Winter in Alaska is less a season and more a slow, inevitable surrender to perpetual darkness, the kind that sneaks in slowly, and seems to swallow everything north of the 61st parallel. The sun rises for what feels like seconds, gives a half-hearted smile, and slips back under its covers, leaving you with endless night, and the kind of temps that freezes your nose hairs. By February, you’re left wondering if maybe you should just learn to hibernate—it’s probably what nature intended anyway.

What nature didn’t intend on is crappy internet! Just as we gather for cozy movie marathons and long nights in, the last thing you want to is to end up watching the buffering wheel more than your favorite show. Luckily, Alaska Communications Fiber can be the upgrade you need to keep things loading as they should all winter long.

Recently, we released another spot in the RVshare “Use Your Outside Voice” campaign, and it might be one of my favorite elements yet. The texture, emotion and sound design really came together well, and we were able put a new spin on things while still managing to pull from the assets we shot last spring. So enjoy!

CLIENT: RVshare | ACD/AD: Andy Westbrock | CW: Karina Zack | GCD: Lianne Onart | ECD: Mike Hayward | PROD: MacKenzie Huff | AGENCY: Copacino Fujikado | DIR: Janssen Powers | DP: Jeremy Snell | PROD CO: Farm League | COLOR: Dante Pasquinelli | EDIT: Brian Alter | SOUND: John Buroker at HEARby

Back in mid March, we got word from Symetra there might be a chance to shoot with the living legend that is Sue Bird. We’d get one day and it would happen—most likely—sometime in April. So Andrew Gall and I started putting together ideas and scripts, not really knowing what might come of them, or when things might happen. And since Sue has hinted this might be her last season in the WNBA as she nears retirement, it seemed like a pivotal time for her partnership with Symetra. Sue reflecting on her career, thinking about what she’d tell her younger-self seemed like a good place to start.

Then, without about 10 days to prep, we heard April 7th was our day—Sue would be available and in Seattle. So we jumped into action! Luckily, we already had a director and production company in mind (Zia Mohajerjasbi with Society), and as luck would have it, they were available! Then, our world-class CF producers (namely MacKenzie Huff) along with our clients and account team, made it all come together—and fast! It was a huge team effort by everyone involved.

It was a whirlwind tour, but everything came together great! We quickly worked out script nuances, wardrobe and found a location, which was difficult with COVID protocols and on short notice. Then on shoot day, Sue was the total pro she’s always been when we’ve been fortunate enough to work with her. And, not surprisingly, she nailed practically every shot. It’s amazing how that is when you’re working with someone who’s a master of their craft. And seriously, she wasn’t clanking them in, either. This behind the scenes GIF below shows it exactly. It was like that every take. Swish. Every time. Swish. Amazing.

Anyway, this is a long way of saying it was a very fun and rewarding production process, and we’re all very excited with how it turned out. We have a few more things that will accompany this, but for the time being, we hope you enjoy the spot:

CLIENT: Symetra Life Insurance Co. | AD: Andy Westbrock | GCD/CW: Andrew Gall | CCO: Mike Hayward | PRODUCER: MacKenzie Huff | AGENCY: Copacino Fujikado | DIR: Zia Mohajerjasbi | PROD CO: Society | EDIT: Heidi Black at Whitehouse Post | AUDIO: HearBy | COLOR: Bryan Smaller at Company 3

Sports stars Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe give us a glimpse into their life stuck at home and how they're preparing for their financial future with Symetra. The spots were shot remotely by Sue and Megan in their home in Connecticut, while the rest of the team was on the west coast (Seattle & LA). They also premiered during the 2020 ESPY Awards, which were hosted remotely by Sue, Megan and Russell Wilson. Client: Symetra Life Insurance Company Agency: Copacino Fujikado Chief Creative Officer: Mike Hayward Group Creative Director: Andrew Gall Associate Creative Director: Andy Westbrock Sr. Copywriter: Caroline Henry Sr. Producer: MacKenzie Huff Production Co.: O. Positive Director: Jess Coulter Executive Producer: Ralph Laucella Post Production: Arcade Edit NY Editor: Ali Mao Producer: Fanny Cruz Color: Company3 NY Colorist: Jaime O'Bradovich Record + Mix: HEARby Sound President/Creative Director/Engineer: John Buroker

2020 has looked quite different for everyone—even for international sports stars like Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe. But that doesn’t mean they’ve just been at home twiddling their thumbs during a worldwide pandemic. They’ve actually been quite busy, as you can see from Symetra’s latest campaign featuring the duo from their home in Connecticut, showing them working from home, rearranging furniture, and even trying some new baking recipes. And luckily they have Symetra to help plan for their financial futures as well.

We worked with production company O Positive and director Jess Coulter to shoot remotely, literally handing the camera, audio equipment, props and lighting over to Sue and Megan, while the rest of us were back on the west coast (Seattle and Los Angeles respectively). So hats off to Sue and Megan for not only doing all the shooting and work “on set,” but also memorizing their lines and ACTING (remember, they’re world-class athletes, not necessarily trained actors)! The spots also premiered during the 2020 ESPY Awards which were hosted remotely by Sue, Megan and Russell Wilson, which made it all the more fitting.

