Background

Tapping into pop culture x golf with a nod to Caddyshack. The Cinderella story is a classic sports trope: the unexpected underdog rising to the occasion. But in this version, the story isnʼt fictional. Itʼs driven by an actual former St. Jude patient, Dakota who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at age 11. Now 19, he's cancer free and playing Division 1 Golf thanks to St. Jude.

Approach

We wanted to capture a genuine heartwarming moment between Dakota Cunningham and his dad. So, we “soft-scriptedˮ the moment between Dakota and Steve. We provided examples of what they could say, but our director worked with them to find what works best and felt the most authentic. However, we wanted to make sure the ending isnʼt “jokeyˮ or felt too scripted.

And tone? Inspiring. Playful. Celebratory. Using natural sound, instead of music, made this spot stand out.

Location

Spring Creek Ranch
149 Chinquapin Dr, Collierville, TN 38017
Hole 18 & Hole 1

Storyboards



Video Stills

Behind The Scenes

Final Result

Best part of projects like this? Meeting incredible people with stories like Dakota's.