Boutique commercial production company Native Content and director Sorrel Brae recently re-teamed with Rocket Mortgage’s in-house creative team for two new spots in the ongoing “More Than a House” campaign. Brae and Native previously collaborated with Rocket Mortgage on the campaign’s first four spots. The latest, “More Than A Tradition” and “More Than A Bear,” are currently airing nationwide.
The two new spots build on the campaign’s humor and aesthetic in which the real world and the fantasy world seamlessly merge, capturing the inner dreams of homeowners and showing what makes their house a home. “More Than A Tradition” evokes a Norman Rockwell vibe, showing a boisterous at-home family gathering across the years to convey how beloved traditions take root over time. “More Than A Bear” channels both hospital dramas and superhero adventures to show a mom saving the day by repairing her son’s damaged stuffed animal. Each spot opens with the familiar notes of Bob Dylan’s “The Man In Me,” a common thread across all spots in the campaign.
“The first round on this campaign was such a great creative partnership and was very well received by viewers, so we all returned for this round with a heightened level of trust and desire to see how we could evolve the campaign with these new spots,” shared Brae. “The team at Rocket Mortgage was very receptive to building on the groundwork that we had previously laid, and amplifying some of the surrealism in these fantasy worlds to tell a deeper story.”
“More Than A Bear” posed a unique challenge by offering some potentially darker material to incorporate, compared to the other spots in the campaign, as the bear faces an unknown fate. Brae worked closely with DP Jeff Kim to figure out the lighting and color palette to help maintain consistency with the lighthearted tone of the campaign. By embracing primary colors, the duo was able to channel a more moody tone and bring viewers inside a scared child’s imagination while still maintaining some playfulness – striking a crucial balance that made the spot succeed.
For “More Than A Tradition,” Brae collaborated with production designer Heidi Adams to utilize the same house for both time periods in order to have the cuts match up perfectly. Adams expertly skinned the house to fit both eras on the day of, with Brae shooting all the modern-day takes first, followed by the vintage 1950s-era shots.
About Native Content
Native Content is a Los Angeles-based commercial production company, servicing local and international clients in advertising and branded content. Founded by Tomer DeVito in 2008, its creative roster includes Ben Jacks, Iain Mackenzie, Jörn Threlfall, Parker Ellerman, Rich Lee, Robin Polák, Shaun Collings, Sorrel Brae, Stewart Hendler, Tom Dey, Tony Prescott, and Ze’ev Waismann. For more information, visit http://nativecontent.com.