Sports stars Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe give us a glimpse into their life stuck at home and how they're preparing for their financial future with Symetra. The spots were shot remotely by Sue and Megan in their home in Connecticut, while the rest of the team was on the west coast (Seattle & LA). They also premiered during the 2020 ESPY Awards, which were hosted remotely by Sue, Megan and Russell Wilson. Client: Symetra Life Insurance Company Agency: Copacino Fujikado Chief Creative Officer: Mike Hayward Group Creative Director: Andrew Gall Associate Creative Director: Andy Westbrock Sr. Copywriter: Caroline Henry Sr. Producer: MacKenzie Huff Production Co.: O. Positive Director: Jess Coulter Executive Producer: Ralph Laucella Post Production: Arcade Edit NY Editor: Ali Mao Producer: Fanny Cruz Color: Company3 NY Colorist: Jaime O'Bradovich Record + Mix: HEARby Sound President/Creative Director/Engineer: John Buroker

Sports stars Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe give us a glimpse into their life stuck at home and how they're preparing for their financial future with Symetra. The spots were shot remotely by Sue and Megan in their home in Connecticut, while the rest of the team was on the west coast (Seattle & LA). They also premiered during the 2020 ESPY Awards, which were hosted remotely by Sue, Megan and Russell Wilson. Client: Symetra Life Insurance Company Agency: Copacino Fujikado Chief Creative Officer: Mike Hayward Group Creative Director: Andrew Gall Associate Creative Director: Andy Westbrock Sr. Copywriter: Caroline Henry Sr. Producer: MacKenzie Huff Production Co.: O. Positive Director: Jess Coulter Executive Producer: Ralph Laucella Post Production: Arcade Edit NY Editor: Ali Mao Producer: Fanny Cruz Color: Company3 NY Colorist: Jaime O'Bradovich Record + Mix: HEARby Sound President/Creative Director/Engineer: John Buroker

Sports stars Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe give us a glimpse into their life stuck at home and how they're preparing for their financial future with Symetra. The spots were shot remotely by Sue and Megan in their home in Connecticut, while the rest of the team was on the west coast (Seattle & LA). They also premiered during the 2020 ESPY Awards, which were hosted remotely by Sue, Megan and Russell Wilson. Client: Symetra Life Insurance Company Agency: Copacino Fujikado Chief Creative Officer: Mike Hayward Group Creative Director: Andrew Gall Associate Creative Director: Andy Westbrock Sr. Copywriter: Caroline Henry Sr. Producer: MacKenzie Huff Production Co.: O. Positive Director: Jess Coulter Executive Producer: Ralph Laucella Post Production: Arcade Edit NY Editor: Ali Mao Producer: Fanny Cruz Color: Company3 NY Colorist: Jaime O'Bradovich Record + Mix: HEARby Sound President/Creative Director/Engineer: John Buroker

Sports stars Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe give us a glimpse into their life stuck at home and how they're preparing for their financial future with Symetra. The spots were shot remotely by Sue and Megan in their home in Connecticut, while the rest of the team was on the west coast (Seattle & LA). They also premiered during the 2020 ESPY Awards, which were hosted remotely by Sue, Megan and Russell Wilson. Client: Symetra Life Insurance Company Agency: Copacino Fujikado Chief Creative Officer: Mike Hayward Group Creative Director: Andrew Gall Associate Creative Director: Andy Westbrock Sr. Copywriter: Caroline Henry Sr. Producer: MacKenzie Huff Production Co.: O. Positive Director: Jess Coulter Executive Producer: Ralph Laucella Post Production: Arcade Edit NY Editor: Ali Mao Producer: Fanny Cruz Color: Company3 NY Colorist: Jaime O'Bradovich Record + Mix: HEARby Sound President/Creative Director/Engineer: John Buroker

Sports stars Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe give us a glimpse into their life stuck at home and how they're preparing for their financial future with Symetra. The spots were shot remotely by Sue and Megan in their home in Connecticut, while the rest of the team was on the west coast (Seattle & LA). They also premiered during the 2020 ESPY Awards, which were hosted remotely by Sue, Megan and Russell Wilson.

CLIENT: Symetra Life Insurance Co. | AGENCY: Copacino Fujikado | AD: Andy Westbrock | CW: Theo Henry | GCD: Andrew Gall | CCO: Mike Hayward | PROD: O. Positive | DIR: Jess Coulter | EDIT: Ali Mao at Arcade Edit NY | COLOR: Jaime O'Bradovich at Company3 NY | AUDIO: John Buroker at HEARby

14 Hands isn’t your run-of-the-mill wine made from your average vineyard. It’s different. They go beyond the norm. Where other’s just stick to water and sun to grow their grapes, 14 Hands does that, but also adds a little something extra. Perhaps it’s some extra excitement, or a little extra fun. Either way, you can taste the difference.

Agency: Copacino+Fujikado Copywriter: Andy Corbett Art Director: Andy Westbrock Creative Director: Mike Hayward Executive Creative Director: Jim Copacino Agency Producer: Kris Dangla Production Co: Strange & Wonderful Directors: David Viau & Will Hyde

CLIENT: 14 Hands Vineyards
AD: Andy Westbrock
CW: Andy Corbett
CD: Mike Hayward
DIR: David Viau & Will Hyde
PROD: Strange & Wonderful
AGENCY: Copacino+Fujikado

Written by: Andre Vriesman & Andy Westbrock

A few months back my writing partner, Andre Vriesman and I had the pleasure of working on some radio spots for our client Redhook Ale. This is always welcomed with open arms since they usually let us do some pretty cool and fun stuff. Seriously, how many times do you get to work in zombies and “sawed of shotguns” into a script? Then just recently, I turned it into a simple little animated video so the digital world could enjoy it a little easier. So if you haven’t already, give “Zombie Standoff” a listen.