There’s no doubt that this summer, much of the nation’s attention was focused on the Gulf Cost — but not for the reasons we in the tourism industry usually hope for. The BP oil spill dominated daily conversations, which often began with, “So, is the oil capped yet?”

In the midst of the discussion and debate sparked by this national crisis, those who love and cherish Alabama’s Gulf Coast joined together to help remind folks how much there is to experience at Alabama’s beaches.

This message was exemplified through two great, personal friends of the Gulf Coast: Lucy Buffet and Taylor Hicks. Both Lucy and Taylor jumped at the chance to share their personal affiliation and experiences with the state’s beaches through Luckie’s TV ad campaign for the Alabama Tourism Department.

Thanks to her restaurant and cookbooks, Lucy is widely recognized as one of the top experts on Gulf Coast cuisine, and Taylor’s American Idol success owes much to the time he spent playing music while visiting his Grandma down on the Coast.

The Lucy Buffet spot played during the lead up to the oil spill’s landfall on Alabama’s beaches, and Taylor’s spot is on-air right now, showcasing the memories that can be made on Alabama’s beaches.

Visit alababama.travel to learn more about planning a trip to experience Alabama’s sugar white beaches for yourself.

It’s a real pleasure to debut Luckie’s first TV spots for Alfa, an insurance company headquartered in Montgomery, Alabama, and with numerous offices throughout the Southeast.

In this new campaign, Alfa focuses on auto insurance, which is one of the industry’s most high-turnover products due to the increasing push in recent years to “shop around” for the best price.

Despite of the increasing volume of competition, Alfa has maintained a strong reputation as an honest, caring company with agents focused on building personal relationships with their customers.

Alfa’s reputation is well known among its customers, as evidenced by the large number of positive testimonials received year-round. This campaign offered a chance to share similar stories with existing and potential customers alike.

To this end, Luckie developed a clear and cohesive brand identity to represent Alfa and its culture. “Right there with you” is more than a tagline; it’s a simple way to sum up the many ways that Alfa delivers to its customers.

Two spots have begun running in this campaign, “Get Well Soon” and “County Fair.” Both spots exemplify the long-term, personal service that Alfa agents are known for among their customers. Check them out for yourself:

To learn more about how Alfa can be “Right there with you,” please visit AlfaIns.com.

To learn more about Luckie’s video capabilities or request a customized reel, drop an e-mail to Broadcast Director Janis Rogan.

David Stutts | E-mail | Twitter | Blog | SlideShare | LinkedIn

This video will be shown to those recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, along with their loved ones. We believe it’s a frank yet uplifting piece, one that will hopefully make it somewhat easier for patients to make sense of this life-changing diagnosis.

As one of the Luckie staffers who conducted the interviews, I want to take this chance to thank each of the patients who volunteered their time for this project. I could have talked to each of them for hours more, and I think their stories will inspire hundreds of others with Parkinson’s for years to come.

Big thanks as well to Hugh Hunter, WorkPlay and Freeplay Music for their contributions to this nonprofit project.