Non-commissioned projects afford us the freedom to experiment. All branded content – commissioned or not – should tap into the product’s target demographic, and MinivanCampaign.com does just that, attracting men 35-45 as its key audience.

“A Family Man is Still a Man.” This notion came to mind as we were studying minivans for another project. Of course, where research can arm an agency with data, life often provides the actual inspiration to tell a story honestly and with conviction.

RA’s three partners have eight kids and four minivans among them – two of which are Hondas. So we know the family man territory well, and we’ve each carved out our own place within it. One thing we agreed upon as we studied various minivan commercial campaigns is that we were under-represented. Amidst white-dad rappers and forlorn dudes longing for their glory days as garage band heroes, where were the hunters and gatherers, the modern day cavemen whose passions for their families and their friends shared common headspace?

We chose the Honda Odyssey for numerous reasons:

• We saw an opportunity to appeal to another segment of the minivan buyer demographic
• We spend a lot of time immersed in car culture and family life
• We wanted to develop creative that might otherwise not be realized

As our production partner, we chose Tim Damon (Square Planet), a name synonymous with automotive advertising. Along with years of experience behind the camera for every conceivable car brand, Tim brings to the party a great sense of humor, deep humanity, and incomparable energy. Likewise, composer David Della Santa (Volume Music + Sound) was the perfect person to bring our lyrics to life, turning “Day of the Hunter” into more than just a track…it became our anthem on this journey.

“We knew in taking this on we weren’t overtly utilizing comedy or sex, the two surefire selling points on the Web,” notes RA CCO Hesh Rephun. “We were leading with fun. It was important in terms of conveying the message we set out to send.”

In crafting the video, we shied away from “selling” the car itself. Rather, we wanted to convey the spirit of the minivan driver. We also chose to celebrate the sturdiness and usability of the Odyssey as opposed to the sexiness. The Odyssey isn’t sexy, and in our view, it needn’t be. The tricked out Swagger Wagon from Toyota got tons of attention, but in reality the Sienna is not sexy. And honestly, if Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes minivans aren’t sexy, why should Honda crave that distinction?

Perhaps as one reaches “minivan age” sexy becomes relative. Perhaps men grow to relish their role as hunters – and the fact that they get the job done is what’s sexy. The fact that they can choose the right minivan for their family is sexy. And if, in the course of a day off they can drop off the wife and kids, work in a trip to the driving range, make new friends, engage in a paintball fight with a dude in a tutu, and make a trip to the car wash, why not? Spontaneity never goes out of style, and neither should family-manhood.

Project Credits:

Title: “A Family Man is Still a Man”
Client: Honda Odyssey (spec)
Launch Date (www.MinivanCampaign.com): September 20, 2011

Agency: Raging Artists/LA
Creative Directors: Justo Diaz, Hesh Rephun, Ernie Noh
Associate Creative Director: Justin Young

Production Company: Square Planet/LA
Director/Cameraman: Tim Damon
Producer: Kendra Wester

Song: “Day of the Hunter”
Music Company: Volume Music + Sound/SF
Composer: David Della Santa
Lyrics: Raging Artists
Vocal: Pismo

Audio Post Company: M Squared Productions
Mixer: Mark Pitchford

Editorial Company: Raging Artists
Editor: Brendon DeVore

Digital Color Correction: New Hat/Santa Monica
Digital Colorist: Bob Festa

Project Statistics (click to expand):

The Mag: BEARPAWstyle.com transforms a brand into a lifestyle. In the first month of the mag’s existence, we traveled to South Beach for Winter Music Conference, where we launched a grassroots campaign – BEARPAW on the Beach – connecting with celebs and influencers, and gathering unique assets for the magazine. The event was the first of a series, and in 2011 we were invited by the popular Beatport party (this time at Ultra), for a massive beach promotion. The brand’s partnerships with K-Pop sensation KARA and Karina Smirnoff (“Dancing With the Stars”) have likewise been promoted through events and content generated by our team. The magazine captures and shares these experiences with a global audience of prospective customers via video, pictures, and articles.

SEO: The fashion marketplace is extremely competitive. PR and Web Marketing have now replaced bought media as the key to brand awareness. Fashion brands must connect with consumers organically, engaging them in an ongoing dialogue. BEARPAWstyle.com pursues terms related to the lifestyle it reflects, rather than the product alone. Our social media initiatives include a Facebook and Twitter-based giveaway and a CD of original music created exclusively for the brand by Hip-Hop/R&B artist T Coles (“Glued to the Wall”).

Brand Asset Development: Every photograph and video on BEARPAWstyle.com is created collaboratively by Raging Artists and SLAM. Over the past year, our efforts have evolved beyond online magazine content, extending to corporate brand assets, including producing BEARPAW’s entire Fall/Winter 2011 photo shoot in Lake Tahoe.

