Gray Media sought to refresh its daily broadcast of the National Anthem with a new rendition that would resonate with audiences across generations. This project was intended to honor the deep-rooted tradition of airing the National Anthem across all of Gray's television stations, which Gray Media revived in 2019. Gray Media wanted to highlight one of its own employees as the primary vocalist in the video and to accompany her with a youth orchestra.

Gray Media enlisted Lucie Content to oversee the storytelling, production coordination, and creative direction of the National Anthem video. The team at Gray presented us with the vision, and Lucie Content generated several concepts and budget options, complete with several AI-generated renderings to help narrow down the vision. Once the direction was finalized, Lucie Content managed every detail of the production—from securing the youth orchestra to finalizing a recording studio. We immediately met at Assembly Studios, Gray’s newly developed state-of-the-art facility, to begin planning how we would bring the inspiration to life. Prior to the production, Lucie Content worked with the conductor to highlight the right instruments at the right moment. Thanks to ample pre-production, the production itself spanned only two days, including one load-in day. We captured all of the footage in under eight hours, which was especially critical since a youth orchestra was involved.

The result was a powerful and emotional rendition of the National Anthem that aired across all Gray Media stations starting October 2024. The project underscored Gray Media’s commitment to local communities and national unity. Lucie Content also helped with the launch and announcement of the project, writing a press release and social media toolkit. We also provided behind-the-scenes video and interviews with Gray Media’s CEO as well as the vocalist. With Lucie Content’s creative expertise and execution, Gray delivered an inspiring and unifying moment for audiences across the country.