Airbnb commercial… the “Landslide” song, and more!

Airbnb had an ad slot during the hometown dates of The Bachelor: Matt James (not that I was watching… I was definitely watching) and it stopped me in my tracks. Was it the ad itself, or the music that was so emotional, not sure?

Who sings this haunting version of the “Landslide”? Her name is Robyn Sherwell, and here is her longer version of the Fleetwood Mac song…

This song was used in another iconic ad, this one from Budweiser airing during the Super Bowl a few years ago.

Back to the Airbnb ad… from their official YouTube page, here is their description of the folks appearing in the ad:

Photographer Cole set out for the New England coast for a weekend of surfing and llama spotting with his wife and two daughters – it was their first trip as a family of four. Superhosts François and Ashley (a father-daughter duo themselves) set the stage for a memorable stay at their cozy cottage in Narragansett, Rhode Island. The family then visited Host Rob’s seaside apartment in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

AirBnb

Cole Barash, the photographer referenced above, has a portfolio of photos he’s take as a professional on his website.

Does the Airbnb commercial tug your heartstrings as I’m sure they are hoping for? Chime in below! Also check out other TV ad research here. You will love it 🙂

You can find more from Robyn Sherwell by following her on Twitter and Instagram. Also, why not go over to her website?

-Out of the Wilderness

Salt -N- Pepa “Shoop”…great song from the 1990s

OK, this is going WAY back but for those of you who haven’t heard (or listened to it in a while), take a few minutes to admire “Shoop” by Salt-N-Pepa, released 28 years ago (1993).

I heard it recently on SiriusXM’s 90s Channel and was reminded how fun and twisty turny the lyrics are. So much good rhyming and playing with words, it’s a great song that I sort of forgot to appreciate back when I was a young teenager just trying not to scuff up my Jordans. Or was it my Deion Sanders shoes? I can’t remember.

This song sample’s a portion of The Ikettes from 1962.

Listening to this song reminded me of when we could just have lighthearted fun, even lighthearted music, that wasn’t so polarizing. Maybe we can get back to a country where things aren’t so divided and not everyone is offended. Hey, maybe music can even be the thing that brings us back together!

-Out of the Wilderness

Allstate’s new ad “Duet”… the car, the music, the hood ornament!

This ad, titled “Duet,” features the music of the Pet Shop Boys performing “Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)” while a guy drives his car down an undisclosed road in an undisclosed state. Even the license plate doesn’t give away any location info.

“The Beautiful State” and the plate number 2SBI653 are both used as props in film and TV. Keeps things generic and ambiguous, you know?

About the car itself… Obviously Allstate didn’t want to give any free advertising to an automaker, as you can see (refer to pic above) the car has no visible logos or emblems on the front grill where most car companies place their signage.

Based on the shape of the headlights, the lower grill around the fog lamps, my best guess is this is a 2016 BMW 435i Cabriolet with a custom front end. See in the pic below how the basic shape and structure of the BMW grill matches the car in the ad.

Now for that hood ornament… do a quick search for “flying woman” or “nymph” hood ornament and you will have plenty to choose from. There are also quite a few on Amazon here. Below is my favorite from all the images that come up…

via Flickr

What do you think of the ad? Does it conveys the intended message from Allstate?

Be sure to check out more popular ads by clicking on my TV Commercials page. Thanks for stopping by!

-Out of the Wilderness

“The Great Thaw” in Nashville

This has been a week full of snow, ice, and very, very low temperatures in Nashville. If you were to ask how long I’ve been cooped up at home, I’d ask you, “What month is it?” But to be serious, I haven’t driven my car more than 4 miles since Saturday, a week ago. In the beginning, it was really beautiful to see the snow falling in 2 big storms that came through. There was even enough snow that I saw half a dozen snowmen pop up in a matter of days. Some were better than others, just being honest 🙂

snowmen in the neighborhood (click photo to enlarge)

My dogs and I went out in the snow daily, one day I took them on two walks. I also wandered around the neighborhood to take some photos so those were fun outings.

Yesterday, though, which was Friday, I decided I was over it. I’m ready to see my yard again! I’m ready to drive my car again. In fact, I actually caught myself longing to mow the grass. You know something’s up when you are anxious to get the lawn mower out.

I just miss summer.

Yesterday afternoon the snow started melting because the sun was out for the first time in days. Today there will be more melting and I am welcoming it with open arms. One news station called it “The Great Thaw” and I was like, “Yes!” It’s not that I’m a party pooper or anything. The snow is beautiful and awesome. But… I’m over it.

OK, I’m a little bit of a party pooper. C’mon spring and summer!

-Out of the Wilderness

Carrier of Grace

I heard a sermon from Passion City Church in Atlanta and a phrase that stuck with me is “carrier of grace”… someone that overlooks an offense is a good way to sum it up, someone who has this graceful quality like Jesus did.

Right off the bat, I can think of two examples of this in my own life– one from my parents and one from a friend.

The parents… My Mom and Dad and one of my sisters came to visit me in Nashville. For a reason that was so trivial, I was in a sassy mood and when I had the opportunity to help my dad with something important to him, I let the trivial thing determine my actions and words. I was rude to my dad and I regret it, to this very day. He and my mom accomplished the task I was unwilling to help with. You see, the natural way to respond to my pettiness would be to dish it back to me… but my parents failed at being typical humans. They rose above this by being amazing examples of Christians, because while they were doing the task I refused to do, requiring them to drive around Nashville (a city they don’t know well), they even went out of their way to bless me in a way I hadn’t expected or asked for. Who does that, if you don’t have God in your life? My father and mother were carriers of grace.

The friend… in order to keep things anonymous I’ll just say this: my friend had a good reason to be disappointed with me, but this friend showed grace and generosity in a situation where neither were deserved, or expected. I think teachings of “the world” would not have been so kind but this person surprised me with the amount of grace and generosity they showed me. It was something I won’t soon forget.

My parents and this friend both were great reminders that living a life in the footsteps of Jesus is so countercultural and quite magnetic.

The lessons… Be a carrier of grace. Be generous. Don’t throw hissy fits about trivial things.

Have you experienced grace this week? Have you shown grace to someone? Share in the comments so your story can be a blessing to me and others.

Thanks for stopping by!

-Out of the Wilderness