Just as "Mad Men" fans begin coming to terms with the fact that they won't be seeing the employees of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce for some time, Sir Richard Branson's airlines pop Michael Ginsburg into a new romantic comedy.
Virgin Airlines (Virgin America, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia) debuted "Departure Date," a short film starring Ben Feldman (Ginsburg on "Mad Men") and Nicky Whelan as in-flight lovers. According to Ad Week, it's the first short to be filmed at 35,000 feet.
"Departure," which was produced by the airlines, ad agency Eleven and Virgin Produced (the company's in-house media arm), cost $1 million to make. Virgin is reportedly negotiating a TV deal for the ad/film. Kat Coiro ("L!fe Happens") directed, but the most interesting thing about the project is its unlikely list of supporting actors: Janeane Garofalo, Luis Guzman, Philip Baker Hall and Max Brown all make appearances in the short.
Shooting took place over nine days and three continents, but, as Adweek also noted, the short doesn't seem destined for any museum archives. Take a look at the trailer and some behind-the-scenes content in the video below and let us know what you think in the comments.
[via Adweek]