David Butler of www.butlerfilm.com. “>Butler Film doesn’t shy away from controversy. When Washington, DC agency Elevation, Ltd. approached him to direct their new campaign for The Maryland Jockey Club promoting “The Infieldfest” at Preakness, the second jewel of the Triple Crown in horseracing, Butler knew the spots would get lots of attention. Why? Because the spots would introduce a potentially controversial new mascot who was part man and part horse.nn"I knew it would be a polarizing campaign," Butler says. "People would either love it or they would hate it. It was bold, it was crass, it wasn’t PC. But it stood out and it was funny. We knew it had the potential to go viral."nnSo David and the creatives got to work. The result was two spots featuring Kegasus, "the son of Preakesius, God of Thoroughbred racing, and Shelly McDougal, a waitress from Ellicott City." And viral it went. Not only did the campaign receive thousands of views on Youtube and many blog posts, the mainstream media weighed in as well. National Public Radio, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and many others ran stories covering the controversy. Do the spots encourage partying? (Yes). Do they run counter to the hallowed traditions of The Preakness? (Yes). Is Kegasus loud and brash? (Well yes, he’s a party manimal).nn
nClick here “Kegasus – Lord of the Infieldfest” to see video online.nnButler, whose work for CarMax was featured during last year’s Super Bowl is more philosophical. “90 per cent of all advertising is about trying hard to be as inoffensive as possible. This campaign was made for buzz. It was very freeing.”nnThe traditional television and radio buys integrated seamlessly with non- traditional distribution outlets such as blogs, emails and Youtube. Then there was the mainstream media blitz that followed, adding huge value in free publicity far beyond the media buy. Many people loved the irreverence. "Whether you like it or not, it was smart marketing," says Butler. "The campaign did exactly what it was supposed to do: generate lots of buzz."nnwww.butlerfilm.com. “>Butler Film is based in Annapolis, Maryland. See the campaign and more of David’s work at www.butlerfilm.com.nnCredits: nClient: The Maryland Jockey Club nProduct: The Infieldfest at PreaknessnTitle: Kegasus – Lord of the InfieldfestnAgency: Elevation, Ltd.nProduction Co: www.butlerfilm.com. “>Butler FilmnPost Production: Cerebral LoungeIf you'd like more information, or to schedule an interview with David Butler: Lynda Meier www.butlerfilm.com. ">Butler Film 410.280.1160 Contact Lynda via email
Liz Charky Directs a Playful and Reflective Video For Henry Hall’s “Tiny Door”
Directed by Liz Charky, the music video for Henry Hall’s ‘Tiny Door’ is a playful and profound exploration of the song’s intriguing perspective on love. Silly moments and serious heartbreak are skillfully weaved together in a series of cheeky, dreamy, profound, and sometimes psychedelic scenes. “I am a huge fan of love songs that have an unusual, hyper-specific perspective on love,” says Hall. “That’s what I wanted to do with ‘Tiny Door.’ It’s about loving someone unconditionally while recognizing that love is something that isn’t always straightforward — I think that’s something we all attempt to come to terms with in our lives. I thought it was a unique yet universal detail about love and therefore an intriguing subject matter for a song. Even though the song is a ballad at its core, it still has a lighthearted sense of humor to it — that’s really portrayed well by Liz, and Ellin Aldana, our cinematographer.” Charky explains, “When I first listened to the song, I felt it was a love song full of longing with a kind of wishful melancholy. As I spoke with Henry about his intention behind the lyrics and sound, I was assured that I'd need to explore heartbreak in a nuanced way – with a degree of levity and playfulness. For me, falling in and out of love runs the full course of human expression. Love and heartbreak can be so emotionally intense and sometimes lonely, other times quite goofy or liberating. In developing the concept, I focused on both the literal and figurative ways that falling in and out of love might look like. So, you see Henry and co-star Franny Arnautou falling, flying, dancing, raging, winking, smiling, and... Read More