Case Study—
Wounded Warrior Project
Suicide Awareness Broadcast PSA
The Wounded Warrior Project is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that has been helping Veterans for over two decades through various programs such as career counseling, mental health services, and long-term rehabilitative care. Through their advocacy efforts they have improved the lives of millions of veterans and their families.
The
Challenge
September is Suicide Awareness month, and the team at Wounded Warrior Project wanted to use their platform as a nonprofit to spread awareness for the issues Veterans face across the country regarding depression and suicide by releasing a suicide awareness PSA on streaming and broadcast television. They had a story they needed to tell, and they approached us to tell it.
Wounded Warrior ProjectSuicide Awareness Broadcast PSA
"Having seen the struggles my father faced after his three tours of duty in Vietnam, partnering with the Wounded Warrior Project on content is deeply meaningful. Our goal is to provide hope and support to those who need it most, and I’m proud that The DVI Group can be part of this crucial effort"
An Experienced Team
This wasn’t the first project we teamed up with WWP to do. Previously they had reached out to us to produce training content for their team in the form of short narrative videos depicting warning signs of depression in Veterans and ways to approach the difficult conversations you need to have in those situations. We brought their characters to life with cinematography working to tell the story through visual tone and by casting brilliant actors including actual veterans to bring life to the roles. So, when the WWP had another story to tell, they knew we were right for the job.
A lot of story, not a lot of Time
Fitting an entire story with beginning, middle, and end into a 30 second spot is no small feat, but we made sure that not a single frame was wasted. Every shot needed to be purposeful, telling the audience exactly what they needed to know, no more, no less. Precision and efficiency in storytelling was the name of the game.
Suicide Awareness PSA – Behind the ScenesWounded Warrior Project
Unquestionably Authentic
For a spot with such a sensitive message, it was imperative for us to tell the story in an authentic and thoughtful manner. Through research and working closely with actual veterans during every step of the process we were able to tell a story that feels genuine and grounded.
A Cohesive Tone
To match the visuals to the narrative, we had to make sure the visual style we used not only matched the tone of the story but evolved as the story progressed. We chose locations and wardrobe intentionally to give our team the appropriate palette to paint with. While visuals play a critical role in delivering the message, the sound design of this piece was also necessary to evoke emotion, engage the audience and build the drama for the scene. Before the first shot had even been filmed, our sound designer worked to create a simple, engaging, and ambient soundscape to draw the viewer in and hold their attention.
The
Outcome
The final broadcast commercial was presented live on Good Morning America by the veteran we worked with on set. The PSA’s reach will grow every year as it’s broadcast on a national level throughout the month of September.
The
Reception
Having worked with us before, the Wounded Warrior Project team was expecting a high-quality commercial, but they were blown away with the results of this project. They are incredibly enthusiastic to send it out into the world and aid in their mission.
“Thanks so much for everything, and we’ll definitely be in touch for the next one! We appreciate you guys being an awesome production company and partner of ours!”