For a lot of agencies and production companies, the dynamics of social distancing have created considerable challenges and even barriers to making new work. The entire process has needed rethinking – from the creative concept all the way through post-production.
We’ve been able to create new work for our clients safely by getting back to basics. Here’s how we did it.
Our New England Honda client is directly connected to the global supply chain of auto manufacturing, which means that if there’s a disruption, they feel the impact almost immediately. We spent much of March doing what many agencies did – we prepared a lot of response ideas and communications plans. Then, as a phased reopening began across New England, it was important to announce that the Honda dealerships were now open and ready to safely get back to business.
The assignment was to create a broadcast and digital message that simply conveyed, we’re open. But the real challenge was, how do we do this with everything that’s going on right now? Our creative approach had to make sure we were limiting all personal contact. That meant single talent, open location, minimal crew, and safety first.
In other words, only the essentials.
Video, audio, lighting, makeup, talent, and a director. OK and maybe a producer. That’s seven people total. The simplest possible approach for the simplest possible message. No creatives on set, no client, no account team. After the shoot, we edited, color corrected, and mixed remotely. The entire process was extremely efficient and came out great.
So why not do this every time? Of course, clients can’t un-see this level efficiency and productivity once it happens – and they shouldn’t. But what they also see is the value of every function that goes into a production. It clearly reveals what they get and what they don’t get. It might be talent, a specific location, wardrobe styling, editing, music or any number of ingredients that add up to the most important thing; a message that makes an emotional connection. At the end of the day, if we’re conveying the right message, and if that message hits home with our audience, it will have been a good investment.
Whether the budget is big or small, finding and recognizing the value is important for all of us. After all, no one will ever want to pay for something they don’t want. At Full Contact, we practice scaling down as effectively as we scale up. It makes us more useful to our clients, more marketable in our ever-changing industry, and in the end, more essential.
Here it is – a fresh, feel-good celebration of openness that couldn’t be simpler.