Behind the Scenes: Photographing a Toyota Camry Ad Campaign

On November 14 2011 I met with the advertising agency team from Singapore to recce suitable location to shoot an ad campaign for NBT Brunei to promote the new Toyota Camry. The recce took us to various places where we could comfortably place 10 service personnel from The Empire Hotel and Country Club during which time we also visited the Emperor’s Suite, a room that instills an eye-opening and mind blowing experience for many stepping inside for the first time. We carried out the shoot the next morning starting with make-up session of all featured service personnel at the Business Centre.

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Make-up session for all service personnel at the Business Centre.

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One of a number of service personnel from Zest Cafe I regularly see from time to time when buying cappuccino take-out.

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Executive Sous Chef, Henry Tan, with whom I had worked during the room service food menu shoot.

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The roll-out of this campaign was postponed due to inevitable shipment delays as a result of the Japan tsunami.

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Joint Tribute to Mother’s Day by Wu Chun and Mr Baker’s Bakeshop

On Friday 11th I had a long-planned photo shoot of Mr Baker’s Bakeshop business that would take me from the showroom all the way back to the heartbeat of the bakery. On this day, Cyril joined me on this very early road trip from Seria to Batu Besurat in Gadong where Mr Baker’s Bakery is located. It had to be early for a number of reasons: to capture the essence of their very busy kitchen before shop opens for business and to avoid the traffic jam along Tungku link road that would inevitably delay the shoot. Mr Baker is a well established name in the healthier eating community with cafe outlets at Jerudong Park Medical Centre, a newly opened cafe at the Airport Mall including, in case you didn’t know, Fitness Zone at Serusop — the healthy goodness of Mr Baker’s breads (choice of Rye, Low GI, Sovitol, etc) can now be found right up the stairs.

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Wu Chun explaining about the Fitness Zone and Mr Baker’s joint promo to newly head shaven Rano (not pictured).

Fitness Zone chose Mr. Baker’s Bakeshop because they are the healthier choice and due to their strict policy of no added preservatives, dough improver and as much as possible, no added stabilizer / emulsifier is used. For instance, you may notice that the sponge used in our cakes is less spongy but firm in texture and most of our cakes are less sweet.

According to Eric, the founder of Mr Baker’s Bakeshop, “In conjunction with the upcoming Mother’s Day celebration, we are having a 15% discount on our top selling cakes, Fresh Fruit Vanilla, and on top of it, we are also giving complimentary gift voucher worth $140 to the first 50 customers which entitles holder for one-week free entry to the #1 Health Club courtesy of Fitness Zone.” In addition, Wu Chun added, “We are thankful to Mr Baker’s Bakeshop for allowing FZ Members to have the privilege of having their cakes made to order and have them delivered to Fitness Zone free of charge.”

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Eric Pui, founder of Mr Baker’s Bakeshop speaking to Sin Chew and United Daily News journalists about the mutually beneficial partnership with Fitness Zone.

Mr. Baker’s Bakeshop is also baking their record-breaking biggest fruit cake ever baked specially for Fitness Zone’s Mother’s day activity which is to be held on 12th May Saturday at their Serusop Branch. This coming weekend, there is also a ‘Surprise’ Mother’s Day promotion and Fitness Zone will also do an open house for all families to enjoy their state of the art facilities plus free gifts as well! Start living healthy and start SAVING MONEY by becoming a member of Fitness Zone today!

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Size matters! Wu Chun unboxing Mr Baker’s biggest fruit cake ever baked specially for Fitness Zone’s Mother’s day activity including an FZ open house for all families to enjoy their state of the art facilities plus free gifts as well!

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Mr Baker’s best selling fresh fruit vanilla cake specially upsized for this Fitness Zone Mother’s Day promo. Why is this best selling? Stay tuned for behind-the-scenes photo documentary of how the cake is assembled.

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The best selling fresh fruit cake looks and tastes ever bit as good from afar and up close (remember, if you find the cake a tad too creamy, you can order one with less cream).

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Wu Chun says, “Good health not only add years to life but also add life to years! Quality of life is so important to people nowadays and this month, we are giving very good promotion for all mothers which we believe it’s one of the proudest ‘Gift of Love’ that a mother can own on mother’s day!” Photo courtesy of Fitness Zone

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Founder of Mr Baker’s Bakeshop, Eric Pui, poses with Wu Chun holding their bakery’s largest and most popular Fresh Fruit cake for a press photo. Just how big is the cake? According to Eric it’s about 15″ in diameter.

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The massive cake makes it inside a drinks fridge at Fitness Zone and staff checks for clearance before closing the door. I understand the cake didn’t stay inside very long — frankly I would be surprised if it did. :)

How time flies! Catching up with Chun for a quick photo op after 5 years since our paths last crossed at the launch of Fitness Zone Kiulap in 2007. In case you missed that launch, click on this photo to check out the massive media event.

Tweet from a fan of Wu Chun who initiated a comment my Facebook Page.

Photographing Chefs for The Empire Hotel & Country Club’s Spaghettini Promo

I have previously photographed and worked with The Empire Hotel & Country Club’s Executive Sous Chef, Henry Tan, when I shot the hotel’s new room service menu (available as part of their interactive TV upgrades for in-room ordering convenience, among other new improvements).

Torsten (left) Executive Chef, The Empire Hotel & Country Club and Spaghettini Sous Chef Ajoy.

I recently returned to the resort hotel on another assignment to photograph their newly upgraded deluxe room and some head shots of Executive Chef and Sous Chef. After scouting Spaghettini a bit for location with decent available light, I chose the EF 100mm f/2.8 L Hybrid IS and posed the hotel’s celebrated personalities in their full page ad on page 13 of today’s Borneo Bulletin Weekend (12 May 2012)

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