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

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)

Related

• ^[3]
• ^[4]
• ^[2]
• ^[5]