From London to Needham: Going Behind the Scenes of The Rally

We're not normal...

Workbar has always stood out from other coworking spaces. We put function over form while still managing to look great. We pioneered our signature activity-based neighborhoods, intentionally deviating from the traditional one-size-fits-all model to provide members with four different work styles in one space. Each of our 12 locations is designed to support your physical wellbeing and optimize mental focus — from ergonomic furniture and access to natural light to fully equipped podcast studios and individual phone booths for real privacy.

Our regional network of locations even breaks the mold of most city-centered coworking spaces, sprinkled all throughout Greater Boston and extending well beyond the Boston to the ‘burbs. After all, Cambridge isn’t the only place big ideas are happening. Members enjoy full reciprocity between locations, so they can work one day in the heart of Back Bay and the next in our artsy Arlington workspace on the water.

Workbar is just different, in the best possible way. So naturally, we wanted our new commercial to reflect that uniqueness and innovative spirit. That was our mission when we approached Deadpan Agency, a new-ish comedy video agency based in London. What started as a (literally) far-fetched idea turned into a beautiful, attention-grabbing commercial you'll actually want to watch it more than once. Pretty good, innit? 😉

We cast Jennifer (or Jennifah, depending on who you ask) played by London-based Alexa Stevens through the agency and, as luck would have it, we discovered she’s originally from Massachusetts. Kismet? Could be.

When we asked if she knew anyone who might be a good fit for Matt’s role, she recommended her friend Nick Davis. After taking a look at his past work, we knew he’d be perfect for our over-the-top pep-talking leading man. To no one's surprise, Alexa and Matt's longtime friendship translated into great on-screen chemistry — they were prom dates, after all. Seriously, the stars just seemed to be aligned with this campaign from start to finish.

From the very beginning, Deadpan understood the assignment. They saw our creative vision and totally brought it to life with The Rally. From workshopping a killer script to filming amongst real Workbar Needham members ready for their big break, every aspect of working with them was highly collaborative, exceptionally well-executed, and truly a blast. Needless to say, we wholeheartedly recommend them if you’re ever in the market for an ad agency to hire in the UK. Or, if you’re crazy enough to fly them across the pond for a shoot like we did.

The Rally is one of two commercials we created with Deadpan, so be on the lookout for our second masterpiece, The Master Plan, premiering later this week. Until then, enjoy a roundup of some of our favorite behind-the-scenes moments from the multi-day production.