Driven By the Human Spirit, Content Studio Wayfarer Launches in Los Angeles

With a focus on inspiring the millennial market, Generation Z and beyond, content creation studio Wayfarer has opened its doors in Los Angeles. Co-founded by CEO Justin Baldoni, the star of CW series Jane the Virgin, and Ahmed Musiol, its president and head of the commercial division, Wayfarer launches on the heels of the studio’s motivational, touching short film “Dear Maiya” for Wells Fargo

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Starring Baldoni himself, the Wells Fargo spot features the actor/exec going through a whirlwind daily routine where fitness, family, friends, work and life come into clear, crisp focus while maintaining a linear narrative of the human spirit throughout.  “When Wells Fargo asked us to showcase a day in my life, I was an equal mix of both humbled and terrified” Baldoni says. “Sincerity is the key ingredient to everything we do, and I wanted to make sure, that the finished product was not just inspirational, but so real that it would pass the test of family and friends.”

The Wells Fargo film’s emphasis on humanity reflects Wayfarer’s vision of creating uplifting content that looks, feels and is real. “Millennials are the largest and most diverse generation in the US,” says Wayfarer Chief Operating Officer and Head of Development for TV and Digital, Farhoud Meybodi. “At Wayfarer, we set out to not only communicate  with millennials from a place of authenticity but also help them – as well as Generation Z – feel included in the conversation.”

What began as a self-described “scrappy startup,” Wayfarer has now blossomed from a budding digital branded development house to a full-fledged content operation. Boasting not only the key aforementioned leaders, Wayfarer also includes four-full time staffers – and growing – as well as noted directors including Baldoni and Sundance winner Todd Kellstein, who helmed the fascinating documentary Buffalo Girls, a story centered on a pair of eight-year-old girls who engage in professional Muay Thai boxing in Thailand. “We’re not just punching the clock in and taking a job; we’re always asking how can we be effective and aware of the values that are intrinsic to our clients, collaborators and our company,” Musiol explains. “There’s an innate sense of authenticity and sincerity in the work that we do. Whether it’s something big or small, it inspires those we work with to make a shift.”

While Wayfarer delves into commercial work for not just Wells Fargo, but brands including Ford, CommunityAmerica Credit Union, Strayer University, Refinery29 and CW, the studio – which shuns promoting alcohol or cigarettes – also focuses on altruistic film projects that touch on heart and health, whether it’s focused on homelessness or inspirational kids living through cancer. Along with their uplifting projects, Wayfarer is also driven by one key goal: female empowerment. “We care deeply about the advancement of women, and we’re focused on finding projects in the marketplace that embody that goal,” Baldoni says. “Until women are truly equal in all aspects of life, men are going to be held back as well. It’s deeply important to us.”

Built on faith, drawing inspiration from surroundings and society while advocating inclusion, Wayfarer aims to be both pragmatic and powerful while maintaining an emphasis on being real in all their branded, digital and commercial efforts. “We put it all on the screen,” Baldoni explains. “Life is short and we don’t want to create junk, so the only way to shift audiences from unhealthy content is to offer them something that matters. There’s a difference between something that has heart and something that appears to have heart, and it has to start with authenticity.”

Wayfarer is represented nationally by Nikki Weiss & Co.

Downloads:

Credits:

Client: Wells Fargo + The CW Network
Title: “Dear Maiya”

Agency: BBDO and OMD
Associate Creative Director: Eric Shi
Account Manager: Lisl Dupree

Production Company: Wayfarer
Director: Justin Baldoni
Director of Photography: Justin Gurnari
Executive Producers: Ahmed Musiol, Farhoud Meybodi
Producer: Michéle Bornheim
Production Coordinator: Kelsey Gilchrist
Editor: Nick Pezzillo at BUTCHER
Editor: Josh Snyder at Wayfarer

Finish: Modern VideoFilm
Colorist: Aidan Stanford

Music: “Sun”
Artist: Sleeping At Last

Audio: King Sound Works
Sound Mixer: Jason Meadows

About Wayfarer:

Through a variety of groundbreaking and award-winning projects, Wayfarer has established itself as a premier production company built upon a foundation of integrity, sincerity, and above all else, the celebration of the human experience.