Cooking up results for Turo with MICHELIN Guide chefs
By Lindsey Cepek, Director of Growth Strategy, and Lindsey Rosen, Head of Production & Ops, Notch Video; and Daniel Ma, Account Manager, North Strategic
As one part of the duo called “N2” (Notch Video and North Strategic), we love a good collab.
So, when our client Turo came to us with their “Drive to table” concept – a Turo x MICHELIN Guide collab to create a collection of immersive culinary experiences curated by four of Canada’s “most driven” chefs – we were thrilled to start our engines.
The ask involved some big deliverables over four shoot days in both Toronto and Vancouver. In addition to four hero feature videos, Turo asked Notch to create four additional promo videos, six related cut-downs, and 80 photographs of participating restaurants, chefs and their chosen vehicles.
Yes, chef: MICHELIN Guide-style excellence from plan to execution
Turo wanted the series to have a documentary-style flare that would highlight its vehicles and illuminate the personal passions and styles of the chefs and their own work. To accomplish this, Notch immediately turned to its curated network of video creators. Having worked with Devon Burns before, the Notch team understood that he fit the ask perfectly: he could shoot beautiful food content and had an eye for documentary storytelling.
To illuminate the personal passions and styles of the chefs, Notch and Burns had to make the videos feel authentic to the players involved – the chefs, and Turo the brand – including the food and the cars themselves. Since the videos would be produced without voiceover, Burns’ documentary-style approach would let the chefs shine by highlighting their skills in the kitchen and showcasing their interactions with the cars on location.
We knew the offering that Turo had cooked up, which included dinner at the chef’s MICHELIN Star Restaurant, a night at a five-star hotel, an outing of the chef’s choosing and use of the chef’s selected car for the weekend, was going to be coveted by Turo users. However, we needed to make sure the details of the experience were clear and the stars of videos – the chefs and the cars – really shined. Each shoot day began by becoming familiar with the selected vehicle and ensuring she looked her best! Notch worked alongside Devon and his team to find the perfect location to shoot the cars so that all her features were captured perfectly.
It was then onto the restaurants, where each chef graciously allowed us into their space to capture the magic that happens behind the scenes. Each chef’s restaurant has a different aesthetic and vibe that needed to come across in the video. Devon was able to highlight these features through lighting, camera angles and allowing the chef’s personality to shine through while they worked in their kitchens. The day concluded with shots of the chef with their car and a visit to their selected location. Although we had to contend with some undesirable weather (rain isn’t always our friend when shooting), we captured some great shots.
Cooking up PR impressions
As part of the program, the North Strategic team embarked on a mission to amplify Turo’s collaboration with the MICHELIN Guide through a series of strategic initiatives. This included hosting exclusive media preview events in both cities showcasing the culinary offerings from all four chefs while fostering relationships and engaging top-tier journalists and influencers.
Targeted media outreach across Metro Vancouver and Toronto ensured widespread coverage in reputable outlets, including the Globe & Mail, Daily Hive and the Vancouver Sun, among others.
To learn more about the collaborative offerings of N2 (North and Notch), contact us today.