How Palabra Media used interviews, storytelling and bilingual video to introduce a candidate to the community
Every campaign has a story. The challenge is making sure voters actually hear it. This year, Palabra Media had the opportunity to do exactly that for Seb Matta, who ran for Maricopa County Clerk of the Superior Court. Here is a look at the work we produced and what we learned along the way.
On Tuesday, November 3, 19-year-old Seb Matta won the race for Maricopa County Clerk of the Superior Court. Within days, his story was on late-night television and in national newspapers.
Seb defeated Republican former state senator Jeff Dial, winning more than 740,000 votes, according to The New York Times, in the nation’s fourth-largest county. He will now lead a court clerk’s office with about 600 employees, according to Newsweek.
Two days after the election, Seb appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! where Kimmel introduced him as “Boss Baby came to life.” On air he addressed the questions about his age head-on and said he plans to continue his college studies while serving his four-year term.
Where the story landed:
This national moment grew out of the local and bilingual coverage Palabra Media helped Seb earn all season, from Fox 10 and 12NEWS to KJZZ NPR, Univision Arizona, AZ Family, Conecta Arizona and La Onda radio among others. When Phoenix’s local ABC affiliate ran the story, the national outlets took notice, and the Jimmy Kimmel show picked it up. A few hours later Seb was live on Kimmel. But by then Arizona voters had already met Seb, in English and in Spanish.
The lessons from our work on Congressional Candidate Elizabeth Lee’s video and PR campaign carried directly into our work for Seb. We provided similar campaign video production services: interviewing, writing, visual storytelling, production and editing, all built around one goal, helping voters get to know the candidate.
A campaign video is not just a polished clip. It is a chance for a voter to see who a candidate is, hear how they speak and decide whether they trust them, often in a minute or two. Every step of our process, from the first interview to the final edit, is designed to make that moment count.
Seb grew up going to the Clerk’s office with his dad on take-your-son-to-work days, and the work of the superior court captured his attention right away. That curiosity grew into a passion for civic engagement and a standout run on his high school Speech and Debate team.
His campaign was built on youthful leadership and community service. Seb believes we live in an era of young trailblazers in politics and media, and that it is time to bring that energy and fresh thinking to the Clerk’s office while respecting the seriousness and sanctity of the institution.
That balance, fresh energy with deep respect for the court, became the thread running through every video we made.
The Clerk’s office is not always top of mind for voters, which made explaining it part of the job. To learn more about Seb, what the Clerk of the Superior Court does and his priorities, visit his campaign website, sebforclerk.com. Our role was producing campaign videos that help voters get to know the candidate.
For a campaign like this, we followed the same steps that guide all of our video work:
Most importantly, we produced campaign videos both English and Spanish:
Producing both an English and a Spanish video was deliberate. Communities across Maricopa County speak many languages, and a candidate who wants to serve everyone should be able to introduce himself to everyone.
Alongside the videos, Palabra Media worked closely with Seb to get his story in front of voters in the languages they speak. We helped him earn coverage on both English- and Spanish-language outlets, and his message reached Fox 10, 12NEWS, 3TV Arizona’s Family, Univision Arizona, La Onda, KJZZ NPR, Conecta Arizona and the Arizona Capitol Times.
Different outlets, different audiences, and the same clear vision: courts that are modern, accessible and open to every community in Maricopa County.
We also put together a recap of some of our favorite moments from these conversations. Watch the coverage on Instagram:
Election season is a long road, and we were proud to be part of Seb’s. Congratulations to Seb on his win, and thank you to him and his team for trusting Palabra Media with their story.
Whether you are running for office, leading a business or building an organization, people want to know who is behind the name. If you want a video that helps your audience get to know you, the Palabra Media team would love to talk. Visit palabramedia.com to learn more about our services.
Tags: #PalabraMedia #CampaignHelping Voters Get to Know Seb Matta: Our Campaign Video Work for the Maricopa County Clerk of the Superior Court RaceVideo #VideoProduction #HispanicMarketing #Arizona
