Shooting This PR Video Made Me Uncomfortable
Would You Spend a Cold, Sleepless Night In Your Car for a Client? That’s How I Shot This PR Video.
If you’re a regular reader, you may recall l shot a PR video last year about people raising money for a local homeless shelter. It was for an event called Wheels4Walls.
That video, along with the website and brochure, won some marketing awards last year. I got that project thanks to Mike Martin, at Jackson Spalding.
So of course I was pleased when Mike called back—and asked me to do it again.
What is Wheels4Walls?
Wheels4Walls is a fundraising event for a specific type of homelessness.
You see, when most people hear the word “homeless,” they imagine someone sleeping on a park bench or under an overpass.
But in reality, the large percentage of people experiencing homelessness end up sleeping in their cars.
Entire families live this way, sleeping all night inside a cramped vehicle, parked in a secluded parking lot.
It isn’t safe. And I can tell you from experience, it isn’t comfortable either.
For the second year in a row, I spent the night in my own car, getting up throughout the night to shoot footage for the PR video (I wasn’t getting any sleep anyway).
How Does It Raise Money?
Wheels4Walls works kind of like a walk-a-thon. Each participant signs up potential donors—friends, relatives, neighbors—that pledge to give money.
Then they all sleep in their cars, together, in the same parking lot (under the watchful eye of Atlanta PD), so those pledges will write checks.
Another Year, Another PR Video
This year’s video is similar to last year’s. I interviewed participants standing in a parking lot. Only this year, it was colder. And rainier. And even more miserable.
I think this year’s PR video is more informative, too. They talk about the homeless shelter, Our House, and its services for homeless families.
Using Video for Public Relations
There are many benefits to including PR video in a public relations strategy. Audiences love video, it’s more engaging than text, and it’s one of the most effective ways available to connect with people.
Thank you once again to Mike Martin and Jackson Spalding for inviting me to help out a great cause.
It was even more miserable than last year. But also rewarding.
About the Author:
Harry Hayes is the owner and executive producer at Content Puppy Productions, a corporate video production agency based in Charlotte. Before starting Content Puppy, he spent 20+ years as an advertising writer and creative director.
