Axley PI Video Production — Community Lawyer Brand (2026-2027)

Overview

Axley is planning a high-quality video ad campaign for their Personal Injury practice, built around attorney Heath. The project is split across two years: production in 2026, distribution in 2027. The core creative strategy is to position Heath as a trusted community lawyer — a deliberate counter to the "ambulance chaser" stereotype that plagues PI advertising.

This project was discussed in the ^[1] January 2026 strategy meeting and is tied to the broader goal of reducing reliance on expensive PPC for PI leads. See also: ^[2].

Strategic Rationale

Personal injury PPC is cost-prohibitive at Axley's budget. Competitors like Hupy & Abraham spend over $1M/year on AdWords — a level Axley cannot match. The video campaign is designed to build organic brand recognition and credibility over time, complementing SEO efforts rather than competing with paid search spend.

"I definitely want to make sure we do it right. So if we put effort into production this year, we could do like advertising next year." — Nicole Hadaway

Creative Concept

Tone: Approachable, local, community-rooted — explicitly not the high-gloss, aggressive PI lawyer archetype
Talent: Attorney Heath exclusively (he is Axley's sole active PI attorney)
Visual style:
Heath walking into recognizable local Madison businesses
Drone footage of Madison cityscape and landmarks
Goal: viewers immediately recognize the locations and feel a sense of place
Message: Heath is your community lawyer — local, accessible, award-winning in his own neighborhood (Cottage Grove)

Production Plan

Phase	Year	Details
Pre-production & production	2026	Fund and shoot the ad; cost absorbed this year
Distribution & campaign launch	2027	Run on YouTube, streaming services (e.g., connected TV)

Splitting the cost across two years was a deliberate budget management decision.

Vendor Status

Backflip (previously used local videographer): no longer available — went under in 2025
Next step: Sebastian to provide referrals, including:
A Madison-area videographer contact (lower-to-mid budget, drone-capable)
Additional options via Mark at Asymmetric for varying production tiers
Budget guidance from Nicole: Mid-range production quality; explicitly not the lowest-budget option, but not $25K for a 15-second spot either

Key Decisions

Production expense will be booked in 2026; ad spend in 2027
Heath is the sole face of all PI content and this video — no other attorneys to be featured
Creative direction: community lawyer positioning, Madison-specific visuals, drone + street-level mix
Backflip is out; Sebastian to source new videographer referrals

Action Items

[ ] Sebastian to email Nicole Madison videographer options (@Sebastian Gant)
[ ] Sebastian to contact drone videographer re: availability (@Sebastian Gant)
[ ] Align on production budget range before vendor outreach (@nmh + @Sebastian Gant)

^[3]
^[4]
^[2]
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