BEHIND THE SCENES with Shangri-La’s ‘It’s in our nature’ campaign

The TV execution is a classic story. The hero is a traveller. He faces adversaries and obstacles – he crosses mountains in adverse weather. These elements are there to represent the experience of travel – thrown from pillar to post in alien cities and cultures, and even in the surrounds of a five-star hotel, feeling alone and miles away from home.

Inns said how Shangri-La wanted a unique idea for the campaign. "What we wanted was a campaign that was different and something that was compelling. The convention in this industry is definitely lobby, chandeliers, smiling faces. There's a lots of sameness in our industry, so we wanted something that stood out from that."

O'Conor explained how Shangri-la went with Ogilvy's original idea for the campaign. "It's very rare that we've got to produce work that a year and a half ago was presented at the pitch."

The ad was shot in the snow bound landscape of the French Alps about an hour’s drive up from Annecy. All the wolves in the campaign were real. The famous animal trainer Pierre Cadeac worked with the wolves. For example, Piere lay alongside the actor playing the protagonist and placed food into his jacket to get the wolves to lie against them. Nicolas, the leading man lived with the handler and wolves for four days before the shoot so they could get to know him.

Bruno Aveillan, also known for his work for Louis Vuitton, was both the photographer for the print work and the director for the TVC. "Bruno has been on board from the beginning," said O'Conor. "We've kept him warm since January 2009. He loved the idea. He's not a freely available commercial director."