SMUD Work Page

SMUD RFP Response

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your RFP. We’re thrilled to showcase our capabilities and eager to discuss potential collaboration further.

—Ember Marr, President

University of Cincinnati

National Broadcast :60

National Broadcast :30

Behind the Scenes

Distribution

ESPN, Disney, YouTube, shorts on Instagram, streaming services

Tech Specs

Arri Alexa Mini with anamorphic lenses (4K/HD)
The original score features University choir and drum line members
Sliders for cinematic camera movement
Full Service Grip and Electric Truck
Color Grading in DaVinci Resolve

The University of Cincinnati set out to differentiate itself from the traditional college experience by challenging prospective students to not settle and to do more. (spark) created an inspiring cinematic commercial for placement on web and broadcast channels. The commercial utilizes actual University of Cincinnati students, professors, and locations where experiential learning takes place outside of the classroom.

To promote their new campaign “Education Unleashed,” the University of Cincinnati needed a television commercial to reach current and potential students. They wanted a production house that would take them somewhere new, somewhere different – all while staying on campus.

A quick survey of the competitive landscape revealed that all other higher education commercials were showing students in the classroom. So, to help UC stand out in a sea of sameness, we filmed real UC students, professors and staff – but not a single classroom.

This allowed us to translate the school’s fresh perspective on teaching into an inspiring story with a cinematic style that felt bold and dynamic.

Once we had our creative concept, the content had to feel native to the distribution network. For the online and ESPN placement, we matched epic storytelling and imagery with the raw talent you might see in a college football broadcast. In addition to creating full ads displaying the university, we also made short, fun snippets of life on the campus that they could easily deploy on digital and social platforms.

Lunazul

National Broadcast :30

National Broadcast :15

Behind the Scenes

Tech Specs

Arri Alexa Mini with Cinema Lenses, shoulder mounts, and focus pullers (4K/HD)
Feature-Film Grade Sony Reference Monitors
Color Grading in DaVinci Resolve

When Lunazul came to (spark) with their hand-harvested tequila, they had a brand with 250 years of tradition but little recognition among tequila drinkers. Through national commercials, a micro-documentary, a web-based series of chef videos and a vast library of social video content, we transformed Lunazul into a premium consideration and helped achieve a 140% in-store sales increase, 400% increase in share of voice, and 57.9% increase in brand lift.

It all started with a journey across the border. The (spark) team made multiple trips to the Lunazul distillery in Jalisco, Mexico so we could truly understand its legacy and craftsmanship. Through those first trips, we produced a stunning micro-documentary that brought the rich history of the Lunazul brand to life in an authentic and engaging way.

Then, we created a series of national television commercials that exemplified the brand’s bold new call to action: “Feed the wolf.” Filmed in Mexico and California, our lifestyle vignettes made a big impact by being strategic and unscripted, appealing specifically to those who were looking for something fresh, new and genuine.

Through a strategic mix of video placements, we were able to not only increase awareness and drive our target audience to the website, but also elevate their perception of the Lunazul brand. We augmented that targeted approach with high-frequency video buys that reached a broader audience on social and streaming networks to increase awareness.

Next, we amplified the “Feed the Wolf” campaign on Lunazul’s owned social channels, efficiently increasing reach and recall. Our series of social campaigns provided a strategic mix of content: product-focused videos designed to educate and drive awareness, “Feed the Wolf” campaign videos to increase brand recognition and drive sales, and user-generated content to create deeper engagement with our audience.

A series of micro-campaigns on our social channels included a cocktail series featuring fresh recipes and inspiration, a chef video series where top chefs whipped up new dishes starring Lunazul tequilas, and a donation initiative to encourage contributions to the Wolf Sanctuary in honor of the unofficial Lunazul mascot.

Finally, we embarked on an ambitious partnership adventure: “A Toast to Tradition.” Led by Josh Gates, host of the channel’s much-loved “Expedition Unknown” show (and a cocktail enthusiast himself), the series of videos took viewers behind the scenes of the Lunazul distillery to highlight the 250-year-old brand’s family heritage and time-honored process. The series was wildly popular, giving viewers an elevated impression of the Lunazul brand, its history and quality.

