It wasn’t quite nailing a triple axel, but The Wooster Brush Company did well enough with the Winter Olympic Games to score a digital marketing gold medal, in my eyes. Every four years, it seems the world is reintroduced to the intriguing sport of curling during the Winter Olympic, and the communications and multimedia manager at Wooster Brush found a fun way to tie into the sport’s popularity in the video below, which the company shared on its Facebook page.
When I saw the video, I immediately called The Wooster Brush Company because I wanted to write about the achievement for this blog, which focuses on a wide array of digital marketing strategies. Prior to Wooster Brush’s curling video, I had seen another one on Facebook. Two women, with a Roomba vacuum and a Swiffer-style sweeper, offered their take on the sport.
Inspiration for the Wooster Brush video
Having seen the video with the two women, I thought it was the inspiration for the Wooster Brush video. When I met with Scott Rutledge, vice president of marketing, and Tim Yates, communications and multimedia manager, I had to ask: Was the Roomba video the inspiration? I was shocked to hear it was not.
The idea for the video came four years ago. After the footage was shot, Yates did not like the results, so a final video was never released. However, this year, with the Winter Olympics as a backdrop, Yates decided to revisit the concept and walked away with a finished product that pleased him.
Making the video
When I first watched the video, I was impressed. I had all kinds of questions I wanted to ask Yates, especially what kind of equipment he used. After all, I run a digital marketing agency and shoot videos myself. Any pointers would be helpful.
Prior to the shoot, Yates ran over to Everything Rubbermaid in downtown, Wooster, Ohio, to purchase a container, like a bucket or a bowl, what would allow him to freeze some water about the general size of a curling stone. He also retrieved the handle from a Pro/Ox to freeze into the top of the stone. He brought the equipment to the Lab Department in order to freeze the water in a bowl in the Environmental Chamber. He had Wooster Brush’s logo printed out in color and laminated it.
Yates shot the video on a Thursday afternoon, enlisting the help of Rick Dilyard, who threw the stone, and Chad Mullins and John Zimmerly, the “sweepers.” It took about an hour to get all of the shots he needed, Yates said. It helped that he had done this project four years ago, and he knew what he needed to do in order to achieve the results he was looking for.
Over lunch, Yates edited it. The video was posted to Facebook on a Friday. As for equipment: He shot the video on an iPhone 6S in 4K mode with no tripod, and he edited the video on iMovie. That’s it.
When you look at the video, it doesn’t have the shakiness associated with handheld video footage. Yates said something that helped him was knowing the clips would not be very long, and he would be slowing down the video. This helped to eliminate a shaky feel to the footage. As for how he got the low-angle shots without a tripod: Yates was lying on the floor.
Reaction to the video
“I didn’t know (Tim) was doing it, until he was done,” Rutledge said. He, too, liked what he saw. When he viewed it, he wanted to forward it along to NBC, the network what televised the Olympic Games this year.
Part of the mission given to the multimedia team is to push the envelope a little bit, have fun and show how the company and painting can be exciting. “Paint brushes and roller covers can be unappealing,” Rutledge said. “They’re something people don’t really consider fun. The video shows our company is fun. Painting is always fun … after it’s done. Painting can give you a sense of accomplishment, no matter what your skill level is.”
Lessons I learned from the video
Here are some digital marketing lessons I learned from the video and interview with Rutledge and Yates:
- Unleash the creative side and explore. Rutledge asked the multimedia team to have fun and come up with something exciting. This allows for exploration. If you try something and don’t like it, you can always not move forward with it, just like Yates did four years ago. However, the team was allowed to explore, and it led to a victory.
- Great execution can overcome equipment. Yates said he would not be comfortable shooting video for an annual conference on his iPhone, but to produce a fun, 20-second video, it was not an issue. Despite not utilizing a tripod, Yates achieved great results by understanding the limits and capabilities of the technology.
- Have fun. Businesses exist to solve problems. Solving problems is a good thing. So, have fun with it.
About Wooster Brush
The Wooster Brush Company was established in 1851 and is one of the oldest manufacturers of paint applicators in the USA. Wooster Brush produces more than 2,000 products for painters of all skill levels. The company has over 888,000 square feet of manufacturing, shipping, administrative, and warehousing facilities. Our experience in the industry is unmatched—we have 585 dedicated employees with an average of 15 years of service each. High standards of quality and innovation are maintained with in-house engineering, production, graphic design, and printing departments. For more information about Wooster Brush, visit its website here.
As always, to learn more about how Wooster Media Group LLC can help your company, schedule a free consultation here.
