Quiet On Set

Behind the scenes of our new campaign

What feels new this week:

• This big, beautiful campaign

• Becoming a VO artist

• Sharing the experience with all of you

Setting the scene

Many of you have been with us for a while, while some of you might be new (like me!), so let me know if you’ve heard this story before. Rent the Runway started with a dress. A $4,000 dress that Jenn Hyman’s younger sister, Becky, purchased for a wedding. It was such a splurge that Jenn got to thinking: what if there was a way to rent designer items so you could feel incredible without spending thousands?

Sixteen years later, Rent the Runway has given millions of women that same feeling Becky had in her designer dress—the confidence, excitement, and the idea that in the right outfit, anything is possible. Like Becky and many of you, I started renting for special occasions. When I got married, I recommended that all of my guests rent their dresses. It was a black tie garden gala (and a destination). Saving money on the dress seemed like the smart way to dress your best. But afterwards, I didn’t stop. I literally rent for everything, looking for that great-outfit feeling again and again.

Behind the scenes, I get to talk to members or see how you interact with Rent the Runway all the time. And what we realized is that many women don’t know that we have more than special eventwear. We have your favorite denim brands, office workwear, weekend clothes, and so much more. It became our mission to show everyone that Rent the Runway is for every day…

It’s always an RTR day

The entire brand-creative team sat down with a dream to bring this idea to life. We knew one thing for sure…we wanted to bring you with us. And what better way than to cast you in our campaign? From there, we had to figure out how to tell this story with six amazing women as our cast.

For busy women like us, our day is always in motion. From getting dressed to grabbing your morning coffee. From going to the office to spending time with your friends. What would these everyday moments look like if you felt (and looked) your best?

Lights, camera, action

After writing, rewriting, tweaking, and presenting this script, someone suggested I be the voice of the spot. Next thing I knew, I was stealing a microphone, recording contraption (I don’t actually know what it’s called), and some headphones from the social team. Then I sat in a private conference room and read my words over and over until I got the right take.

I’ve mentioned before that I’m not usually one to put myself in front of the camera, but I had a blast making my voice heard (literally). That was until…I started hearing my voice floating around the office for days on end. I can recite this script in my sleep at this point.

When it came time to film, I snuck away from the office to meet the team on set. As a copywriter, I don’t usually get to see the BTS of film day. It was just as cool as I imagined. Cooler, even, considering we were working with real members! I met Tonna when she was shooting the lunch scene. I even became her stand-in so she had someone off-screen to talk to, helping her look effortlessly natural on camera (not that she needed it—she did great!).

I was so impressed watching everyone work in a well-choreographed dance. Our stylists were always ready to flip a collar, dab away shine, and primp hair. Our art directors were capturing content, asking questions, and directing the team to achieve the best shots. All six women in the spot had such bright personalities, and I felt like I was watching them become friends in real time. Through conversations, we realized just how closely their experiences with RTR aligned with the campaign we were making, reaffirming our story in the sweetest way possible. And I hope you love it as much as we do.

Continue making every day an RTR day, and I’ll see you next time!