OneSpaWorld: SpaSafe
Overview
Even if you have never heard of OneSpaWorld, there’s a good chance you’ve been in one of their spas before; they create, market, and operate premium spa spaces and product lines for major cruise lines and hotel chains worldwide.
As the pandemic wreaked havoc on the hospitality industry at large, OneSpaWorld had worked hard on developing protocols that ensured their services were safe, and needed a way to communicate that to customers, reassuring them as they nervously re-enter the marketplace.
We partnered with them as a video production company to thread a tricky tonal needle: how could we create something that had the authority of a safety video without departing from the luxurious and soothing feeling that the brand required?
Process
Our main strategy to deal with this was to write a script that was very tactical and straightforward with its information delivery, and then to approach the visuals with a more abstract and less literal approach, knowing that this would be a more sophisticated approach.
We created a visual template that was heavy on earth/nature tones, as we thought this both suited the content and separated the piece from the usual clean/minimalist approach of luxury brands- almost like the clean lines of a luxury spa got crossed with some mystical serene glade in a forest somewhere. The team brought their very specific version of their “happy place” to the art, and this yielded something both totally on-brand and completely original.
Our color palette was subject to constant tweaking. We knew we wanted something neutral to make the piece more soothing, and started with something more on the peach side, before settling on something that incorporated earth tones mixed with subtle blues, to reinforce the fact that the brand operates both on land and at sea.
Infusing a gentle sense of relaxation was also key- the idea was that the video could be part of the spa experience and not just something that leads up to it. To this end, we made sure the camera was always gently gliding, barely noticeable but never coming to a jarring standstill. Objects are often eased in from just off-frame from the foreground, adding to the feeling of floating, and hazy lights and particle work give the piece a light and airy feel.
Sound design then tied all the pieces together, creating both a sense of otherworldliness that elevated the piece while creating an airy and ephemeral palette that really stands the piece up.
Results
This project resulted in a two-minute explainer that feels anything but. It is being used on spas on over 20 international cruise lines, plus on luxury hotel properties worldwide.
Artex was responsible for the conceptualization, scripting, art direction, animation, and sound design for this project.
As their Miami video production company, we continue to partner with OneSpaWorld to bring relaxation and wellness to their customers to this day.
