Mic‑Drop: Praytell and Can‑Am Put On a Pitch‑Perfect Panel With Music Icons

The challenge

Two music legends, Joan Jett and SAINt JHN, lined up to go live. Four teams of stakeholders to coordinate—and a last-minute host cancellation.

The solution

Production pros who leapt into action and a seamless backstage experience for stars, presenters, and event producers.

The impact

A broadcast-quality event that garnered media buzz and earned ovations from fans and presenters alike.

Ready to rock ‘n roll

On April 20, 2021, the team at Praytell—a category-shifting creative communications agency—was getting pumped. Their client, Can-Am, had just launched a bold new campaign—The Outliers—featuring Joan Jett and SAINt JHN tearing through LA on Can’Am’s three-wheeled motorcycles. Now Praytell and Can-Am were two days away hitting the digital stage with the campaign’s tentpole event: a live panel session featuring the two music icons.

And then, fate stomped on the brakes: the event’s host had to cancel at the eleventh hour. It was scramble time: a legendary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and a modern-day hip-hop visionary writer and producer were waiting!

The power of partnership feat. Brandlive

Luckily, Praytell is one of Brandlive’s authorized resellers—so they had a powerful platform and rockstar support at their fingertips. They let Can-Am know with total confidence that the event would go off without a hitch. Praytell set out to find a new host and, with the Brandlive team on board, set the stage for a seamless show.

Challenges solved

1. No rehearsal? No problem.Replacing the event’s host last-minute meant no time for rehearsals, so everything about the production needed to ride as smoothly as a Can-Am bike. Marisa Bettencourt, Praytell’s Account Strategy Director, explained the situation her team faced: “Can-Am needed to produce a virtual event quickly and with limited budget. However, we needed to create a virtual experience that was much more than a Zoom event.” By leveraging Greenroom for the production and Events to deliver the viewer experience, “the platform did just that, ultimately producing a broadcast-level panel that was exciting to watch and interactive for viewers,” Bettencourt said.
2. Orchestrating a big band of stakeholders.Things were pretty crowded backstage at the Outliers Panel—lots of stakeholders meant lots to coordinate. “Greenroom was great, because when working with talent, we had quite a few people behind the scenes that wanted to keep a close eye on the inner workings of the event,” said Bettencourt. “This allowed us to streamline our internal communications with them and reassure our client and the celebrity guests that the producers were keeping everything moving along smoothly.”And of course, a dedicated Brandlive Customer Success Manager—Malin Frazel—was there every step of the way. “Malin made herself available on G-chat for every silly or frantic question I had,” Bettencourt reflected, “and I am so appreciative!”

Big wins

1. Star-quality production.Despite the host-replacement hiccup, the Praytell team was fully prepared to put on a stellar show—and give Can-Am total confidence in their event. “The platform training was essential and the team walked me through all of my questions in detail, so that I could effectively communicate the platform to my client and explain how it all works,” said Bettencourt. “The team also extended a training for my client and the panelists, which was helpful.”Come showtime, every stakeholder had the support they needed for a flawless performance. “Having a Brandlive producer during the event was also so crucial. They were so professional and on queue every step of the way,” Bettencourt noted. Even with limited rehearsal time, Greenroom’s powerful production tools made it easy for the event’s presenter and host to welcome Joan Jett and SAINt JHN to the virtual stage.
2. Amplified brand profile.Can-Am’s Outliers campaign was already generating buzz—both among motorcycle enthusiasts and music fans. The live virtual event was crucial in amplifying that attention.“Our main goal was to create an event that was appealing and accessible to media,” said Bettencourt. “We knew that the panelists created a draw on their own given their star power, but we needed an elevated virtual experience that was given the same care and attention as an in-person event to break through with reporters.” The high production values of the Brandlive platform delivered. “We did just that, securing over a dozen media attendees for this intimate virtual panel.”
3. Ovations all around.At the end of the day, fans had a blast getting up close and personal with celebrity panelists, and Praytell delivered a standout event for their client. “Can-Am is already talking about working with Brandlive for future events!” Bettencourt said. “The client and talent teams were so thrilled with how everything went—and we couldn’t have done it without the skill and patience of the Brandlive team.”