Explaining Virginia’s auto franchise system, in one month
Before the 2023 General Assembly session, VADA, which represents more than 400 franchised new car and truck dealerships, needed lawmakers and the public to understand how the franchise system works between manufacturers, dealers and buyers.
An explainer video, from small crew to final edit in one month, plus the educational materials it sat alongside.
VADA’s bill passed unanimously, and it was the first of thousands that session to reach the Governor’s desk.
The need
The Virginia Automobile Dealers Association represents more than 400 franchised new car and truck dealerships across the state. Heading into the legislative session at the start of 2023, it had a bill to pass and a system to explain.
That system is the so-called “franchise system,” the set of relationships between auto manufacturers, the dealers who sell their vehicles and the people who buy them. It shapes how cars are sold in Virginia, but few people outside the industry know how it works. VADA wanted a video that would explain it to lawmakers and to the public.
Our approach
We had one month. In that time we needed to pull together a small production team, coordinate everyone’s schedules, film the piece and take it through post-production.
A short timeline like that leaves no room for a second shoot, so the planning mattered as much as the filming. We kept the crew small, which made scheduling manageable and kept the production moving from the first call to the final edit.
The video was never meant to carry the argument alone. It was one piece of a larger set of educational materials we helped VADA build, all aimed at the same job: helping lawmakers and the public understand how manufacturers, dealers and consumers relate to one another.
The outcome
VADA passed its legislation unanimously.
It was also the first bill out of thousands that session to make it to the Governor’s desk for signing, a milestone the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported at the time.