B Simm - Video Production, Apparel & Marketing

A triple-threat singer/songwriter, actor, and entrepreneur, Brandon Simmons received widespread recognition with the release of the original track in 2012. The beat was produced by Samuel "Beast” Elliott, which quickly became the University of Louisville’s student anthem and an essential track at game-day tailgate playlist. Elliot describes the song production as a process he “will never forget.” What began as a 3am call from B Simm became the new rallying cry. Recalling the first time he heard Simm’s demo, Elliot says, “at that moment the song was born. UofL got their anthem.”

B Simm worked with Hatfield Media for website development, licensing, printing, eCommerce, video production and promotion. When developing his website, Hatfield Media’s goal was to put his personality and music at center stage. This was accomplished by utilizing photography as a simple yet powerful story-telling medium with an edgy aesthetic to compliment B Simm’s brand. Developing a site with responsive and user-friendly features was also a priority, particularly to support the ecommerce element with the online store, which carries B Simm’s full line of CLC and NCAA Official Licensed Apparel through the University of Louisville.

Prior to working with Hatfield Media, B Simm had an established and successful history with selling his “You Don’t Want These Cards” apparel; however, the recent partnership has created new opportunities for the line to improve. In addition to Hatfield Media’s role in website design and development and licensing, the graphic design team led the way with fresh apparel designs. Morgan Fletcher was instrumental to the apparel design process, bringing the sentiment of the song and legacy it represents to life. “We took a deep dive into current design trends, tapping into the sports and music scene. I wanted to create a shirt that both men and women could wear. We also needed it to be relevant to current trends while remaining timeless like the song. The song is a classic pump-up song, and the bold shirt design gives you the same vibe,” Fletcher.

B Simm and Hatfield Media partnered with locally owned and operated printing companies, MPC Promotions and MPI Printing. It was these design updates that ultimately inspired B Simm to go forward with producing a new and improved music video. When asked why Simm wanted to make a new video for the song, he said, “Now that we’ve got the new design with the Cardinal bird, I think it’s only right to have an official video that matches.”

The “You Don’t Want These Cards” is more than a song; it’s a rallying cry. Isaac Harrison of the Hatfield Media video team described the production process as “a welcome challenge.” “The song is a way for fans to come together, and we tried to bring that feeling to the video,” Harrison recalls. The video team indeed captured that sentiment by employing powerful imagery along with gathered fans and UL greats. Many local Cards celebrities are featured in the new music video, such as: Patrick Henry Hughes, Mario Urrutia, James “Elmo” Elmore, Tony Williams, Lorenzo Mauldin, and Brandon “B More” Herring. “The best part about it,” Simm said, “is getting Denny Crum in it, since he’s a legend.” It is all of these aspects working together that herald the legacy of UL athletics, celebrating that “when it comes down to it, we are all part of the Cards family,” Harrison.