‘Gatorade’ Sponsorship — Case Study
Using humor to create viral video content
THE CHALLENGE
Whether you’re an aspiring comedian or an emerging startup, you can’t put a price on brand awareness. And when it comes to generating views and making headlines, humor can be a powerful tool. But using humor in an effective way is easier said than done. It requires understanding your audience and playing to your strengths. When I wanted to build a qualified follower base, I opted to lean into organic methods in order to cut costs and preserve an authentic feel.
THE SOLUTION
I followed an iterative process to create a comedic video that would catch the spotlight — helping me build followers and credibility. First, I chose to target a brand with a large following who was also active on social media — increasing the number of eyes on my video, should it get picked up. I treat my own projects as if I were hired by someone else. I come up with a list of ideas, pick the best one (A pitch to get Gatorade to sponsor me), write the script, refine the script, storyboard the frames, shoot it, edit it, then plan for the launch. With minimal resources and a raw editing style, I shot this video in minimal time and with minimal effort and costs.
THE OUTCOME
The video resulted in hundreds of followers gained as well as hundreds of thousands of views and coverage from mainstream media outlets such as HuffPost. What’s more, Gatorade contacted me directly and provided me with a month-worth of free Gatorade and additional merchandise. I can now proudly include “Sponsored by Gatorade” on my resume.