Checking Into H&M's Hotel Mauritz With Director Matt Piedmont

H&M and adam&eveDDB have just dropped the first episode in their festive mini-series about a gaggle of guests trapped in a classic Alpine hotel over Christmas.

Directed by PRETTYBIRD London's Matt Piedmont, the campaign will roll out a new 30-second spot every week until Christmas, kicking off with Bells & Whistles, below.

Read on for some sneak peek images from the upcoming episodes, and an exclusive Q&A with Piedmont. 

PRETTYBIRD director Matt Piedmont

What was your reaction on receiving the H&M script(s) and why did the job appeal to you? 

My reaction was high enthusiasm... Loved the concept of a bunch of wayward individuals spending the holidays together in a remote Alpine hotel.  The scripts by Gen and Selma were beautifully layered and funny, and I immediately saw the visual possibilities.  

Is this the first Christmas campaign you've directed? 

Yes, if you don’t count the local spot I did in the '80s for Dr. Terwilliger’s Mid-Range Used Candy Canes...

The first episode sets the scene with romance blossoming between a couple at the hotel front desk, can you tell us a bit more about the story and where it heads after this? 

The general concept is: due to inclement winter weather, a batch of assorted folks finds themselves spending the holidays together under one roof: a vintage Alpine Hotel.  What starts as a necessity turns into a magical experience for all...

Why split it into six episodes rather than one short film, as in previous years?

I think it allows people to join in on more fun in the story by being able to see six different scenarios play out as they do in a hotel: at any given time in any hotel, there are multiple individual stories playing out, and this was a way to capture some of that energy in a really fun way.

The first episode weaves in a musical-tie in to Tiffany's I Think We're Alone Now - does every episode feature a 'theme song' in this way?

Do I have to say ‘Spoiler Alert’?  I will say yes, there is some fantastic music involved in subsequent episodes.

How did you approach casting?

I loved the cast, which was drawn from such a diverse group of people. It included huge actors (Aubrey Plaza), musicians (Moses), models Georgina Grenville and Noa Grenville, influencers Sonny Turner, Chloe Fineman and Eric Rutherford (Ladies of Advanced Style) Sarah Jane Adams, Debra Rapoport and Tziporah Salamon. We even had an infant and a great dog who nailed everything I asked him to do in every take!

There are six episodes in total, do you have a favourite and if so, why? 

I really dig them all, but if I had to pick, I would say it was a tie between the opening episode where Aubrey Plaza and Moses first meet in the lobby and sing the aforementioned Tiffany song— their chemistry together was amazing.  And then the episode of a hallway Spaghetti Western-type showdown between Aubrey and her diverse crew of women versus the Ladies of Advanced Style and their single-digit aged Secret Weapon.  It’s all women of all types from every age group, and it's fun.

"We had three different crews... shooting during London’s summer heat wave.  It was fun controlled chaos, like being at Timothy Leary’s Millbrook mansion." 

How long did the production process take from start to finish and what were the most challenging aspects?

We were shooting after three weeks of pre-production, with Jack Flanagan and his great production design squad transforming a dilapidated mansion into the hotel, and DP Dan Bronks and I choosing how to shoot it with the fantastic crew. Not to mention we were building a complete miniature winter countryside hotel and mountain, complete with neon sign and falling snow that we shot on the final day.  We had three different crews — us, the film crew; the stills crew; and the digital crew — leap-frogging all over the mansion and shooting simultaneously.  All during London’s summer heat wave.  It was fun controlled chaos, like being at Timothy Leary’s Millbrook mansion.

Did you look at any of H&M's previous Christmas campaigns, like Wes Anderson's Come Together and last year's modern fairytale starring Nicki Minaj, or was this a real departure, tonally?

I had seen both Wes’s campaign and the Nicki Minaj campaign — H&M do something interesting and unique every holiday season.  I think it is in keeping with the visual and conceptual magic they do every year, while injecting this year’s campaign with extra buoyancy and fun and including a wide group of people. 

What's been your favourite Christmas campaign so far this year and why? 

The re-release of an 80s spot for Dr. Terwilliger’s Mid-Range Used Candy Canes…