a catalyst to moving onto something different rather than just allowing it to crush you?" his sincerity resonates like an echo down a canyon wall.
Ad agency Venables Bell & Partners and director Christopher Hewitt of Knucklehead get the tone just right, presenting Weihenmayer as a super achiever but not a superhero. His humanity and humility stay firmly in focus. The story is told in reverse, starting at the top of the mountain and working backward, a winning approach that Intel and VB&P used in their earlier viral hit about teenage cancer researcher Jack Andraka.
Both films succeed as uplifting pieces of branded content, with the Intel connection wisely undersold. Here, the end line—"There's only one way to discover what you're made of: Look Inside"—seems tailor made for Weihenmayer, as that's precisely what he's had to do, never losing sight of his goals and aspirations.
Intel will donate $30,000 to No Barriers USA, a nonprofit that helps people with disabilities, if Weihenmayer's video is shared 2,900 times on Twitter. (That number is a reference to the 29,000-foot elevation of Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth.)
.@ErikWeihenmayer video. 2,900 RTs, we will donate $30k to @NoBarriersUSA#EverestClimbhttp://t.co/4QPfpnvlVopic.twitter.com/zJnPjdIyCy
— Intel (@intel) February 4, 2014CREDITS
Client: Intel
Agency: Venables Bell & Partners
Executive Creative Directors: Paul Venables, Will McGinness
Creative Director: Tom Scharpf
Associate Creative Director: Eric Boyd
Art Director: Stephen Lum
Copywriter: Liz Cartwright
Director of Integrated Production: Craig Allen
Agency Executive Producer: Emily Moore
Agency Producer: Melissa Nagy
Production Company: Knucklehead
Director: Chris Hewitt
Executive Producer, Managing Director: Matthew Brown
Line Producer: David Bishop
Director of Photography: Chris Sabogal
Editorial Company: Whitehouse Post
Senior Producer: Kristin Branstetter
Editor: Sam Gunn
Assistant Editor: Zach Vandlik
Mix, Sound Design: Joel Waters @ Lime
Music: Elias Arts
Executive Producer: Ann Haugen
Composers: Jonathan Elias, Sarah Trevino
Telecine: Company 3
Colorist: Stefan Sonnenfeld
Visual Effects: The Mill
Visual Effects Executive Producer: Sue Troyan
Visual Effects Producer: Jordan Sharon
2-D Lead Artist: James Allen
2-D Artists: Nick Tayler, Steve Gibbons, Scott Johnson
End Animation: Brand New School
Executive Producer: Devin Brook
Producer: Amy Russo