Donnybrook Production Services

One of the more satisfying production assignments I’ve had, just over a year ago now, was producing a PSA for the ‘Sounds of Pertusis’ campaign.  It was an amazing opportunity, as I was able to work with a true sports legend in NASCAR champion (and, more importantly, father & Pertusis awareness activist) Jeff Gordon.  Jeff and his wife, model Ingrid Vandeboch, have two kids, and being parents has raised their own awareness to this frightening and debilitating epidemic among young children. They’ve since taken up the crusade against Pertusis, and hold this cause very near and dear to their hearts.

As a father myself, I can respect the fear and anxiety that comes with a sick child…even a minor illness can make a parent feel helpless, since it’s an inherent desire to want to do all we can to protect our kids. I was happy to stumble upon recent news on Jeff’s continued efforts, and reflecting back I’m immensely proud to have been even a small part in this ongoing movement.

With his latest win at this years Atlanta Motor Speedway, NASCAR’s Jeff Gordon was propelled to the rank of third all-time in racing history.  While the win was only his third of the season, it constituted his 85th lifetime, placing him on the top-3 list behind only Richard Petty and David Pearson.  And while it’s highly unlikely he’ll be able to overtake Petty’s 200 wins all-time, he does have a legitimate shot at Pearson’s record of 105.

Now I don’t fancy myself a super-fan of NASCAR, as it’s been my experience that you’re either a ‘race guy’ or your not.  A solid case in point, the producer I just worked with on my last project certainly was…Brian, you know who you are.  Having said that, claiming to not know who Jeff Gordon is because you’re not a race fan is like saying you’ve never heard of Tiger Woods because you don’t follow golf.  After all, guys like that are just as much pop-culture icons as they are representatives of their respective craft.

I, for one, found Mr. Gordon to be a swell fellow when I had the unique opportunity of working with him ealier this year.  I produced a spot for a pharma client that used Jeff and his wife (model Ingrid Vandebosch) as its lead spokes-folks.  The campaign, directed by Kevin Hack of Get-Kinetic and shot on the RED One by DP JR Campbell, was aimed at raising awareness for parents to the dangers of Pertussis (also known as whooping cough).  Both Jeff & Ingrid were enjoyable to work with, making the otherwise hectic production schedule far smoother than it likely should have been.

So again, my hat’s off to a nice guy who actually does get to finish first…apparently 85 times and counting.