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Stepping into the cottage the day before the COMMON launch was energizing. It had pitch energy. It’s a hell of a pitch when you think about, trying to convince people to share a brand in service of the greater good. Everyone was fried but inspired. The close proximity of the unveil provided the adrenaline to finish strong or, more accurately, to start strong. Because really that’s what the “launch” was, the start. But still, the baby was about to get a christening. And it was gonna be live streamed.
About a month prior to this day Alex and I discussed documenting the launch. He was totally game. Felt like an important moment to capture. At Butler Bros we are big fans of organizational documentary work. We call it Brand Films and more recently Advermentary. This content helps drive stakeholder conversation and create the feedback loop needed to make things better. Again this is only the beginning of COMMON and likely the first of many films. But this is a raw look at what happened on day one and what Alex, Rob, and John had to say hours before the launch.
Butler Bros pre-produced the film with the merry band of insurgents over at the Cottage. It was a fun collaboration. Art, Jeff, Isaac and Evan worked their butts off on this little production. I had the pleasure of talking to people and bringing the idea to film. Then I brought the footage back to Butler Bros and my bro and our editor Travis hammered it out. Special thanks to Moby and Monahans for the tracks.
Many of you have had Alex as a creative director or your agency guy. Let me assure you it was fun heaving him as a “client”, I mean an insurgent collaborator. Please continue to share your thoughts and ideas over at COMMON. The world’s first collaborative brand needs just that – collaboration.
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We lifted this :30 out of 32 hours of footage captured for the Brand Film.
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Fifteen years ago we got our first taste of working on the Southwest Airlines business. For me it began with a job as a traffic manager at GSD&M. For Marty it was as a junior art director at GSD&M doing TV spots about searching for flights online. (more…)
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TReND is the Tobacco Research Network on Disparities. As the film illuminates tobacco control policy is not a one size fits all proposition. Far too frequently low-SES and minority populations in the United States aren’t being seen, heard or helped in the fight to control tobacco use. There is disproportionate suffering and death as a result.
Last year we produced a short film for the TReND program. We edited down the film into a hard hitting web release short. Thanks to Andrea Perry for letting us use her track Fastbox on this web release. See the full length film after the jump. (more…)
About a year ago a gent by the name of Paul Julien Freed asked me if I was a fan of neorealist films. I confessed that I wasn’t. Not because I disliked them but because I hadn’t really watched any. He have gave me a list. He was sure that I’d enjoy them because of the way I’d described our story telling ethos at Butler Bros. which to him sounded a lot like the following wikipedia entry:
Neorealism is characterized by a general atmosphere of authenticity. Andre Bazin, a French film theorist and critic, argued that neorealism portrays: truth, naturalness, authenticity, and is a cinema of duration. The necessary characteristics of neo-realism in film include:
Without knowing it really this is very close to how we’ve marketed Brand Films since 2002. The major difference really is the fact that there isn’t a script at all in our films. That and they aren’t violent. We curate questions that highlight a narrative we think we are likely to capture and believe will most compel our audience. True to the documentary ethos though we allow stories to unfold and remold our expectations – and our clients allow this too.
Having spent some time with Alex Bogusky in Boulder recently and sharing our work and POV with him, he coined the term “advermentary” to categorize it. I like this too. It’s very transparent in name. It’s all laid out. Advertising with a documentary ethos. For people and companies that are trying like hell to do things right, to create in a considered manner, and drive needed changes, non-fiction is nothing to be afraid off. More and more the world demands it. More and more companies begin with this notion instead of bolting it on later.
“Bicycle Thieves,” which I watched this weekend, did exactly what I hoped it would: it had me considering the heart and mind of the character, not the surrounding artifice. We believe that companies can achieve this same feat. It begins long before the cameras roll however, it begins with deep motivations held by the “actor”.
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Legacy exists to ensure longer healthier lives for Americans through outreach that prevents youth from becoming smokers and programs that enable and empower adults to quit smoking. Their effectiveness is legendary. (more…)
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Founded in 1976 Jason’s Deli is family owned company that currently operates in 25 states with 215 locations. This film articulates the story of the brand. From its humble beginnings in Beaumont, Texas to its growth across the nation. This is the tale of a company that consistently takes the road less travelled in service of people. Sound lofty? Watch the film and see for yourself. (more…)
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The brief – design the program for the TEDxAustin event. The theme – PLAY BIG. The solution – kids. Special thanks to Ben Powell for jumping on board and helping us capture this amazing event. See the finished piece here.