When the coronavirus outbreak hit, Westporters leaped to help.
Physicians treat physical symptoms. Therapists handle emotional ones. CVS and Walgreens clerks ease customers’ fears. A career coach provides free resume consultations.
But if you’re in advertising, what can you possibly do?
Rob Slosberg is a creative director. That’s apt: The 1982 Staples High School graduate is quite creative.
His first thought was to spread “sanity and knowledge.”
That evening in his Westport home, he created a video. The goal: to show how staying home can prevent others from getting sick — and save lives.
He wrote a script, found stock footage, and spent all night editing it.
Rob Slosbereg
In the morning he sent it to Ellis Verdi, co-founder of Rob’s firm DeVito/Verdi.
He loved it too. Quickly, Ellis sent it to his connections at The Partnership for New York City.
They loved it. But they had one request: Could it include a quote from Governor Cuomo?
Sure!
“That made the video much stronger,” Rob says. “It brought it to reality, and the present moment.”
By the next day, the video was in front of Cuomo. He must have loved it too.
The spot went from concept to on-air in 1 week. The average commercial takes 4 to 6 weeks.
It will run on donated media throughout the tristate area, and on Hulu.
“I just wanted to do something to try to help,” Rob says. “I never thought it would make it all the way up to the governor.”
I could tell you how compelling the PSA is. But it’s far more powerful to watch it yourself.
Just click below:
