In the TV series, Better Call Saul, the partners at Davis & Main tell lawyer Jimmy McGill (soon to be Saul Goodman, of Breaking Bad fame) about the genesis of their first law firm video. The video was the subject of many conversations among partners at the law firm.
Jimmy’s assistant (Omar): They worked really hard to get that just right.
Jimmy McGill: To get what just right?
Legal assistant (Omar): The swirl. They wanted it kind of nebulous, but not too nebulous. Then there was the issue of the speed, there were a lot of meetings about that.
Jimmy McGill: I bet
To mark the launch of LawGeex’s own explainer video (everything you need to know about LawGeex in 120 seconds), we present the Legal Oscars, across three categories. This is in consultation with Jason Bland, the Co-Founder of Custom Legal Marketing.
1. Best LegalTech video
Adobe Sign In this eSignature ad, a fictional basketball player is about to sign a billion dollar contract with fictional professional basketball team the Cincinnati Sabers. The team’s executives and lawyers meet Miller and company in a conference room as Miller waits for them to provide a seemingly endless array of signatures before it’s his turn to sign. While he’s waiting, he receives, and accepts, an offer from an opposing team. The ad then asks: “How’s your customer experience? We can help.” Advertising industry bible, Ad Week says the ad is “about as entertaining as a spot for an eSignature platform gets”.
Runner-Up: Chicago Kent College Of Law
From Chicago Kent College of Law, legal tech also features prominently in TED-style talks on the future of the profession. Topics include Blockchain Innovation in Law and Corporate Governance (Professor Wulf Kaal). In another talk, Kristen Sonday, Co-founder of Paladin, talks about leveraging technology for pro bono work.
2. Best In-House Legal Video
Don’t Say Velcro
The in-house legal team at Velcro really wants you to stop using their brand name. So much so that they created a music video, showing they are fed up with people misusing the brand’s name (to refer to shoes and wallets that use generic fastening technology). In “Don’t Say Velcro,” the singing legal team pleads with the public to stop using the name of their product and instead call it “hook and loop.” The company then released a sequel YouTube video titled “Thank You For Your Feedback — Don’t Say Velcro.” Speaking to Corporate Counsel, Alexandra DeNeve, Velcro’s senior counsel, trademarks, said in-house counsel at other companies have reached out to Velcro to use its video in presentations and training.
Runner-Up: GE Appliances
If there was an award for “Best use of legal wording in a prime-time slot from in-house lawyers” this ad shown during a recent Emmy’s would win. It includes the disclaimer: “Do not attempt to do this. Unless you’re an idiot.”
Runner-Up: Telstra Legal Department: Change is hard. But Telstra’s in-house legal team had some fun doing a video showing how they saved 40,000 hours a year by avoiding unnecessary meetings. Lines include: “I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t imagine not accepting every meeting invite I was sent.”
Law firm category
Jason Bland, Co-Founder of Custom Legal Marketing, says: “I always like videos that tell a story. Hiring a lawyer is an intimidating experience for some people and the law firms that put their story out there are more likely to make a connection.” He selects:
- The Hale Law Firm Elder Law specialists – this is a tale of a war veteran father struggling to get help with Alzheimer’s treatment (tagline: Compassionate Counsel When You Need It most)
- Steinberg Law Firm: The type of Law I want to practice
Bonus: The Worst of all Time?
In one of the most notorious lawyer advert videos, Slate summed it up: “This Is Either the Best or Worst Lawyer Commercial Ever Made”
The video from a rapper-turned-criminal defense lawyer, Daniel Muessig features a montage of (fictional) local criminals, all of whom thank Dan for representing them. At one point he turns to the camera and says: “Trust me, I may have a law degree, but I think like a criminal.”
Check out the LawGeex explainer video below
