OK Go is an American rock band originally from Chicago, that is well-known for its visually striking, often quirky, and elaborate one-take music videos. Throughout the years their music and videos have gained them world-wide recognition, their video for “Here It Goes Again” won a Grammy Award for Best Music Video in 2007, as, after all, they are the first group to shoot a video in zero gravity. In their latest colourful and well-though-out escapades they were joined by salt-producing company also based it Chicago, Morton Salt.
Together they came up with a new music video, that truly is unlike any other (at least up to date) – “The One Moment” takes place only during 4.2 seconds of real time footage. After these, the whole video unfolds in slow-motion and it demonstrates that it only takes a moment to fulfil the world with more brightness. It is a lovely way of using the band’s popularity to help Morton Salt raise awareness for their charity.
Although the clip is unbelievably well-made and will possibly receive even larger coverage — it already got over 1.5 million views on YouTube in 16 hours — the more interesting thing is the campaign behind it, which is unfortunately only visible during last couple of seconds at the end. Sadly, this might escape some viewers of the innovative video, which kicks off Morton Salt’s first-ever ‘master brand campaign’ in the company’s 168-year history, that it also launches a campaign that includes a branded content series, a dedicated website, out-of-home activations and media investment across digital and social platforms. Each frame of the video represents each millisecond (!) of the video and the band created and interacted with more than 325 choreographed moments, whileMorten Salt suggests that “It only takes a moment to make a difference.”
Before watching the insanely planned-out video, take a minute to inspect a spreadsheet of all the events transpiring within those 4 seconds, to get an idea of how much is actually going on.
“The song ‘The One Moment’ is about those moments in life when you are most alive, the moments that truly matter, the moments when everything changes. It’s the perfect song for Morton’s message about stepping up and making a difference,” says Damian Kulash, OK Go’s lead singer, who also directs the bands videos. “We shot the video in a single moment to bring this feeling to life. We want to show that a single moment can contain so much wonder, so much beauty, and so much change. We hope it helps inspire people to use their moments wisely.” To find out, what moments the director means and to read about people who do make a difference, scroll right below the video.
The iconic Morton Salt Girl inspired the brand platform which is punctuated by the “Walk Her Walk” mantra. This main tagline aims to be a call to action for people to step up and become a force for good.
“Without a doubt, the Morton name is synonymous with salt,” said Christian Herrmann, CEO of Morton Salt, Inc. “But there is more to our story. Our next chapter is inspired by the unstoppable spirit of the Morton Salt Girl. She is a symbol of drive. Of endurance. Of acting regardless of obstacles. We want to embody her spirit to make a real, tangible difference in people’s lives in more ways than ever before.” He added: “Every journey starts with a first step and we are excited to start to Walk Her Walk.”
So, the video features several one-of-a-kind innovators who are making a positive impact in the world. Their remarkable stories are told through video hot spots allowing viewers to learn and do more to support their causes. By creating this platform, the company is committing itself to supporting these five difference-makers through grants and promotions. You can read and watch a short preview of their inspiring stories below:
Adarsh Alphons (Instagram, Twitter), ProjectArt – Expelled from school when he was just 7-years-old for drawing in class, Adarsh channeled his love of art and creativity into ProjectArt which he founded in 2011. His goal is simple: to put paintbrushes in the hands of children who don’t have access to arts education. Today, ProjectArt is recognized as a model of change that can confront the national arts education crisis and impact youth on a larger scale.
Seth Maxwell (Instagram, Twitter), Thirst Project – At just 19-years-old, Seth learned about the global water crisis over a cup of coffee and conversation with a friend. This moment was the beginning of the Thirst Project, which now travels the world educating people on the global water crisis and helping to fund and build wells for developing areas. In just seven years, the Thirst Project has raised over $8 million and provided more than 300,000 people with safe, clean water.
Blair Brettschneider (Instagram), GirlForward – Inspired by a teen refugee girl she was tutoring in Chicago, Blair launched GirlForward with the mission to solve the five major challenges faced by refugee girls: language barriers, poverty, limited/interrupted education, social isolation and a need for positive role models. Her program addresses these challenges through individual mentorship, educational programs and leadership opportunities.
Michelle Edgar (Twitter), Music Unites – Michelle was working in the media world and realized music was missing from her life. She felt it was her mission to bring music education to at-risk youth and provide students with access to artists and mentors. With encouragement for her to tap into her true passion and “follow the music,” Michelle founded Music Unites in 2007 to bring music education to underserved youth.
Haile Thomas (Instagram, Twitter), The HAPPY Organization – When her father was diagnosed with diabetes, Haile Thomas was inspired to help her family and others embrace healthy habits. At age 12, she founded The HAPPY Organization (Healthy Active Positive Purposeful Youth), to help improve the health and wellness of children and families through education, outreach and advocacy about proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices.
Morton Salt is also participating in #GivingTuesday, a global movement designed to celebrate and support giving that has been driven by “individuals, families, organizations, businesses and communities in all 50 states and in countries around the world”. You can read more about this here, or visit the #GivingTuesday website or Facebook page! Finally, to see how all of this was put together, you can watch the video-clip’s ‘behind the scenes’.
Credits:
OK Go: Damian Kulash, Timothy Nordwind, Andy Ross, Dan Konopka
Directed by Damian Kulash
Produced by Park Pictures
Exec. Producer: Justin Pollock
Line Producer: Pat Frazier
Production Designer: Bradley Thordarson
Director of Photography: Shawn Kim
Editor: Cass Vanini
Post Effects: Artjail, Steve Mottershead