I’m torn. I recently saw a video for Grant Achatz’s new restaurant, Next. Achatz is without a doubt one of the world’s great chefs and any restaurant he opens is bound to be a hit, so what’s with the video?

It’s apparently trying to tease us with concept behind the restaurant, but lost in all the cool graphics and effects is something striking… the food. Where’s the food?

I can only assume the video is trying to build our anticipation, and if that’s the case I guess it’s kind of working. But on the other hand, is there really a better way to entice foodies to try a new restaurant than by showcasing the food? The Food Network has built an entire empire around the idea, so like I said… I’m torn.

Next is bound to be a success, but is its video a hit or a miss?

Video: Next

–Tony Gnau

Marketing guru Seth Godin gets it. He’s blogged about the temptation to make online marketing messages longer, and how that doesn’t always make them better.  He’s right and video is a perfect example.

A marketing video is not the medium to communicate as much information about a company, campaign or product that you can. Video is about making a good first impression. Keep it short and sweet, then let the customer seek out more information if they want it.

–Tony Gnau

People sometimes ask me for the best way to get people to watch a video. Thanks to the internet, we now have a low-cost way to deliver video, but getting people to watch is all about quality and consistency.

A boring unprofessional video isn’t going to do much for you. Produce a quality video that’s relevant to the audience, and it’s bound to catch people’s attention. Do it again and again, and you’ll get people looking forward to seeing your videos. It’s no longer a marketing video to them. It’s something they appreciate and enjoy.

Goose Island Beer Company is a prime example. They produce multiple videos every year for wholesalers and retailers. The videos are professional, interesting and aimed at educating the sales force to help them sell beer.

Put yourself in the wholesalers’ shoes… why wouldn’t you want to watch those videos?

–Tony Gnau

Video Example: Goose Island – Sofie

I got a big thrill on Wednesday watching Team USA win it’s World Cup game. Sure, Landon Donovan’s goal was exciting, but I was actually more entertained with the sideline reaction.

A normally reserved Dr. Bert Mandelbaum could be seen going nuts along with the rest of the team’s support staff. He’s Team USA’s lead physician, and a partner at the Santa Monica Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Group… a T60 client.

We produced a little video for his practice that’s currently running on the MedMedia network within the offices. Watch how reserved he is in the T60 video, then try and catch him at the end of the highlights. Good stuff. :-)

–Tony Gnau

T60 Video: World Cup Docs

ESPN Video: Team USA Highlights

Marketing guru Seth Godin was blogging the other day about campaigns and who they aim to please. This is something you should always keep in mind when producing a marketing video.

Considering the audience is crucial to success. If you’re producing a video simply for your own gratification, it’s probably not going to do much to help your company’s marketing effort. One the other hand, if you produce a video for your audience and its needs, you’re more than likely creating something with impact.

A good rule of thumb… when you’re looking at a script or watching a first-cut, try to put yourself in your customer’s shoes and simply ask… why do I care about this?  How is this video relevant to my business and what I do?

If you come up with an answer, your video is on the right track.

–Tony Gnau

Targeting audiences goes a long way to ensuring an effective video and getting a bigger return on your investment. Marketing guru Seth Godin was blogging last month about how marketers love interrupting large numbers of people with their campaigns, but that it’s not always the best way to reach people.

You can certainly produce a single web video featuring all of your products and/or services and send it to all of your customers, but chances are not all of them are interested in all of what you offer. Why is this important to note? Well, why should they waste their time watching your video if it doesn’t appear to be relevant to them?

The answer is they won’t. They’ll tune out. A better approach is to produce multiple videos featuring different products and/or services, then send the appropriate links to customers in targeted emails.  This way your customers only get videos about the products and/or services that matter to them.

Keep those videos short and you can even do them for about the same price as a single, longer video featuring everything.

–Tony Gnau

We wrap-up T60 Beer Week with the ultimate after dinner drink, Bourbon County Stout.  Goose Island leaders asked us to update the beer’s video because the packaging has changed, and they also wanted to add a food pairing. That wish setup an opportunity for me to try most unusual dessert I’ve ever tasted… a peanut gelato sundae with dark chocolate chunks and topped with two strips of bacon.  You read that right, bacon.

That was the food pairing the folks at Goose Island chose for Bourbon County Stout. It can be a difficult beer to pair things with because it’s so intense. The solution is coupling it with decadent desserts.

Mission accomplished… and believe it or not… the gelato, chocolate and bacon sundae was delicious.

–Tony Gnau

WATCH THE VIDEO: Bourbon County Stout

Sofie Belgian Style Ale is one of the new videos we produced in this latest production run for Goose Island Beer Company, and it’s going to have special meaning to my fiancé Katie, A.K.A. T60’s V.P. of Marketing, and me in the future.

We’re getting married next month and Sofie will be one of the beers served at the wedding. It’s a brunch reception, and the beers we offer will all come from Goose Island. 312 simply because it’s Chicago’s beer, Honker’s Ale because it’s the bride’s favorite, and Sofie because the experts at Goose Island said it will pair perfectly with brunch.

Katie also pointed out Sofie’s packaging happens to coordinate well with our wedding colors… so bonus!

–Tony Gnau

WATCH THE VIDEO: Sofie Belgian Style Ale

Pere Jacques Belgian Style Ale holds a special spot in our hearts at T60 because we won a Telly Award for the original version of this video. Like Matilda, the packaging changed, so the video needed an update.

There wasn’t much else to tinker with in the new version, but a food pairing was added to the end which made for a foodie’s paradise. The chef at the Goose Island Brewpub on Clybourn kept bringing in all these dishes.  Steak for Pere Jaques, pulled pork for Green Line, Cioppino for Matilda…  it smelled so good in that room!

I know… tough job.

–Tony Gnau

WATCH THE VIDEO: Pere Jacques Belgian Style Ale

T60 Beer Week continues today with a video for Goose Island’s latest, Green Line. This pale ale is more than just a beer. The Green Line Project is part of a company-wide effort to make the production process “green”, so Goose Island leaders brewed a beer with that in mind.

Chicagoans may pick up on the duel meaning name, Green Line. Not only does it reference the beer being environmentally “green”, but Chicago’s famous public transportation system, the “L”, also has a Green Line… and it happens to be the line that runs by the brewery.

–Tony Gnau

WATCH THE VIDEO: Green Line Pale Ale