It was “lights, camera, action!” for students in Dr. H.G. Parsa’s Restaurant Management class at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management. They were charged with the task of producing a 60-second mock commercial with a hospitality context.
Dr. Parsa explains, “It was a creative project designed so that students would appreciate and understand marketing principles and promotion strategies. They conceived the idea, executed it and presented it to the class.”
Creative juices flowed and student Chris Regan’s video for the fictional “Buddy’s Restaurant” took first prize. The senior majoring in Hospitality Management decided to work solo and called upon the talents of his friends Ian Hilton and Paul Boyd to act in the advertisement. Regan shares, “My buddies and I always come up with little ideas that would be funny for a video and this was just one that we had in our back pocket for a while.”
The commercial advertises a meal combo at Buddy’s Restaurant. “My parents always call me Buddy,” shares Regan. He staged the scene in a typical break room; a setting that Regan felt his target market would be familiar with. “I set up an everyday situation but then allowed the story to take a 90-degree turn that no one expected. I think that is what makes a good commercial stand out – it’s more memorable.”
Regan has edited video for various production companies and enjoyed a TV Productions class in high school. His acting experience was limited to a couple of plays in middle school, but his natural talent is apparent in the commercial.
A panel of Rosen College judges concluded that Regan’s commercial stood out among the others in the class. Judges included: Associate Dean of Administration and Finance, Dr. Tadayuki Hara; Chair of the Foodservice & Lodging Management Department, Dr. Joe Hutchinson; and Ph.D. Candidate, Mr. Milos Bjosic.
To view Regan’s winning commercial, please see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPCcYiBFJ5w.