Spinning the wheel of love

The romantic stakes are high and there’s everything to play for in HOBBY director Vesa Manninen’s charming take on a casino-based first date.

The spot was shot over two nights in the real Holland Casino Utrecht. “It’s like pulling off an Ocean’s Eleven style heist,” said HOBBY EP John Gerard. “We’re in our vans outside the casino at 3am waiting for them to complete the day’s count. Then we get the nod and descend under the cover of darkness. We have until 12 midday to get the goods and then we’re out so the Casino can get back to business. It’s a real logistical challenge!”

Luckily HOBBY had their A Team to hand. “Big shout out to Production Designer Jeroen Echter for working his magic in the casino in such a short space of time,” said Gerard. Meanwhile DoP Robbie van Brussel turned a whole host of lenses on the action to give this faltering first date the truly cinematic treatment.

There were no first date nerves for director Manninen as this is the second spot he has directed for the brand. “It was such a pleasure to return to Holland Casino for another story set in its unique universe,” said Manninen. “Exploring the little stories of different characters, brought to life with carefully crafted cinematic visuals that enhance the essence of each narrative, is incredibly rewarding. For me, it’s always about the characters and their journey. The most enjoyable part was bringing out their humanity and quirks, and collaborating with such talented actors to make them feel real.”

The casino’s real croupiers were spinning the wheels and dealing the cards for extra authenticity. The would-be lovers were flown in from London. “The plan was to get them there a few days earlier so they could rehearse,” said HOBBY producer Yara Hendriks. “But Taylor Swift’s tour was in town and finding hotels that weren’t insanely overpriced was pretty much impossible!”

Like any good heist movie, the production had its fair share of peril. The car that the kissing couple leaves in broke down on location. “It’s like the getaway car failed us at the last minute,” jokes Gerard. “The car’s radiator blew so to get the final shot we had a bunch of crew members crouching out of frame and pushing it!”