Range Rover x The Athletic — Commercial

Annie and I Co-Produce a lot of automotive commercials. Most often the creative centers around talent putting items into a vehicle and sitting inside while pressing various screen controls, or stunt drivers driving as our crew captures “running footage”. We love all of that, but when we can check those boxes while also telling a story….now that is something special!

Brother Films reached out about a project that was a collaboration between Range Rover and The Athletic. It was for all intents and purposes a commercial for Range Rover, but with the juxtaposition of the intersection of vehicle design and architecture as the baseline for this piece. The story featured world renowned architect David Manica, whose claim to fame are the countless sports stadiums he has built around the world. Based in Kansas City, he leads MANICA Architecture, his firm that specializes in these stadium builds. 

As a producer, I get to interact with celebrities and notable people regularly, and I can attest to the saying “don’t meet your heroes”, since the impression I'm left with isn’t always the best. But what struck me the most in spending countless hours with David, in his office and driving around the city, was how humble and kind he was. He is at the top of his field with the recognition and accolades to prove it, and yet he leads with a quiet gentleness and a generous spirit towards everyone.

Those are the kind of people who make this job special. Sometimes the rat race of constantly selling products can feel like what I do doesn’t have a whole lot of meaning. But then when I meet someone like David Manica, and we get to tell his story, the fact that I got to drive around in a brand new Range Rover for two days is just the icing on the cake.