POLAR M400 SPORTS VIDEO

THE BRIEF

This was the sports video we wanted to make. And not just because it’s shot in San Francisco! Polar is a global leader in heart rate monitoring devices for athletes and other sports people. As we were asked to produce a sports film that taps into their core audience of athletes and fitness enthusiasts, we wanted to create a sports film that celebrates the joy and freedom that a healthy lifestyle brings.

Fun Fact: The first heart rate monitor was invented by Polar in 1977 to support the Finnish cross-country ski team. And it’s now widely used in many sports globally.

THE APPROACH

Although the brief had a new focus on health, wellness and lifestyle, this was the fifth sports video production for Polar by Vermillion Films. So we have plenty of sport experience. Therefore it was a pleasure to settle in with a familiar executive team. However, we have developed a process for shooting in new countries with a new crew that yields great results. With the cool, laidback vibe of San Francisco as the backdrop, we worked with the local crew for casting and location scouting. As always local regulations presented their own challenges but our flexible way of working meant we were able to lock down the locations and cast and pull everything together in time for the shoot. So the easy-flowing style of this kind of sports film lends itself to was achieved through good planning and large dollops of flexibility.

Director: Lee Kemp | Cinematography: Cliff Traiman | Agency CAA in London.

“I have worked with Lee and the Vermillion Team on several film productions around the world. I ordered several marketing videos from Vermillion Films to support the global launch of the Polar M400 sport watch. The Vermillion Team managed the entire process from the initial storyboarding right through to the final edit with great professionalism. They arranged the best cast, crew and locations in order to deliver outstanding results. As a result, and as a client I could totally trust them to hold all the threads while providing results with a real wow factor and staying within the agreed budget. Lee’s lively and friendly persona made working together even more fun!”

Salla Rahja – Visual Communications Planner, Polar

THE RESULT

This sports film, centred on health and wellness, was used as the centrepiece of the global product launch for the Polar M400 watch with localised versions passed to a number of markets. The film achieved several hundred thousand organic views in its first few months.