GM FIRST RESPONDER

APPRECIATION VIDEO

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We were briefed to create content that would 1) showcase our appreciation for first responders and 2) be a piece we could use in promotion of National First Responder Appreciation Day. Our account team had provided us with a budget that was small for what we wanted to do; however, our motto was to dream big and tell the story first, and figure it out later. So once we were fully briefed and knew we were doing a video, my design partner, ACD, and I got to work.

 

We gathered the troops and brainstormed and concepted for weeks and weeks with other creative teams pitching in for a well-rounded internal VP and eventually client presentation. We went from about 30+ ideas with tactics to spare, down to 6 refined ideas, then down to 3 simplified concepts to present to the client. The concept that was chosen focused on the duality of first responders and what it means to be first at home and on the job.

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Then came the storyboards and script writing and refining. Then client approval, Working and reworking what we wanted to do to accommodate our budget in terms of using stock and filming. Then came the director search, as we didn't have a film crew in-house. And finally the talent and location scouting, the pre-pro documents, filming, editing, and VO recording in partnership with the DekaBros and LocalBoy. 

 

Our video then went live on our site for National First Responders Day and eventually was also shortlisted nominee for the 2023 D Show. It was a lot of work and a long process, but a really rewarding project especially because we were able to recruit real, local first responders and some of our own crew as talent, film locally in 2 days' time, and have an evergreen piece that tells an honest story about first responders.