My "Acting" Debut

Not too long ago, I featured a company called SAABOON on my blog. SAABOON is a growing, Ottawa-based skincare line with a wide range of products including deodorant, soaps, face oil and lip balm.  The owner, Joulian Tavalloli, has an obvious knack for developing beautiful artisanal skincare products. He also has a full-fledged career in film editing. To combine his two skills, Joulian began filming commercials about his products to be featured on his website. His commercials all have a sincere and authentic quality. The people in the videos are not actors. Joulian wanted to feature regular people that actually use and love his products. When he asked me if I'd be in a commercial for his new deodorant UTILITY, I was flattered and, despite being a bit camera shy, I couldn't say no. 

We filmed the commercial in a park by Robinson Field along the Ottawa River. It's a beautiful area, with tons of trees, water fowl and squirrels (listen closely and you'll hear the squirrels at the beginning of the clip). I had a great time working with Joulian and I was glad he let me share the spotlight with my sidekick and unofficial mascot, Gimley. Despite the natural distractions (read: squirrels), no script, and zero acting experience, we managed to pull this off in the very first take.

If you live in Ottawa, you can find SAABOON products at terra20, Market Organics, Rainbow Foods, blumenstudio, Whole Foods Market, and Herb & Spice Shop. If you live outside of Ottawa, you can order any of the products online as SAABOON ships to Canada and the US. 

Remember, folks, sweating is okay... but smelling is not.