Tailgating Series
In fall 2023, I was given a brief to create two tailgating assets. When I reviewed our past football and tailgating content, I realized we’d been producing the same types of assets with the same products for years—so I set out to create something fresher.
For the first asset, I proposed the concept “elevating your tailgate”, inspired by the growing trend of hosts and hostesses refreshing party decor to wow their guests, and I wanted to bring this into the world of tailgating. I invited friends over to create the ultimate tailgate and watch party in my backyard—complete with a trending, top-rated projector so we could watch the game outdoors. Since we couldn’t show any actual game footage due to licensing restrictions, I came up with a clever workaround: a countdown graphic to convey the anticipation and story without infringing on rights. The asset performed so well—with nearly 1M views on Instagram and 2M views on TikTok—that it was turned into paid content.
For the second asset, we focused on tailgating activities. We added a level of humor and DIY by making a trophy to compete for and splitting guests into two teams for a game of cornhole. I incorporated and hand-lettered a chalkboard for live scoring, and from there, we simply played and captured the fun.
I concepted, styled, directed, shot, and edited both assets. (And yes, I was unfortunately on the losing cornhole team—but Team Red couldn’t beat Team Blue on @walmart!)
What I’d change: I’d start the shoot earlier—since my “talent” were friends coming after work, it was already a challenge just to get everyone available on the same weeknight, and we underestimated how fast the sun would set. I’d reshoot a lot of the scenes, but especially the grilling shots—the required hotdog slicer made for some pretty unappetizing footage. I’d also aim for overall sharper, crisper videography across the board.
Instagram Reel
Instagram Reel