As the revitalized brand quickly captivated its audience, we continued to elevate Lunazul with new photo shoots, videos and visual elements that conveyed a premium feel and distinguished the brand. As a result, the agave estate in Mexico had to take extra measures just to keep up with Lunazul demand.

Deep Eddy

National Broadcast :30

National Broadcast :15

Tech Specs

Arri Alexa Mini (4K/HD)
Color Grading in DaVinci Resolve
Full Service Grip and Electric Truck

Handcrafted in small batches in Austin, Texas, Deep Eddy Vodka came to (spark) with a challenge: with a national brand budget less than a tenth of its main competitor, it asked our team to create national commercials and digital video content that would build overall brand awareness and boost sales.

In response, (spark) created an award-winning series of video commercials called “Pick Something Real” that celebrated the essence of Deep Eddy Vodka’s spirit and drove significant engagement and sales. Filming in Austin, we captured a diverse mix of consumers enjoying Deep Eddy while engaging in their favorite outdoor and leisure activities, allowing us to connect with our audience in an authentic and memorable way.

These videos formed the centerpieces of a broader omni-channel campaign, for which we utilized the video we had captured for the commercials, recutting and editing for web, mobile and social platforms. This focus on digital activations and influencer engagement enabled us to build awareness for Deep Eddy, while full-funnel lifecycle tracking helped us drive users to the website. Plus, we used social amplification and retargeting to surround the brand’s local, regional, and national music festival and event sponsorships to encourage product trial.

Thanks to our video commercial series and online video content campaign, we saw an impressive 17% increase in foot traffic to Deep Eddy Vodka’s retailers, 14% increase in website conversions, and an incredible 40% increase in sales – certainly results worth celebrating.

Mentos

National Broadcast :30

National Broadcast :45

Behind the Scenes

Tech Specs

The video was filmed on the Sony FS7 at 240 FPS (HD)
The glass was a Zeiss zoom
Color Grading in DaVinci Resolve
Large Dolly on a track

Mentos, the internationally popular “fresh-maker” mint, came to (spark) with a last-minute holiday wish: a set of video commercials they could share on social platforms in time to reach their customers’ year-end festivities.

Knowing that most audiences would be scrolling through the videos on mobile devices with the sound off, we created two concepts that could effectively convey the brand’s message without dialog or voice-over. We scouted locations and found a home we could transform into an over-the-top winter wonderland, then assembled actors and additional hair and makeup artists. Through simple dolly shots and a little holiday magic, we helped our audience connect the joy of celebrating with the freshness of Mentos.

In a fast post-production schedule, we added music and graphic effects, then formatted the videos for their respective social platforms. And the results were certainly scroll-stopping: together, the two video commercials collected more than 5.24M impressions on Facebook alone.

Endangered Species Chocolate

National Broadcast :40

Tech Specs

Phantom Flex4K, up to 1,000fps (4K/HD)
Cinema Prime Lenses
Turn-table for dynamic movement
Color Grading in DaVinci Resolve

Oat milk. It’s better for the environment and better for your health, but “delicious” is not the first word that comes to mind. Endangered Species Chocolate wanted to change that, so they came to (spark) for help in creating a video commercial that would promote their new line of Oat Milk chocolate.

From the fresh blueberries and raspberries, to the rich almonds and hazelnuts, to the luscious oat milk and fair-trade chocolate that goes into every bar, we wanted to showcase the vibrant colors and textures of the brand’s ingredients in our video. Using Phantom Flex4K cameras and Cinema Prime lenses, we gathered the bars and ingredients in our studio, adjusting lighting and camera speeds, and employing a turntable to create dynamic movement and capture the stunning quality and beauty of the premium chocolate bars.

Rather than outsource the color grading (as most production studios do), we kept all the editing and post-production in-house, using powerful DaVinci Resolve software to adjust and amplify the colors of the chocolate and its bold new packaging design. The video was an instant online success, converting a huge audience of chocolate lovers into fans of Endangered Species Oat Milk Chocolate.

Hershey's

Hershey’s

Times Square Experience

Tech Specs

Adobe Illustrator
Adobe After Effects

Talk about visual overload: every day in Times Square, the world’s biggest brands show more than 200 ads to more than 400,000 people, up to 400 times a day. No wonder Hershey’s Chocolate World came to (spark) for help in capturing Times Square visitors’ attention – and luring them into the store – during one of the busiest times of the shopping year: December.

The families who flock to Times Square want to show people they’ve been there, so we gave them a seven-story screen – the largest of its kind – to show off in front of. In one of the busiest and most visually chaotic intersections in the world, we kept things simple, embracing bright, colorful graphics and Hershey’s iconic visual assets to celebrate America’s favorite candy. Our Hershey’s screen became a dynamic, interactive backdrop for shareable photos and selfies that attracted others to the area. It was even featured in Ryan Seacrest’s New Years’ Eve countdown!

(spark) also gave our Times Square billboard-turned-selfie-station some videos of its own. We took four 30-second clips into a social video campaign that we optimized for awareness to target families on Facebook and Instagram who love chocolate and NYC’s classic holiday traditions. We also ran two sets of targeted YouTube ads: one showing tourists using our billboard to take selfies, and one promoting the deliciousness of the store itself, from premium one-of-a-kind confections to the ability to create your own custom candy bar.

We then ran a traffic campaign featuring carousel ads that aligned with the billboard and directed users to Hershey’s Chocolate World. Inside the store, a series of video kiosks and animations that (spark) created showed customers how to fully enjoy their sweetest Times Square experience. We not only achieved an impressive 16% increase in the store’s December sales, but an astonishing 103% increase in premium item sales. With a 720K social reach, 75K social engagements, and 8% ad recall that were all well over our goals, we put the bow on a sweet holiday season.

Plus, our work earned multiple awards and recognitions from some prestigious organizations including Communication Arts, Addys, The Webby Awards, IAC, WebAward, Horizon, The Telly Awards, Davey Awards and The Communicator Awards. We received an AME award for Marketing Effectiveness, including Best use of Branded Content and Best Use for Products/Services in a Promotion, and won New York Festivals WorldMedal for Best Use of Medium, Best Use of Out-of-Home. All told, (spark) won more than 35 gold awards at multiple award shows, including Best of Show for Advertising Integrated Campaign.

Beacon

National Broadcast :30

Tech Specs

Adobe After Effects
Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe Illustrator

Beacon, a leading provider of roofing and building materials, helps their contractors save time and money through their proprietary digital platform, Beacon PRO+. But when Beacon needed help engaging new (and re-engaging lapsed) Beacon PRO+ users, they turned to (spark).

We created an informational, yet high-energy, :30 video commercial to drive home the platform’s key benefits to contractors — time and cost efficiencies — as part of a comprehensive summer campaign that also included digital and social video components.

The (spark) crew took to the road, capturing dynamic driving shots, drone footage and engaging lifestyle footage showing contractors utilizing key components of Beacon PRO+. We kept all post-production in-house, adding motion graphics, platform simulations, a custom music bed, voice-over and complete color grading to deliver a video commercial that was as professional as the contractors who would be viewing it.

U-Pull & Pay

National Broadcast :60

Repair Your Wallet :30

Salvage the Holidays :30

Tech Specs

Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe After Effects
Pro Tools for original sound design

When U-Pull & Pay came to (spark), they were a self-service provider of used auto parts with a regional portfolio of locations. But with our help, they became a category leader, transforming how their audience felt about junkyards and fueling repeat visits and sales.

The centerpiece of our “Keep the Drive Alive” campaign was a series of national television commercials, supplemented with print, outdoor, digital and social content, all with a highly distinctive visual style. Our three different :30 spots featured video elements animated in a flat, cut-out style, complemented by informational supers and motion graphics. Then, our post-production crew treated the spots with bold color grading and a visual overlay that mimicked old half-tone printing styles. All combined, these treatments created an authentic look and feel that truly resonated with an audience that took pride in their DIY skills while appreciating a premium product.

Together, our national video commercials helped take U-Pull from zero to sixty, generating a 112% increase in ad recall lift rate, 431% YOY increase in non-paid Facebook traffic and a 35% increase in sell your car web form submissions. Not only did we give U-Pull total ownership of the category, but we also did the unthinkable – transform a junkyard into something distinctive and memorable.

Admiral Nelson's

Admiral Nelson’s

National Broadcast :15

Tech Specs

Canon c300 mk 3 with Cinema Lenses (HD)
Wireless Monitors
Aperture LS 300d Lights

(spark) created this national broadcast commercial to promote Admiral Nelson’s as the go-to beverage for Millennials to relax with after a day of spring cleaning. Our crew took full ownership of every component, from concepting, scripting and storyboarding, to casting, filming, editing and color-grading.

While we were able to execute the concept simply and efficiently, filming in our studio and keeping all post-production in-house, our time- and cost-efficient video commercial delivered the high ad-recall for Admiral Nelson’s in 12 months. In an age where the average consumer doesn’t watch past the first five seconds of a video ad, an impressive 50% of Admiral Nelson’s viewers watched our entire commercial.

Armstrong

National Broadcast :30

Radio Ad Reel

Tech Specs

The spot was filmed on the Red ONE with Cinema prime lenses (4K)
Animation in Adobe After Effects

Armstrong World Industries wanted to promote their residential ceiling tiles as an effective and inexpensive solution to less popular “popcorn” ceilings. (spark) brought their campaign, “The Easy Way to Fix Ugly,” to life through a series of :30 national broadcast commercials.

We started by designing and constructing unique, vintage-looking sets on a soundstage and adding props that fit the campaign’s quirky aesthetic. After scouting and selecting talent and outfitting them with an equally retro wardrobe, we filmed using Red ONE cameras and Cinema Prime lenses for a premium, cinematic look that would stand out on broadcast television. Then we edited everything in-house, adding compelling voice-over and subtle animations in Adobe After Effects.

Overall, our national video commercials garnered 1.5M impressions, 90K video views, more than 30K display ad clicks and helped drive 5.2K visits to the Armstrong website.

John Frieda

National Broadcast :30

Behind the Scenes

Tech Specs

Arri Alexa Mini with anamorphic lenses (4K/HD)
The original score features University choir and drum line members
Sliders for cinematic camera movement
Full Service Grip and Electric Truck
Color Grading in DaVinci Resolve

The iconic global haircare brand John Frieda came to (spark) for help in appealing to a younger audience of sassy, stylish consumers who chart their own paths in life. In response, we created the “Hair Talks” brand platform as a way of empowering women and positioning John Frieda as bold, rebellious and unexpected.

To bring the new platform to life, (spark) created a series of national television commercials as well as an extensive library of video content the brand could use on its social and digital platforms. Our crew flew out to L.A. where we directed the national “Hair Talks” TV spots (in collaboration with Target) using Arri Alexa Mini cameras with anamorphic lenses and utilizing sliders for cinematic camera movement to create an ultra-premium look that was well-suited to the iconic brand. We also filmed and photographed new lifestyle imagery and video, such as hair tutorials and product features, that could be utilized on the web.

We also commissioned an original score and engaged the university choir and drumline members for our recording sessions, knowing that an investment in custom music would help the campaign become truly ownable and memorable. In-house color grading in DaVinci Resolve delivered that final glossy finish.

By creating national commercials that were authentic to the brand and resonated with the audience in a way that made John Frieda matter more to them, a new generation of consumers responded with a 270% increase in engagement, 250% increase in organic reach, monthly social media reach of 19 million and a remarkable 31% growth in retail sales.

Radio Spots

National and regional spots aired in the last five years

True Food Kitchen

Brunch :20