An Idea for LA rev

Battery’s Pro Bono Initiative in Small Businesses

An Idea for LA

In March of 2020 we saw the onset of the pandemic bring our friends, family, and communities’ local businesses to a grinding halt. As many applied for government support, they were unable to spend any of this money on marketing efforts for their business. We wanted to help. We wanted to support the local businesses that make LA, well…LA. Out of this we developed An Idea For LA, a pro bono program that provides a marketing makeover for L.A. businesses struggling to stay open during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We worked with the LA Chamber of Commerce to get the word out, and asked for businesses interested in help to submit a short write-up on who they are, and what they do. From there we selected two companies to work with, and we couldn’t be happier to call them our friends and partners.

At ROTV, the Chakura family sells handmade African clothing, art, and cultural accessories. More than just a store, ROTV offers classes in African drumming and language courses on the Nigerian Igbo and Yoruba dialects. On the last Saturday of every month, ROTV distributes locally grown fruit to the local community. The center also periodically presents Tribal Nights, events in which L.A. artists, creatives, and vendors share their talents and art with the community to build a larger following and gain more exposure.

The upbeat centerpiece film “Welcome to the Village” illustrates the need to support and foster these grassroots, community-based endeavors that go beyond simply selling a product or a service. As Onochie Chakura explains,“Rhythms of the Village is a cultural center where our doors are always open to the community. Remember, it takes a village. So all are welcomed to be the light.”

In addition to the films, the Battery campaign also includes radio spots all donated through iHeartRadio, 9 digital OOH billboards spread across L.A., and a Los Angeles Magazine print ad. For Onochie’s son Emeka, the generously donated media served as the cherry on top of what he called an incredible experience. “The team from Battery lifted our spirits and brought a lot of light to our business. We felt like a family by the time it was complete. They contributed to a resurgence here at Rhythm, with their presence alone, and within our community. People are already talking to me about the radio commercials that they have heard playing!”

The Seoul Sausage campaign was the first of these pro-bono campaigns to launch. Seoul Sausage is a Little Tokyo-based restaurant and food truck serving up gourmet Korean BBQ sausages all over the Los Angeles area. They also ship some of their most popular menu items nationwide via Goldbelly.com.

What better way to market a sausage company than partnering with Stoopid Buddy Stoodios (creators of Robot Chicken) to create a Korean Sausage animated puppet we featured in a digital/social video series. With Donald Faison as our voiceover, we created funny, and memorable videos focused on creating awareness and driving sales for our friends at Seoul Sausage.