Keystone Light’s sweepstakes video for the Most American Backyard BBQ.
Cans Up
The cans went up first. Red ones, Keystone Light Apple, held up at the end of nearly every arm in a backyard in Green Cove Springs, Florida, as five T-34 Mentors came over the oaks trailing white smoke. Ball caps, sunglasses, heads tipped back. In the middle of it stood the winner of Keystone Light's Fourth of July sweepstakes, with his family and friends.
Keystone Light had named the day the Most American American Day in America. America's 250th birthday.
For one afternoon, this was the most American backyard in America. Seven weeks before the Fourth, it was in the wrong state.
A Backyard in the Wrong State
Le Range Agency brought us the idea in April. They were producing a Fourth of July activation for Keystone Light's new apple beer, with Quality Meats Creative building the campaign around it. One fan would win a backyard barbecue with a flyover on top.
I fly airplanes, and I've spent twenty years in live event production. This job needed the second skill set before it ever needed the first.
The plan had been Texas. Then, in mid-May, Le Range wrote with news: for reasons on the sweepstakes side, the whole event was moving to Florida. Could we pivot? We could.
That afternoon I sent a map of the Jacksonville area marked in two colors, green where a backyard flyover could work and red where it couldn't. They wrote back that they'd start house hunting in the red. (They were kidding.)
Keystone approved two locations. I recommended the one south of Jacksonville for its open spaces. The time was set for 2:00 PM. The most American backyard in America finally had an address.
Two Productions, One Flight
Quality Meats wanted more than a flyover. They wanted the pilots and the aircraft on camera, behind the scenes, for the campaign. So we built the day around the camera. The BTS crew would have hangar time with the pilots and aircraft, while the main crew ran the house shoot.
On July 2nd I walked the property with the Le Range folks and the production team. Inside, the house was already dressed in flag bunting, sunflowers, and red cowboy hats. A framed picture on the wall read "Farmhouse-ish: A home minus the actual farm." Fair enough.
2:00 PM, Saturday the Fourth
The winner and his family toasted the sky as the formation came over the tree line in line abreast, smoke on, framed against a sky stacked with Florida clouds. The film crew rolled through all of it.
Farmhouse-ish, as it turned out, was plenty. For one afternoon, it was the most American backyard in America.
Le Range Agency produced the day, Quality Meats Creative and Keystone Light built the campaign around it, and five Florida pilots spent their own Fourth of July flying over a stranger's backyard. The winner had the easy job. He just had to look up.
Before You Book a Brand Flyover
Can an agency book the flyover for the brand?
Yes. Le Range Agency booked this one and produced the activation, with Quality Meats Creative on the campaign. Whoever signs, there's one person to call about the aircraft, the pilots and the airspace. Our brand activations work also covers static aircraft displays and flying for the camera.
Can a flyover happen over a private backyard?
Yes. This one flew over a rented home in Green Cove Springs, south of Jacksonville, with our Florida-based pilots. Not every address can host a flyover, so send us the location before anyone signs a rental agreement.
What happens if the event moves after we book?
We move with it. This event changed states after planning had started, and the date held.
Can our crew film behind the scenes with the pilots and aircraft?
Yes, when it's in the plan. Tell us what you want to shoot when you book, and we'll build it into the day.
