Luckie & Company’s new campaign
is aimed at redefining the image of the school’s athletic department.

A new commercial campaign for Vanderbilt University’s Athletic
Department reimagines a practice field and workout facility as proving grounds
for victory.

Artfully directed by STORY’s
David Orr for Birmingham agency Luckie & Company, one spot, Limits, presents de-saturated images of
football players lifting weights and engaging in drills with words such as
“perseverance” and “dedication” woven into the backgrounds. A second spot, Pull, centers on two athletes playing
tug of war with a tire as teammates cheer. Accompanying graphics proclaim,
“Victory is awarded on Saturday…but it’s earned long before then.”

Themed “Game Changer,” the campaign is aimed at altering
Vanderbilt’s image as an underdog in the powerful SEC.  “The story is told
through simple, poignant images,” explains Luckie & Company Associate
Creative Director Andy Odum. “What they represent is unique within the
category, and it’s something Vanderbilt can own. Everybody at Luckie &
Company, Vanderbilt and Story is excited about what we have created.”

Due to class and practice schedules, Orr’s time with the
student athletes was limited. For the tug of war scene, the director had
players for just 90 minutes. To make the most of their time, Orr meticulously
planned every shot and choreographed the production to limit the number of
times he would need to move gear.

“We made sure that, every moment we had with the athletes,
we were shooting,” Orr recalls. “We worked out a strategy where we were
continually moving the camera closer. We’d start on a dolly, then move to a
ladder for an overhead shot, then go to a hand-held close-up. We had a strict
list of shots that we had to get, but we also left time for those moments you
can’t see coming but are often the best.”

Orr used a psychological ploy to get the performance he
wanted from the tug of war sequence. He asked the strongest athlete on the team
to “lose.” “He was not happy about being cast as the loser because, usually, he
wins,” Orr says. “His expression speaks volumes. It was perfect.”

Odum notes that Luckie &
Company had previously worked with Orr on a campaign for Regions Bank, and were
impressed with his efficiency and design skills.  “We knew he would be the perfect director for
Vanderbilt,” Odum says. “And, he didn’t disappoint. In true David Orr fashion,
he went above and beyond in his preparation, which allowed us to cover a lot of
ground and get more coverage than we had originally planned. On top of that,
his collaborative nature, conceptual thinking and visual sense resulted in a
powerful, memorable spot.”

STORY is represented is represented on the East Coast by
SuperPowers (646) 633-4578; in the Midwest by Dawn Ratcliffe (312) 491-9194, in
the Southeast by Miller + Associates, (954) 563-6004; in the Southwest by
Gossip!, (214) 288-2813 and on the West Coast by Sherry Howell, (213)
999-9879.

For more information, visit http://www.storyco.tv/

Credits

Title:  Limits, Pull

Client: Vanderbilt University