It’s safe to say that everyone here at Blueforest Studios loves a good turkey, so when Butterball came to us this year about a video series, we were excited to jump right in! Butterball turkeys have been the go-to choice for holiday dinners since their founding in 1954, and for many families, a Butterball turkey is an important tradition. With this in mind, it was only fitting that they roll out their new brand identity – Traditions with Purpose.

The Goal:

Butterball’s new brand identity is built around 4 pillars: People, Plate, Planet, and Philanthropy. In short, Butterball cares about people, and goes above and beyond to supply them with great turkey products in a way that is environmentally responsible–all  while doing good work in the community. That’s a hefty task to accomplish, but when they came to us asking for a video that would explain these pillars and how they serve as the foundation of the Butterball brand, we had something in mind.

The Plan:

In order to explain all of the great things that Butterball does through its 4 pillars in a video, we needed a solid plan. We at Blueforest developed a concept and script that Butterball liked, which involved a narrator speaking in the background while we showed the pillars in action at every level of the Butterball community: the office, feed mills, farms, plants, and finally, the consumer. The idea was that this would capture an authentic, moving image that matched with each of Butterball’s 4 pillars.

The Execution:

To pull off our plan of authentically showcasing Butterball’s brand identity, we had some visits to make! We scheduled a full week of shoots – here’s how they went.

Day 1: Garner NC, Butterball Corporate Offices

We captured some shots of the awesome teams who work there and all of the marketing and planning that they do. We also filmed a recreation of the Butterball team packing up hurricane relief supplies, something they did for their NC community after Hurricane Matthew in 2016.

Day 2: The Tastiest Day

On our second day, we staged and filmed two scenarios where Butterball turkey products are often served: a dinner party featuring a casserole made with Butterball turkey sausage, and of course, a Thanksgiving dinner, where a delicious Butterball turkey is traditionally the star of the show.

Day 3: On the Road

We then spent a few days traveling around the great state of North Carolina visiting lots of Butterball facilities. First up was one of the feed mills located in (no joke) Turkey, NC, where we met the feed mill manager and filmed the team doing the hard work they do to keep things moving.

Day 4: When We Almost Froze

This was a frightfully cold February day spent at a turkey farm in La Grange, NC. As a film crew, it was one of our most interesting shoots to date, as we all had to shower-in and change into blue sweatsuits, hair nets, and plastic shoe covers before entering the facility– wow, we looked awesome. We spent most of the day outside shivering in our sweet blue sweats, but hey, we have a story to tell our grandkids!

Day 5: Wrapping it up

We finished up our filming in Raeford NC, where one of the Butterball turkey processing plants is located. The employees at this plant are amazing! They work so hard to keep the plant moving at an efficient pace, and we loved speaking with them.  

The Result:

Blueforest Studios spent the next weeks editing all the footage and getting the voiceover recorded. We worked with the Butterball team to fine tune the video, and then it was shown to employees at an event at the Garner office (with popcorn and sodas, just like the movies!). In the end, both Blueforest Studios and Butterball were happy with the video, and we had a great time during the whole process. Take a look at the video, let us know what you think, and next time you’re eating a Butterball turkey, take a second to remember how many great people are behind your traditional holiday meal!