“We’re looking for a video that will make people want to run through a brick wall once they see it.”
When the Big Brick team gets a request like that from any client, our ears perk up.
But when that request is coming from our hometown hockey team, the NHL’s Boston Bruins, our blood REALLY gets pumping.
For the past three months, our team has been working in lockstep with the Bruins and marketing agency GYK Antler to help concept and produce “the playoff video to end all playoff videos” (no pressure). Coming at an unprecedented time in the franchise’s history, our spot would serve as a rallying cry for thousands of die-hard fans as they cheer on the B’s and their quest for a seventh Stanley Cup.
While a spot like this could easily and more traditionally highlight a century’s worth of historic moments and iconic Bruins imagery, we decided to take a different approach. Our concept places the spotlight squarely on the 2022-23 team, their one-of-a-kind bond, and the record-setting season they’ve embarked on. And that, combined with our mission of creating something that would make fans (and players alike) lose their minds with the anticipation of seeing the puck hit the ice for that first playoff game, resulted in a “hype” spot that completely earns its designation.
But even though this special group of players had the greatest regular season in NHL history, you can’t take any of that with you once the playoffs start. It’s a clean slate. A whole new ball game (or maybe “puck game”?) that begins as soon as the clock hits zero at the end of an 82-game grind.
So how do we create a spot that celebrates the greatest regular season in NHL history while keeping our eyes on the game’s ultimate prize? Not to mention the need for “brick wall” destruction requested by the team whose logo we actually have tattooed on our bodies (looking at you, Scott).
We attacked the challenge by sitting around our conference room watching hour after hour of highlight videos, tossing idea after idea on the wall before realizing the clock was tick, tick, ticking on our scheduled brainstorm. Our … time … was almost up.
Wait – did we inadvertently just come up with a concept? You bet your lucky, nacho cheese-stained #8 Bruins jersey we did.
Our “It’s Time” concept frenetically counts down to the end of a record-setting regular season before announcing (with authority) the imminent start of the clock on the Bruins march to the Cup. We created a custom score in collaboration with local music producer (and lifelong Bruins fan) Chris Plante, that uses the constant, ominous ticking of clocks to heighten the drama and the stakes of the spot’s visuals. So, whether you’re watching on NESN, or (ideally) seeing it blasted at “11” on the TD Garden’s EPIC HubVision big screens, this spot will be bringing the thunder.
We’ve also taken the iconic, 8-spoked “B” logo and animated it, creating a branded countdown clock that rotates and clicks into place as each second of the spot ticks away towards the big finish.
Never-before-seen moments and candid team soundbites show fans exactly what’s made this incredible team tick (see what we did there?). And just in case the ripping visuals, goosebump-inducing score and chest-thumping in-game audio doesn’t get folks ready for the playoffs, the spot ends with a PRIMAL bear roar for maximum “blow the roof off the joint” effect.
Because honestly what’s a Bruins playoff spot without the screaming bear???
So here’s to the start of what is hopefully a long and successful playoff run for our beloved Bruins, and to creating videos that will hopefully make both fans and players alike want to run through brick walls on the quest for the Stanley Cup. Let’s go Boston. It’s Time.
