Romain Quirot Mocks Boujee in Zany B&B Hotels Spot

Nov. 17, 2023

Romain Quirot directed a humorous and stylish spot for B&B Hotels, Europe’s leading value-for-money hotel chain. Titled "A Warm Welcome," the spot checks off three B&B promises: a warm welcome, a comfy bed, and a tasty breakfast. 

The spot encapsulates Quirot’s signature visual comedy style blending dry humor, cinematic camerawork and strong art direction. The action dives headfirst into the hotel booking experience, where an everyman scrolls through a host of absurd amenities displayed in the search filters: swan-shaped folded towels, embroidered wild silk sheets, and 18th-century silverware. Each amenity is humorously visualized in all its pretentious glory and quickly unchecked until it’s clear that B&B offers everything he wants and needs.

Quirot collaborated with The Oval Office agency, which conceived the spot, in the script development phase, focusing on ways to convey B&B Hotels’ value proposition with maximum visual and narrative impact. 

Quirot, who is represented by Big Productions in France and REVERSE in the US remarked:

"It was important to elevate our hero by projecting him in these over-the-top environments. This approach also satisfied our vision to make every moment as memorable as possible by immersing the audience in his journey, rather than simply observing him scroll through each unnecessary amenity. Performance-wise, it helped sell the gag that he is unimpressed and prefers something more suited to his needs: a simple but quality hotel experience, from the booking all the way to his stay – and that’s what B&B Hotels offers."

 

The concept of the spot required the portrayal of a wide range of visual moments and selling points, each framed within the "rule of threes." Quirot made use of whip pans and Tarantino-esque crash zooms to reveal each space and connect them with visual appeal. He pulled off this feat through extensive planning during pre-production, even conducting rough cuts on set to ensure the shots and performances captured the rhythm he envisioned and could be seamlessly stitched together in post-production. 

Quirot explained:

"We essentially had 20 seconds to transition from one space to another, which posed the biggest challenge in shooting and editing of this spot. It was a tightrope, balancing the visual dynamics with the narrative and performances, all while ensuring viewers could easily digest the key brand messaging. But it was a fun process experimenting with transitions, match cuts, movements, and timing – and it carried over sonically with the music and sound design."

 

The shoot took place in a fully dressed Paris loft, which lent itself to Quirot’s preference for natural lighting. Here, art direction was essential in creating the cozy, welcoming atmosphere exhibited in the spot, juxtaposed against the elegant and realistic staging of the fancy hotel amenities at the center of the joke. 

Quirot concluded:

"The Oval Office had a fantastic concept, backed by the support of the savvy and likable B&B Hotels brand that embraces humor and creativity. They trusted my vision and process to deliver on the brief, and I couldn't have asked for anything more. We had a blast — a total team effort with good energy across the board."