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Kelowna-made video gets Ryan Reynolds’ thumbs up

One Peak Creative got the star’s attention with their Aviation American Gin ad
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Kelowna-based ad agency One Peak Creative got a nod from Ryan Reynolds after they made a commercial for the actor’s Aviation American Gin. (One Peak Creative)

The COVID-19 pandemic has shut down many businesses and events, but a local video company isn’t letting that stop them from getting creative.

Kelowna’s One Peak Creative started their own campaign #adsolation, which has seen them make one ad every day. With most of their shoots pushed back due to the pandemic, the team decided to continue making ads to keep their creativity moving, according to the creative agency’s co-owner Conar Fair.

“We had to come up with an idea to keep us fresh and creative and honing our skills so we can come out of this better than when we went in… we also wanted to find a unique way to involve the community as well,” Fair said.

As the team got the hang of same-day shoots and edits, they decided to make an ad for Ryan Reynold’s Aviation American Gin.

The trio’s video got Reynold’s approval, as well as his wife’s.

“We mostly did it because we thought it would be super fun to create and obviously, we were hoping that maybe Ryan would end up seeing it… and I guess yeah, he did,” he said.

“Our weeks are super busy right now so after we filmed and posted the ad, I’ve been running on four hours of sleep. Glen and Meg (One Peak’s co-owners), they ran to my room and were like ‘it happened, he replied!’. It was just this incredible surreal feeling. It felt great to know he had seen something we worked so hard on.”

Fair said besides the great feedback from Reynolds, One Peak’s team is also very excited about the community they’ve received.

“Everybody has been supportive of everything we’ve done so far. It’s just been incredible to see what we’re capable of accomplishing within a day.”

He said they’ve also received messages from parents about how their work is inspiring young students to pursue visual arts.

“It’s just really cool because when I was growing up, I didn’t really know this was something that was possible… so it’s cool that we’re showcasing this to a younger generation,” he said.

Fair also has a piece of advice.

“For anybody who’s been thinking about doing and it scares you, just give it a shot. Go for it. Jump all the way in, and you’re going to be amazed at what you can do and the outcome.”

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Twila Amato
Video journalist, Black Press Okanagan
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Twila Amato

About the Author: Twila Amato

Twila was a radio reporter based in northern Vancouver Island. She won the Jack Webster Student Journalism Award while at BCIT and received a degree in ancient and modern Greek history from McGill University.
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