The term "reality TV" takes on a new, more positive and uplifting meaning in this St. Thomas Hospital "Stories" campaign conceived by Nashville, Tenn.-based Endres & Wilson Advertising. For this package of commercials, heart treatment patients at the Nashville hospital were given mini-DV cameras to film their own accounts of life after surviving cardiac disease.
In this black-and-white :15, an unnamed male patient simply shot snow falling late at night near his home in Crossville, Tenn. The amateurish-looking video pans back and forth, focusing on seemingly mundane sights: a pickup truck being covered by snow, a portion of a front porch area upon which powdery white is falling, and tree branches where descending flakes are coming to rest.
But this uninspired cinematography proves to be inspiring when seen through the eyes of a person who has recently faced his own mortality. Of the snowfall, the patient says: "I tell you what—it’s beautiful. And it’s just pouring down here. We hope to have enough to build a snowman. Some people think this is a hindrance to them. But it’s another one of the miracles."
Supered text across a black background reads, "One of over 200,000 stories of survival."
As the man’s voiceover thanks St. Thomas for enabling him to be "here to enjoy" the snowfall, a second supered message relates, "From the only cardiac program with 200,000 stories to tell."
The commercial concludes with the St. Thomas Heart Institute logo, accompanied by a tag line—"Where caring for you means life"—and a toll-free phone number.
The creative team for Endres & Wilson that facilitated the patients’ real-life stories consisted of creative director/writer Kevin Endres, art director Richard Page and producer Linda Tesa-Olken.
Jeff Kesler of Rocket Pictures, Seattle, has served as editor on the campaign, which at last count was approaching 25 spots—each with a patient telling his or her story. Online editor was Jeff Cronenburg of StagePost, Nashville. Audio editor/mixer was David Cherry of Spotland Productions, Nashville.
