Wauconda's new promotional video a hit on social media
A new video highlighting Wauconda's recreational amenities, restaurants and schools is proving to be a hit on social media - although some people say it doesn't accurately reflect the town's diversity.
Called "My Home Town Wauconda," the nearly seven-minute video was produced by resident Michael Brown's Overflow Entertainment company. It was commissioned earlier this year by the village board as a marketing tool and cost the town $2,500.
The video was added to YouTube last week and has appeared on more than 500 social media pages since then.
So far, the video has been seen more than 860 times on YouTube and more than 25,000 times on Facebook.
The village's website eventually will include a link to the video. It will be sent to local real estate agents and shown at trade shows, too.
Brown is thrilled.
"Producing this piece made me fall in love with this town all over again," Brown said. "Yes we are a recreation town, yes we are a business town. But the biggest part of this is we are a real, functioning, active community."
The project was designed to boost the local economy and encourage people to move to Wauconda, Village Administrator Doug Maxeiner said.
"We feel that Wauconda is one of the best kept secrets in Lake County," he said. "We would like to work to get the word out that we have a tremendous amount to offer potential residents."
Much of the video features residents talking about the community. Shots of Bangs Lake, Wauconda High School, the Wauconda Area Library and other landmarks are included.
Wauconda Park District Director Nancy Burton and Wauconda Unit School District 118 Superintendent Dan Coles also are featured, as are businesses including Bulldogs Grill and the Honey Hill coffee shop.
Brown shot most of the video himself, but he said it also includes footage from other people, such as some aerial shots of last winter's ice fishing derby.
Most of the people talking about the video on Facebook enjoyed it.
"I thought it captured the spirit of our community," Marjorie Mortier said. "I can't wait to show to my friends and family back home where I grew up."
"What a great advertisement for our town," Marie Webb said on Facebook.
Some viewers, however, complained that the video doesn't accurately depict Wauconda's cultural diversity.
"I just wish some form of diversity was shown here, too, because that should also be a reason why Wauconda's great," Ahissa Bustos said on Facebook.
Maxeiner recognized that shortcoming, too.
"Wauconda strives to be an inclusive community, and the video could do a better job of showing our diversity," he said.
In response, Brown pointed out that one of the people interviewed in the video is black. He also said language difficulties prevented him from getting the legal waivers needed to include some people in the video.