Travel brands are often known for evoking a faraway land. Normally the tactic is to sell people the unforgettable experience of going abroad, yet travel accessories brand Floyd is bringing a taste of elsewhere closer to home.

In its new ad campaign, the brand conjures 1970s Venice Beach, from aesthetic details such as colour grading to the protagonist – a retired bodybuilder named Larry who uses his Floyd suitcase as a vessel for his miniature model making. Despite the scene setting, it transpires that Larry isn’t on the west coast of the US but in Hastings, East Sussex.

The ad was written and directed by Jasper Cable Alexander, with no agency involved, after his own beloved Floyd suitcase was damaged by a would-be thief, and he and the brand’s founder Bernd subsequently struck up a conversation.

“We tried to capture the spirit of Floyd by blending humour, charm, and to attempt to give modern travel its mojo back, which is Floyd’s motto,” explains the director, who came up with the idea after thinking back to his own strolls along Venice Beach years ago and the bodybuilder culture he encountered there.

“Larry, our 62-year-old former bodybuilder turned miniature model maker shows us what’s inside his Floyd suitcase in a mockumentary style. Dan, the actor who plays Larry, is actually a champion body builder so we played on actual realities. It’s a celebration of life’s unexpected journeys, with Floyd as the perfect companion for every step.”

The outcome is unexpectedly charming, managing to create a sense of story and personality while subtly demonstrating the product.

Credits:
Writer and Director: Jasper Cable Alexander
Creative Production Studio: Cantsee
DoP: Vini Curtis
Editor: Becca Spaven
Colourist: Sharon Chung
Sound Designer: Tom Keats
Sound: Grand Central
Music: Theo Elwell