Come on Set with Me

When we think about new beginnings, our mind often goes to life’s big milestones: graduating, starting a dream job, moving into a new home.

In reality, every day is filled with beginnings. What’s each sunrise if not the symbol of a fresh start?

With new Rare Beginnings Eau de Parfum, we wanted to bottle that feeling with a scent that begins fresh and radiant before softening into sweet and lasting warmth.

Taking cues from the fruity floral perfume’s notes—bright pear nectar, lush gardenia and jasmine, ​and warm vanilla bean—our campaign video sees Selena stepping through a sunlit meadow… or, what looks like a sunlit meadow. It was actually a studio near West Hollywood and took dozens of experts, from set designers to electricians, to make a reality. I snuck on set to show you how they did it…

Turning the raw 15,000 square foot space into a lush landscape took a lot of imagination (and muscle).

It also took an entire van full of fresh flowers and greenery.

The floral equivalent of a mullet: wildflower chaos in the front, sensible potting situation in the back.

Tools of the (prop stylist) trade.

A nod to self-reflection, this peaceful pond is actually a glassy flat surface edged in moss. It required regular sweeping and shining to keep it authentic (real ponds don’t typically show footprints).

In the video, Selena opens a gauzy curtain to reveal her next beginning. The symbolic moment required yards of fabric and an industrial steamer.

That feeling when you see it come together on screen—my heart skips a beat every time.