A video is an extremely powerful medium for communicating an idea or concept or promoting an event. So when The Blood Connection wanted to do a video commercial for their annual Rock ‘N’ Roll Up Your Sleeve Blood Drive, we were tasked with developing one that would communicate their message in a fun and creative way.
A Song By Any Other Name
The theme for this blood drive centered around music, specifically rock and roll music. As we began to consider concepts, we had the idea to do a throwback video based on the early Time-Life Music commercials. We thought it would be fun to take popular rock songs and rename them using blood donation themes. We started by writing a script for the commercial, which included researching some of the most popular rock and roll hits. After sorting through hundreds of songs and putting our creative minds together, we devised our list of “donation hits.”
Getting In Tune with Our Creative Side
Once the script was written, we built a storyboard to help us visualize what our video would look like. These ‘rough drafts’ allowed us to list what was needed regarding graphics, visuals, actors, and the specific video shots/angles necessary for bringing the video together.
While the designers were busy with the graphics, our video team worked on finding the right location, putting together the right actors, and getting the right narrator for the video.
Working with Rock Stars
With The Blood Connection’s help, we assembled a group of willing Blood Connection employees who did a great job getting in costume and character for their roles. We decided to shoot the video at the Greenville donation center and requested one of the donation buses be parked in front of the building. We arrived early on the day of the shoot to set up our equipment and walk through our shot choices. We then met with the actors and walked them through the script. We then began shooting the various elements of the video that we needed, coaching our actors along the way.
Once the video elements were completed, we edited the video clips to fit within our storyboard. For our narration, we decided to ask a DJ from one of the sponsoring radio stations, Rock 101.1, to lend his vocal talents to our project. “The Stoneman” agreed to the narration and had a starring role in the video.
A Logo Worth Its Metal
With the storyboard well thought out and finalized, our graphic designers went to work putting together the logo that would be used for the drive promotion, t-shirts, and video. They also put together various visual design elements that would be used to give the video that “Time-Life Music” look and feel.
For the blood drive logo, we wanted it to have an 80s-style appearance. Several of our designers are big ’80s fans, so it was a fun concept to play with. The design team drew their inspiration from the bold, neon colors and geometric shapes that dominated the “look” of the ’80s. We made the logo come alive by using lightning bolts to create a sense of power, energy, and motion. In choosing the font, we wanted something that would fit nicely with groups like AC/DC, Def Leppard, KISS, and Metallica. We used many sharp edges cut out to scream “metal!”. We added smashing guitars, drumsticks, guitar picks, and amps to complete the iconic look.
The final step was to put the video clips, graphic elements, and narration together. After the post-editing process, our video commercial was ready to begin promoting the blood drive. We were really excited about the final result.
For Those About to Rock
If you are interested in putting together a promotional commercial or other video-related projects, contact us to see what our band of designers and writers can ‘drum up’ for you!
