An ambitious project from the outset quickly transformed into a production unlike any other, filming across multiple continents, several crews, star-powered talent, and new technology from Google. From the creative inception to delivery in just under a month, the production company created a show stopping music video for Maluma centered around the Miami Grand Prix and featuring a beat utilizing the revving of a McLaren engine. Originally pitched as a two-day shoot in Miami, the artistic ingenuity and unparalleled production made this film a remarkable piece of advertising that uniquely reaches audiences—in addition to it being a raucous music video, joining the pantheon of other party anthem reggaeton classics.

“Pit Stop” is a song commemorating the Miami Grand Prix. It incorporates the thrum of an
engine to underscore the infectious vibe of Formula 1 and the city of Miami itself. This aspect of the campaign needed an artist who naturally fits into the event and speaks to the rich Latin culture of Miami. Enter Maluma, an international superstar and noted Formula 1 fan. Selling Maluma on this collaboration with Google and the Miami Grand Prix was easy, but there was one catch: Maluma could not leave Colombia.

Quickly working around this, the director formulated a narrative workaround for this music video. The problem then became the solution. Instead of seeing Maluma in Miami, the new story point in the music video centered on Maluma’s fictional manager delegating the role of Maluma to his unwitting driver, who then—through the power of Google—learned how to embody Maluma and carry through with his Miami-based obligations.

Played to perfection by character actor Adrian Martinez of Netflix’s “Unfrosted” and ABC’s
“Stumptown,” the driver, Luis, uses adaptive technology from Google, like Google Lens, Gen AI themes, and Google Calendar overlay, to impersonate Maluma effectively, all of which are highlighted in the music video. The fish-out-of-water storyline from the director, along with casting Adrian Martinez, was absolutely crucial in ensuring this bold project had legs to stand on. The director joined Adrian in Miami to shoot his portion of the music video, with Adrian set to join Maluma in Medellín, Colombia, to shoot another portion of the film. But there was a catch: adding to the complexities, the director was only able to be on set for one third of the shoot.

The film’s director booked another job with an overlapping schedule with the immovable
production deadline of “Pit Stop,” which he was already set to direct. A talent known for his
ability to devise visually spectacular films, the agency and client were already sold on this
director, who would be in another country during a portion of this shoot. To make everything work, the director guided and shaped the Colombia-based scenes of the film remotely, using the power of technology and relentless dedication to creating excellent work. The same held true for the McLaren-centric scenes, which were shot in London. The director was able to be on the ground in Miami to capture the immersive experience of the high-octane, culturally rich setting for the Formula 1 Grand Prix.

Watching “Pit Stop,” you would not know that this is a brand-based music video (unless, of
course, you’re in advertising). The creative behind it seamlessly integrated Google’s new
technology in such an organic way that it reads as a natural part of the main storyline. The subtle revving of an engine heard in the background gets the audience’s blood pumping in anticipation of the Grand Prix. Flawlessly executed, it’s exemplary that this film was completed from start to finish in under a month.