A Campaign for Connection

This story is as real as it gets. In September 2020, Chinet asked us to create a holiday campaign that could resonate in an isolated world. At the height of COVID, production was a challenge—daily nose swabs, maintaining personnel bubbles, and adhering to strict protocols—but the goal was clear: to show how tables across the nation could still come together with those closest to them.

With a limited budget, the spot came to life through sheer ambition. Casting was done entirely by word of mouth, drawing on connections I’d built over the years. Alongside a small but determined crew, we found willing participants to celebrate Diwali, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Friendsgiving—hitting our purchasing audience demographics while authentically representing diverse traditions.

This production gave me exactly what I needed at the time: an education in cultures, genuine human connections, and the joy of collaborating with creatives who wanted to make work with purpose. The piece was built on love, perseverance, and compassion for those different from ourselves.

It was humbling—demanding trust, adaptability, and complete reliance on one another. Everyone showed up. And in the end, after months of confinement, this spot became what we all desired the most: a longing for connection, and meaning.