With less than two weeks to produce the videos, we had to act fast. We didn’t have time to visit retailers and plan new shoots. We instead reached within our terabytes of footage from the Retail Across America campaign. Using our collective brain servers and actual servers, Tori, Favata and Loizou quickly developed treatments for two distinct messages: one that focused on retail’s impressive economic statistics and another that humanizes and industry by featuring several business owners and associates.
Retail Story TV Spots
LAI Video was completely stoked to work with the National Retail Federation in producing two national TV spots. In response to an industry attack, we helped devise a completely non-defensive and utterly positive message of economic growth and community contributions. The resulting two TV spots “My Story” and “Our Story” aired to 8.5 million viewers during the Democratic presidential debates on CBS.
An Emergency Archive
The Fastest Editing in Town
Similar to our other overnight collaborations with NRF, producing quality work within airtight timeframes requires a deep understanding of the client’s brand. After establishing the must-include factoids and outlining our favorite soundbites, Favata cut together both spots in record time. Hot off the render queue, we submitted the videos through the surprisingly archaic machinery of broadcast television. The videos played during an intense Bernie v. Hillary debate, offering some hope that no matter who wins the White House, retail will remain an essential part of American society.
And there’s a special cameo by our very own Jun Yang!
James Favata
As the Vice President of Creative at LAI Video, James offers his docu-style and motion graphics expertise to transform brands and campaigns. He’s won numerous accolades, including two Emmy® Awards as a Director, for his incredible storytelling and vision.
Tori Furphy
As Vice President of Operations and Client Experience, Tori manages all aspects of LAI Video’s production and delivery. She’s led LAI Video’s project management for over a decade, building our award-winning portfolio and team into what it is today.
James Loizou
James Loizou leads the team at LAI Video, building the Emmy® Award-Winning agency from scratch over the last 15 years. His innate balance of creativity and methodology guides our team forever forward towards innovation.
Jun Young Yang
Jun is the Director of Photography for LAI Video. His sharp eye and even sharper focus have earned him a reputation as an industry-leading cinematographer. He started his career freelancing before becoming a staple on the LAI Video team.
Helena Lehman
Helena is Leading Authorities’ Senior Vice President of Client Services, responsible for growing business among its clientele of national associations and corporations. During her 25 year tenure with LAI, she’s built relationships across diverse industry groups and identified common needs in content strategy and communications.