Launched: April 2010

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

As a result of our campaign, the film has appeared on every BMW fan blog, racked up 1,600,000+ views for one video alone on YouTube, has increased traffic on the Bandito site more than 2000%, and is covered from a filmmaking perspective on countless online mags. Anyone at BMW and their agencies who has NOT seen it is living in the dark (in fact, Bandito has since worked with Ford, Toyota, BMW, among other automotive brands). But it was marketed to the PEOPLE first.The views, Web traffic, and the coverage, have helped to deliver the most powerful evidence of the campaign’s success: new business. Since the launch of “Living in the Lights,” Bandito Brothers has been enlisted by BMW and Ford to bring their business model to projects for those automakers.

The film has also proved to be a sustainable piece of content in the hot topic of digital production, specifically the Canon 5D. Press continues to stream in, with the latest an in-depth 2-part interview with Matthew Jeppson of FreshDV.

A roll call of other press coverage can be viewed HERE.

BMW M3 Film from BanditoBrothers on Vimeo.

Over a feverish weekend, the firm constructed and populated SaveTheWhalesNow.com, a platform for their message and a destination for people who – like the Brosnans – wanted to know why the Obama administration was supporting a dangerous new proposal to overturn the global ban on whaling.

In a PSA produced by RA client Beef Films, Brosnan challenged the President to withdraw its support for the effort. The online magazine, created pro bono by Raging Artists, showcased the PSA and related articles and information. The entire project was spearheaded by award winning journalist, author, and television correspondent/producer Keely Shaye Brosnan, who developed the concept and assembled a coalition comprised of The Humane Society of the United States, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), and IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare).

SEO: “Time was of the essence from the start,” says CIO Justo Diaz, who led the Raging Artists Web Marketing team. “The International Whaling Commission (IWC) would soon vote on this measure, and we had to turn up the volume on this issue so Keely and Pierce’s voices would carry not just to Washington but everywhere in between.”

The site went live on June 4, 2010. Within a few days, the press was pouring in. The Brosnans and their coalition kept up the pressure, arming RA with the necessary information, which Raging Artists transformed into SEO’d, Google-friendly content that would convince tens of thousands to sign a formal petition and drive hundreds of thousands to the White House site to voice their frustration over the issue.

On June 17, Humane Society International and The Humane Society of the United States commend Rep. Madeleine Z. Bordallo, D-Guam, and 66 other United States Representatives who joined her on a letter to President Barack Obama, asking him to require the U.S. delegation to the International Whaling Commission to vote to uphold the ban on commercial whaling.

By June 23, 2010, talks to lift the whaling ban collapsed. “After two years of talks… it appears our process is at an impasse,” said the US commissioner Monica Medina. She said the breakdown was the fault of no particular party.

Raging Artists is currently collaborating with Sportie LA/SLAM on a number of high-profile initiatives. In addition to marketing Sportie LA/SLAM events — like the 2011NBA All Star Block Party, which attracted the likes of Rick Fox and Amber Rose — Raging Artists is working directly with SLAM on the launch of a new footwear line from a major global apparel brand. The project includes creating a web magazine as well as photo and video assets.

SLAM, overseen by Sportie LA co-owner Isack Fadlon, enlisted Raging Artists to create BEARPAWStyle, the online presence of  boot brand BEARPAW, to successfully increase awareness through assets like photos, web videos, and articles produced under the creative direction of RA. BEARPAW and its brand equity have been expanding ever since. Today, the brand counts as its celebrity partners Karina Smirnoff of “Dancing With the Stars,” and professional snowboarder Caroline Gleich, relationships promoted by Raging Artists through its PR expertise.

Additional collaborations include celebratory campaigns surrounding the 25th anniversary of  the Reebok Freestyle, the launch of the FILA Melrose, and the re-launch of  iconic shoe brand LA Gear.

Check out the footage from Sportie LA’s FILA Melrose launch party:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Mag: Drawing on LA Gear’s place among the footwear industry’s great heritage brands, LaGearNews brings past and present together. Events, sneak peeks, sponsorships, interviews, reminiscences, and insights come together seamlessly in support of the updated product: The Unstoppable Collection from 1989-1990, the Stardust Limited Edition, and the new LA Lights. Our grassroots initiatives have directly influenced the success of the magazine; getting the Lights into the hands of Jamie Foxx, LMFAO, and others has led to their wearing the product in music videos, and great content for the mag.

SEO: One search on Google for “LA Gear,” “LA Lights,” even “LA Sneakers,” and the impact of LaGearNews is easy to see. All the relevant content on the first page for these terms is new and is driven by the magazine. Over the past year, we’ve garnered coverage in numerous trades and on blogs all over the world, and are constantly fielding inquiries from new outlets and potential marketing partners.

Launched: December 2008