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
Who Needs Los Angeles? We Do.
One doesn't have to be a statistician to know that there are fewer commercials being shot in the U.S. today for the American market than ever before, and a dramatic decrease in L.A. in particular. In the last five years, as reported by FilmLA (the office tasked with issuing permits), L.A. commercial production has dipped 31 percent. But here’s the thing: This doesn’t mean that L.A. has lost its importance as the production center of the world. Production in L.A. is vital. It is the go-to. It’s where you can count on access to exemplary crews, a support infrastructure second to none, varied location and backlot options, a large population of on-screen talent and (fairly) predictable weather. The fact is, with overall decline and now the devastation of the fires, we’re on the brink of losing this mainstay resource. Without employment opportunities and now many without homes, talented and trained crew are bound to leave either the industry or the LA area for other opportunities, unless there are enough job opportunities to sustain a solid living. Now is the time when we ALL must support and bolster this community. Production is needed in L.A., now! Of course, advertising is a business, and marketers’ money should be spent as efficiently as possible, BUT we have to think beyond each production and know that if we lose the incredible resource of L.A. production as we know it, then marketers, agencies and the industry loses in the long run. Over the past several days, some agencies have issued directives to production companies that are unilaterally pushing upcoming production options out of L.A. The fact is L.A. is a large area, and many sections of the city and county are not directly impacted... Read More