We kicked off Discovery Family’s “Project Thank You” by surprising our local crew of garbage collectors with Atlanta’s highest honor.
It’s not everyday you get to thank those who truly deserve it, so we pulled out all the stops for Discovery Family’s inaugural “Project Thank You” campaign, orchestrating a surprise for some unsung everyday heroes. In addition to a :60 on-air vignette, we shot enough content to create a compelling digital extension to continue this viral campaign online and extend the message.
In order to keep the celebration a secret and find natural B-roll moments to bring the story to life, we rode along with the garbagemen all day (on one of Hotlanta’s hottest days!) under the guise of documentary filmmakers. Using multiple cameras and mounted GoPros, we captured the effort that goes into their jobs as well as the genuine reactions to our surprise. With only one chance to capture this moment, we worked with the local residents of the Piedmont Heights neighborhood to organize and execute the big “thank you” in real time, having less than three minutes from when the garbage truck passed by to when they came back up the street to get in position.
As the icing on the cake, Atlanta’s Mayor Kasim Reed caught wind of our surprise and joined us to present the Phoenix Award, the highest achievement given to community members in our city. We’re thankful to have been involved with such a heartwarming project in our community and showing support for one of the more thankless, but necessary jobs that impacts our everyday lives.
