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A mysterious man revisits his once abandoned business in the woods and readies it to serve his customers in a COVID-19 world.
CONTEXT
COVID-19 left many business scrambling to figure out how they could keep their doors open. The truth is, many of them could not for one reason or another. This was the dilemma for Sammy Stevenson and his business Thirsty Thoroughbred- a startup mobile bar-tending service that catered to weddings and special events. The limitations of gatherings in the state of KY were crippling.
Rather than sit idle, he began brainstorming with us about a concept to reignite some hope and anticipation for his anxious customer base. A commercial for Thirsty Thoroughbred was an effective way for Sammy to keep his customers thinking of him during a difficult time.
WRITER'S COMMENTARY
There are three layers to the structure of the writing that we felt would harken thoughts of comfort to people:
- “If These Trailers Could Talk” was a play on Jimmy Webb’s “If These Old Walls Could Speak." We really liked the idea that inanimate objects are witness to innumerable experiences that happen around them. They have “seen” more and endured more than most of us by many lifetimes. It felt especially apt because Sammy’s trailers are literally DIY conversions. In their former incarnations they literally transported majestic horses to and from different farms. One of the trailers had a unique story with prominent jockey Tyler Gaffalione.
- “There’s a time to…” was lifted directly from the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament. As difficult as it can be to square faith with the current state of the world, it again felt reassuring to fall back on ancient wisdom. We were surprised to find direct verses from scripture referencing the need to to refrain from embracing and to be silent at times for further reflection.
- “By and By” felt like the best way to fuse the concept firmly to KY and Churchill Downs. The phrase literally translates as “eventually” and can be found prominently in Stephen Foster's "My Old Kentucky Home."