Chase, Droga5 and James Corden Embark on Intercontinental Journey

To demonstrate that Chase Sapphire Reserve members can travel anywhere and earn points everywhere, Chase worked with Droga5 to embark on a journey to all seven continents in their latest effort with the goal to inspire cardmembers to do more of just that.

With 167 hours of travel, 17 flights, 15 shoot days, 13 hotel beds, and one around the world ticket, the Chase Sapphire Reserve travelers scouted the most amazing restaurants, accommodations, transportation and experiences they could find. From gorilla trekking in Uganda to sandboarding in the Chilean Desert, these adventure seekers were truly discovering and experiencing their dream destinations in real time. In each of the spots, the cardmembers report back to James, via video chat and his makeshift command center. From there, James does what he does best: make the audience laugh.

Last year, Chase’s “Reserve What's Next” campaign introduced Chase Sapphire Reserve's travel philosophy to the world. It inspired people by celebrating ahead of the curve travel experiences that the card enabled. This year, the work has shifted focus to the Chase Sapphire Reserve tribe - the cardholders who define modern travel with their immersive travel stories - providing inspiration, curating experiences, and exploring what's unique and contemporary from across the globe.

The travelers consisted of a local TV lifestyle expert, a professional photographer, a former professional snowboarder and a bartender, all bound by the common thread of pursuing their passions by seeking new adventures. Of all of the brand’s cardholders, Droga5 believed the Chase Sapphire Reserve tribe had a more curious, adventurous spirit, which is precisely why they tapped real cardmembers - on all seven continents - to help "a very busy" James Corden plan his next vacation. 

To keep the travelers from over-thinking their performances, Droga5 waited to inform them of Corden’s involvement, which led to more natural reactions. Instead of a celebrity, they were interacting with, they were merely showing a friend named “James” around. 

The campaign not only enabled and encouraged these travelers to experience these incredible wonders for the first time but also had the crew behind the work exploring with them, which made every reaction all the more authentic. Everyone involved was truly able to make the most of their incredible around the world journey with ease, all thanks to the Sapphire card. 

“James Corden has the perfect personality to interact with our travelers. And he was genuinely amazed by the footage—I think he wants to visit Tokyo,” said Craig Gerringer, Senior Copywriter, Droga5. 

“The whole trip was surreal. We were eating sushi in Tokyo 24 hours after observing Gorillas in the mountains of Uganda. Before any of that could sink in, we were off to the next location, taking in the idyllic beaches of a remote island off the coast of Australia, forgetting we were in Africa four days earlier,” added Conner Tobiason, Senior Art Director, Droga5.

When Droga5 enlisted Director Thibaut Grevet to carry out the creative vision, it was a given that he would deliver amazing, beautiful footage to reflect the premium experiences and elite travel benefits the Chase Sapphire card provides. What the team didn’t expect was his sense of humor and openness to bring out the comedic components of the spots, which differentiates the work from that of its competitors. 

The 2017 Chase Sapphire Reserve campaign launches this week with other continent spots rolling out online, digital/social, and TV through the end of the year.