CASE STUDY
How Ox Productions Created the Winning Video That Helped Bring the 2026 NFL Draft to Pittsburgh
Client: VisitPITTSBURGH
In early 2024, Visit Pittsburgh needed a high-impact video to help the region win the bid to host the 2026 NFL Draft—one of the most-watched, most-anticipated sporting events in the country.
They turned to Ox Productions. With only five days to conceptualize, shoot, edit, and deliver the final cut, Ox Productions produced a 63-second “hype video” that showcased the city’s culture, history, and energy.
The result? Pittsburgh won. The NFL officially announced the city as the host of the 2026 Draft.
THE CHALLENGE
VisitPITTSBURGH needed a dynamic, authentic, and visually stunning video that could:
• Represent Pittsburgh beyond its steel-town stereotype
• Highlight the city’s culture, art, food, landmarks, and people in a short video
• Stand out on a national stage
• Support Pennsylvania leadership and Steelers President Art Rooney II in their pitch to the NFL
• Be completed under a tight, one-week deadline
OUR SOLUTION
Steelers President Art Rooney II Presenting the video at an NFL meeting
Highlight Pittsburgh through its people
We focused on the heart of the city—its residents. By filming a diverse group of Pittsburghers delivering short, punchy lines directly to camera in iconic locations, we captured the city’s personality and charm in a way that felt authentic, engaging, and instantly relatable.
Curate iconic locations and copy
We identified a selection of Pittsburgh landmarks and neighborhoods that define the city’s character. Custom lines of copy were crafted to reflect each area’s unique vibe, ensuring each shot reinforced the city’s story while keeping the pacing snappy and energetic.
Build a library of cinematic beauty shots
To elevate the production, we drew from our existing collection of Pittsburgh beauty shots, providing a strong visual foundation for the video. This approach allowed us to focus on capturing the key on-camera lines and the specific new shots that would bring the story to life.
Edit along the way
To meet the fast turnaround deadline, we created a full edit using placeholder shots before filming even began. This approach streamlined the process, allowing us to seamlessly drop in footage as it was captured throughout the week and maintain momentum toward the final cut.
THE RESULTS
Pittsburgh Selected to Host the 2026 NFL Draft
The video became a centerpiece in VisitPITTSBURGH’s pitch, contributing to the NFL’s decision to award the event to Pittsburgh. The 2026 NFL Draft will transform Pittsburgh into the largest gathering in city history, drawing 500,000–700,000 visitors over three days. Fans, media, NFL staff, and teams will converge on the city, creating a once-in-a-generation showcase of football, culture, and hometown pride.
‘Gold’ Telly Award
Ox Productions & VisitPITTSBURGH received a Gold Telly Award for this video. A Gold Telly Award is the highest honor given by the Telly Awards—an international competition that recognizes excellence in video and television across all screens. Winning a Gold Telly means a project ranks in the top 3–5% of all entries worldwide, judged by industry professionals.
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
“We used Ox Productions for a large-scale corporate video that involved multiple days of shooting, drone shots, graphics, and a bunch of interviews.
They were incredibly easy to work with and came to the shoot each day inspired and on-task to capture everything on the shotlist beautifully. During the editing process they were extremely receptive to feedback and were able to get us to a final project that everyone loves. This video is now the hallmark of our corporate image.
Hiring Ox for your next video is the easiest business decision you'll make.”
- Jared Bundy
Schell Games
“We had an exceptional experience working with the Ox Productions team creating a mini-documentary about the value of home-based care for seniors and people with disabilities.
From prep through filming and post-production, Ox Productions was collaborative, professional, responsive, and fully committed to bringing our vision to life. They embraced a hands-on partnership with our team — which made the entire process smooth and enjoyable. Ox Productions also put our interviewees at ease — whether in home, outdoor, or business settings — creating an environment that allowed for authentic, heartfelt storytelling.
The final product is visually compelling, emotionally impactful, and something we’re proud to share. I’d work with Ox Productions again in a heartbeat and highly recommend them to anyone seeking a trusted, talented video partner.”
- Ashley Plauche
American Association for Homecare
"Working with Ox Productions was an absolutely exceptional experience for the Midwest Shooting Center team. The Ox team delivered beyond our expectations!
From the start, the team was insanely helpful and collaborative, truly listening to what we were looking for out of the video. What impressed us most was their skill in capturing real-life testimonials from our training clients. This crucial element provided authentic, powerful proof of our program's value, which is exactly what we wanted to achieve.
The entire team was exceptional - professional, creative, and focused on making sure that the final video was perfectly aligned with our vision. If you need a production company that goes the extra mile to understand and accurately portray the uniqueness of your service, we highly recommend Ox Productions. They helped us capture exactly what we wanted, and we can't wait to use them again in the future!"
- Midwest Shooting Center
