As you all may know from previous articles, we are currently refreshing our company brand! This is beyond exciting for us, as it is well past due. Part of our refresh is to update ALL of our photography!! Eek ☺ This could only mean one thing -- a photoshoot! We have been working with a great marketing team, GRIT., for our new material and they found the perfect place to hold our photoshoot - an adorable rustic event center in Denver, CO called Blanc.
Before I get too ahead of myself with the glamorous details, I should state that Ogallala Comfort Company is located in Ogallala, Neb., a small ranching community of about 5,000 people. We had quite the adventure traveling to Denver for a professional photoshoot (with models and all!).
Before we hit the road, we had to first, hand-craft each of the prototypes of our new products. Of course, we needed all shapes, sizes, and firmness levels. That is A LOT of product being made! So our production staff set to work to make sure we had all the luxurious pillows & bedding products we needed and they even loaded into the car for us (Thanks guys!). Speaking of our car, Cassie & I had the pleasure of getting to drive the 1994 Chevy Suburban driven by our owners, appropriately nicknamed “The Boat” -- that thing is massive! Also, like a boat, it was a little difficult to steer - Cassie could drastically turn the wheel, yet “The Boat” seemed unmoved. Thankfully, Cassie was the pilot, while I managed the important things - like the music and snacks! Also, thankfully “The Boat” successfully voyaged the 3 hour road trip and landed in Denver. These small town girls had arrived in the Big City!
We headed straight for the photoshoot location, Blanc, to drop off the props and product so that the marketing crew could start setting up. This sounds simple enough, but of course “The Boat” had other plans. Cassie goes to open the back door, but the door doesn’t budge. She pulls and pulls and eventually put one foot on the door, (you know for better leverage), but despite her best efforts… the door just wouldn’t open. Thank goodness for the photography crew - who eventually, after resorting to the use of a crow bar, got the door to open. I guess we sure do know how to make an entrance!
Once, the products and props were unloaded, we took some time to look around the venue. It was absolutely GORGEOUS! Located in the heart of Denver, this venue offers amazing views, and an urban vibe that we don’t get out in western Nebraska.
Finally, we were off to the hotel. We were looking forward to checking in and refreshing after a long day in “The Boat”. Checking in should have been a breeze - but our struggles continued. When I booked the trip, I did so in my boss’s name. At the last minute she was unable to make the trip, leaving Cassie and I to fend for ourselves. Since the reservation was in Debbie’s name, Cassie and I couldn’t just do a quick check-in. Lucky for us, the staff was really great and allowed us to call our boss so she could tell them it was okay for us to have the reservation. Except, Debbie didn’t answer the phone. ☹ After quite some time, and multiple calls, we FINALLY were able to confirm our reservation & head upstairs.
If you think our night ended there… you would be wrong! We were off to dinner with our marketing crew! Instead of pulling up downtown Denver in “The Boat”, we opted to take an Uber. Again, a novelty service not offered back in our neck of the woods. Usually I don’t get in a car with strangers, but I braved it and survived my first Uber experience!
After dinner, Cassie and I decided to explore downtown a bit. We found ourselves at a cute little bar called Beatrice and Woodsley. This place was incredible. There were trees growing inside the building, the seats were made out of logs, and the wall of alcohol bottles was held up by old chainsaws! If you are ever in Denver, I recommend you look it up; it’s so worth the trip!
Now, it’s photoshoot day!!! The photography and marketing team had everything handled, but they still asked our opinions and wanted to be sure we got all the shots we wanted. Which even included the impromptu decision to set up a bed outside, to capture pictures of the beautiful views! We had four bed setups, including this outdoor scene - each with its own unique theme and design. My personal favorite setup was the one with the record player; I’m obsessed with vinyl records!
It didn’t take long and Cassie and I were asking if we could set a bed up outside… now we know that is not where a bed goes, but when the view is that great, you can’t pass up the opportunity!
They shot all the product shots in the morning and by the afternoon, we had puppies and models join in the fun. Frisco, a golden doodle puppy who stole our hearts, can be seen featured in many of our photos. Needless to say, I think every girl there got distracted when he came in ☺ Several hours of re-arranging displays, adjusting for lighting, and making sure the angles were right - and we were done. We packed up our products & left the glamourous day, made an important stop for some Chick-fil-A (also not found anywhere near Ogallala), and waved goodbye to our cute, new, puppy friend, Frisco, in our rearview mirror.
We hope you have enjoyed the sneak peek into our journey and be sure to keep checking in as our brand refresh is really only beginning!
- Marlee Waugh