Landscaping Unlimited Just Hit the Olympics, And Some Will Miss What That Really Means
A 30-second spot on WITN wasn’t “an ad,” it was a flag planted, and a line drawn.
There are moments that look small on the surface, but if you’ve built anything in your life, you feel the weight of them immediately.
Landscaping Unlimited’s Olympic ad, which I created/recorded/edited aired during WITN’s Olympic coverage, and most people are going to treat that sentence like it’s a cool flex (Which it is), but it’s also more than marketing…
People will say, “Nice,” or “Big time,” with maybe some, “Congratulations...” and then they’ll scroll.
But if you know what it takes to bring a company out of the way it has always done things, to start doing them differently, and if you know what it takes to earn trust in a small town, like keeping promises when the weather turns, and showing up when you’re tired, then you know this wasn’t just “an ad” by Landscaping Unlimited; It was a statement to who we are, and a testament to what we stand for.
The Commercial Is Part of a Bigger Mission
Small businesses in small towns don’t make major changes often; that’s the beauty and allure of getting away from the city, time slows down, and there’s little change.
Small businesses in small towns don’t often drop Olympic coverage either.
Landscaping Unlimited, with Shay Brickhouse at the helm, has done both.…
That isn’t something that happened because he got lucky; it happened because somebody made a decision, and that was the decision to not hide anymore.
When Shay brought me back into the company, it was with a specific vision, “Zac, I want you to do what you do, within Landscaping Unlimited” and that guidance is what I have followed since, and it has led to an overhauled website, the creation of a Podcast, TikTok, IG, & YouTube channel; a revamped Facebook page, and an explosion within the newly created “Digital Division” of the company, which now has an Olympic Ad in the mix, and today we will add “Super Bowl Commercial” to the list of achievements…
We’re not playing small, we’re not whispering about what we are doing, and we’re not waiting for anyone's permission to try new things.
Shay has planted a flag where everybody can see it, and he is letting our work back it up, and our conversations bring others into the discussion around the Green Industry.
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Shay’s vision is greater than making some sales off the ads run; his goal is great, and that is to bring the Green Industry, consisting of Landscape, Hardscape, Pesticides, Heavy Equipment, Lawn Care, Snow Care, Plants, etc. from being viewed as some sort of “fall back plan”, to the mainstream where it is viewed as a profession, receiving the same respect and allure as all of the other trades out there like electricians, plumbers, mechanics, welders, etc.
And the reason I’m writing all of this is to tell you what I’ve seen from the inside, because what happened here is bigger than Landscaping Unlimited.
It’s about what happens when you stop trying to be “Reasonable” and “Logical” with your vision, and instead, start getting real about it.
The part nobody understands about “the commercial”
Most commercials are loud, polished, and forgettable.
They’re designed to capture your attention for 30 seconds (6 if it’s the Super Bowl) and hope you remember a phone number long enough to act on it.
That’s not what a brand needs anymore.
A brand needs to be felt.
A brand needs to have a spine.
A brand needs to show authentic identity, and not a polished perception.
People don’t buy the best product anymore; they buy the product they trust, and they buy it from the company that feels like they’re relatable and honest. They buy from the team that they believe will still be there next season.
Trust doesn’t come from perfect lighting; it comes from knowing and seeing the “real people”, hearing their story, seeing consistency in their behavior, and witnessing their public commitment to a mission.
That’s why the real win here isn’t “we got on TV”
The win is that Landscaping Unlimited is building a footprint that reaches beyond a job site. We’re building something (publicly) that has enough identity to hold attention during the Olympics, and doing something most local companies never even attempt.
Shay isn’t after “likes” and “influencer status”; he is after that feeling you get only when you know you have given everything you’ve got to a cause. Bringing me in to create a “digital division” to an already established landscaping company was uncomfortable, came without directions (I still don’t have a job title), and had plenty of hiccups along the way…
Still, his focus was to bring the story of our area (ENC) and our profession + team members from the hidden corners of Washington/Bath, NC to everyone’s screens and through their speakers, so what is actually going on in the Green Industry, and who we are as a company could be seen and heard.
If you want to understand the deeper intention behind that move, why the Olympics and Super Bowl were done, what it’s meant to represent, and where this company is going, you’ll hear it straight from us on the podcast landing page here:
THE LANDSCAPING PODCAST, POWERED BY LANDSCAPING UNLIMITED
Because if you only see “commercial,” you’re missing the entire point.
What this moment taught me (and why I’m writing it in The Daily Draft)
I’ve been a photographer long enough to know that the difference between a “nice photo” and a photo that stops someone cold is never the image itself; it’s the story the image tells, without ever including a written word.
I’ve filmed enough video to know the difference between content and communication, and I’ve written enough articles to understand that most businesses are not failing because they’re bad at what they do…
They’re failing because nobody knows who they are, nobody feels their story, so nobody can tell them apart from the next company down the road.
They blend in, play it safe, and market like everybody else.
They tell the world they’re “high quality,” or “locally owned,” and “customer-focused,” and then they wonder why nothing changes…
The market is numb to generic language.
The only thing that cuts through numbness is the truth that’s been sharpened into a story, and that’s what I’m obsessed with. It’s that wiring of my brain that Shay wanted brought to Landscaping Unlimited.
The story that makes people remember.
The story that makes people feel something.
The story turns a local name into something that carries weight.
That’s what I do, whether it’s behind a camera, behind a microphone, or on the page.
If you want to see the kind of work and storytelling I’m building across photography and video, especially the style that’s meant to stop people on social media, you’ll find it here: @Z Photography and Media
Not because I’m trying to sell you anything in this article, that link goes to my IG, it’s free. I’m sharing it because if you’re a business owner reading this, you already know the truth: You can be the best in town and still be invisible.
And if you don’t learn how to tell your story, somebody else, who’s likely less skilled than you, will become the name everybody remembers.
What happens next
Landscaping Unlimited has been building something that’s easy to underestimate if you only look at landscaping as “landscaping.”
Because we aren’t just a landscaping company; we’re a company speaking about standards, maintaining a reputation 30+ years in the making as someone you can trust, and a group of men with the willingness to do the hard work in public.
We’re building a company that can carry a bigger mission without collapsing under it, and the Olympics ad and today’s Super Bowl ad are markers on that road.
If you want the behind-the-scenes thinking on why the podcast exists, what we’re building, and how this moment fits into the bigger picture, start here.
And if you want to see what “story-first” content actually looks like when it’s done with real grit, and not fluff and hollowwords, head to Z Photography and Media.
That’s it; no pitch, and no pressure; just a reminder that Eastern North Carolina isn’t short on talent, it’s short on people willing to plant a flag and tell the truth about what they’re building.
And now, one local company just did it in the middle of the Olympics, and will do it again, during the Super Bowl, one of the most-viewed sporting events in the world.
- Zachary Small