With the William Shatner campaign for Priceline.co

With the William Shatner campaign for Priceline.com, freelance copywriter/art director Ernest Lupinacci learned the pleasure and pain of hitting pay dirt with a childhood hero. It was Lupinacci, a Wieden + Kennedy alum and Star Trek fanatic, who recalled Shatner’s obscure 1968 album The Transformed Man, which blended dramatic narratives and pop tunes.

Convinced it was time to revive Shatner’s bizarre performance art, Lupinacci, 33, pitched the idea to David Wecal, creative director at Priceline agency Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos, New York.