Last year we worked with CommuteSmart to produce two TV commercials for their “I’m Ready” campaign. CommuteSmart is an initiative of the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham and seeks to alleviate traffic congestion and improve air quality by offering incentives to walk, bike, or take mass transit to work. Back in December, CommuteSmart hired us to produce three new public service announcements. This time, the client wanted to take a different approach. They wanted each commercial to consist solely of graphics and titles to go along with a new marketing campaign. We storyboarded and produced each commercial based on the scripts written by CommuteSmart. Here is the :30 spot for vanpooling.
It’s not even Super Bowl Sunday yet, and this commercial from Volkswagen has already earned over 5 million views on YouTube. It’s become an instant hit. As I’ve written before, no one can predict that something will go viral, but there are some guidelines to keep in mind when producing online video to help make your content more watchable and shareable. There are several things I like about this Darth Vader spot:
Iconic Imagery – Everyone, whether a Star Wars fan or not, will recognize Darth Vader
Cultural Significance – The Star Wars franchise is ingrained into our culture. When we hear that music or see that mask, we instantly pay attention
Hyper-Relevance – Even if you aren’t a parent, you understand that children love to dress up and pretend. It’s fun to watch, and to see this kid walk around the house, trying to invoke the Force is incredibly entertaining. Plus, you know you tried to do the same thing when you were little. Heck, I sometimes still pretend that I can use the Force when elevator doors or sliding doors at the grocery store open by themselves.
I would love to hear if you like this commercial. Leave your opinions in the comments section.
Back in November we were hired by Hall Marketing to produce promotional videos for one of their clients – Hoover City Schools. The school system offers two counseling programs for Middle School and High School students – Middle Ground and Bridges. The client was interested in producing two videos as a way to introduce teachers, students, parents, and other counselors to the programs. We worked with Hall Marketing on the concept for each video and we met with the client to go over our vision for the project. For the Middle Ground video, former University of Alabama running back Bobby Humphrey served as the spokesman. Footage was shot on location at Hoover High School on December 7. Post-production was completed on January 14. The client plans to use each video on the Hoover City Schools website and in live presentations. Below is the final video for the Middle Ground Program. You can watch the Bridges video here.
Back in November we were hired by Hall Marketing to produce a promotional video for one of their clients – Hoover City Schools. The school system offers two counseling programs for Middle School and High School students – Middle Ground and Bridges. The client was interested in producing two videos as a way to introduce teachers, students, parents, and other counselors to the programs. We worked with Hall Marketing on the concept for each video and we met with the client to go over our vision for each video. Footage was shot on location at Hoover High School on December 7. Post-production was completed on January 14. The client plans to use each video on the Hoover City Schools website and in live presentations. Below is the final video for the Bridges Program.
A lot of corporate videos look alike, so it’s important for brands to find unique ways to communicate their message through video. Exhibit A: This video for Johnnie Walker Whiskey, starring Robert Carlyle. The ad agency and filmmakers did something completely different and the result is pretty captivating. After you watch the video, scroll down and reflect on the following points:
What is your story? Notice that the Johnnie Walker video doesn’t contain a rundown of facts about the process of making the whiskey. It doesn’t rely on talking heads from the company boasting about how unique they are. It doesn’t show any customers testifying to how great the product is. This video simply tells a story. And notice how the story is founded on the people behind the company. Your business is more than brick-and-mortar. It’s more than the product. It’s more than the process. It’s about the people – both those who work for the company, and those whom the company serves. Focus your story on people and you will have the start of something pretty amazing.
What is your core message? This entire video can be summed up with the following tag, “Keep Walking.” As you think about producing a video for your company, think about the one central message you want to communicate. Everything else should be built around that.
What is your plan? The ad agency and filmmakers behind this video didn’t just run out with a camera and shoot this thing as soon as they received approval from the client. They spent an incredible amount of time in pre-production, planning every step and every beat. They knew exactly what was to happen before they even arrived on location. You may not be attempting anything as ambitious as this Johnnie Walker advert, but that doesn’t mean you should neglect this important stage of the production.
What about going to the left, rather than to the right? This video could have easily taken the path of many corporate and promotional videos – footage from the distillery, footage from pubs, on-camera interviews, historical photos, etc. However, they went against the norm and created a visual experience completely different from what you might expect. They used an old road in the Scottish highlands with a few strategically-placed props and that’s it. As you think about producing a video for your brand, what approach can you take that’s completely different and unexpected?
