Alt_Mix Remixes YouTube’s ‘Keyboard Cat’ for NFL Sunday Ticket Super Bowl Spot

To let football fans know that 'NFL Sunday Ticket' is moving to YouTube and YouTube TV, the online and streaming video platforms chose the perfect time to run a humorous comedy promo spot: right before the kick off of Super Bowl 57. In 'Football Cat,' a thirty-second ad created by YouTube Creative Studio, the drumbeat of the familiar theme from NFL’s Thursday night coverage comes on as viewers are treated to a throwback to one of YouTube’s earliest viral hits, 'Keyboard Cat.'

First posted to the site in 2007 although initially created back in 1984, 'Keyboard Cat' has been viewed over 70 million times and unleashed an entire generation of cat videos and memes across the internet since it was first posted.

The music track used for 'Football Cat' was extensively remixed at Alt_Mix, the start up audio post and sound design studio launched last year by veteran senior mixer and creative director Cory Melious. He also recorded a short voiceover that was integrated into a cheering crowd effect that factors into the spot’s crescendo and created additional sound design elements for the spot. Alt_Mix delivered a full 5.1 final mix for broadcast and streaming.

Explaining the creative approach, YouTube Creative Studio’s creative director Justin Pedone says, "'Keyboard Cat’ was one of the first viral videos on YouTube. Over the years, it’s become synonymous with the early days of the platform and a shorthand for the cultural impact of user-generated videos. As YouTube adds ‘NFL Sunday Ticket’ to its offering, ‘Keyboard Cat’ was a great way to introduce this new era to the world and show just how far watching videos on the Internet has come. “

“We did a lot of versions experimenting with different intros, and a lot of variations of the explosion to get that to feel just right,” Cory explains about the mixing process. “We intentionally built the explosion sound to be a bit over-the-top, but without it feeling too much like a polished blockbuster film. 

“Music and sound design are central to this piece of work,” Pedone continues. “The track needed to create excitement while juxtaposing the silliness of ‘Keyboard Cat.’ Cory’s attention to detail and creative sensibility helped fine tune this balance in a way that only he could. As always, he delivered in spades, helping to give ‘Keyboard Cat’ another viral moment almost 15 years later.” 

The mix was demanding, Cory adds, even though the music track has been used frequently for NFL programming. “We only had access to the full mix of the song, so we had to get creative when adjusting the chime sound embedded in it,” he explains. “We didn’t want the chimes featured too much at the top, but we also didn’t want to lose the movement they represented to the melody. So we had to do a combination of hyper specific gain reduction to literally each note, adding a layer of strings from a different part of the song to give us melodic movement. We think the results worked perfectly with the tone of the piece and the tongue-in-cheek visuals.”

“Alt_Mix was a no-brainer for this assignment,” adds creative/art director Dustin Blouse. “They’re extremely talented and collaborative at every turn. As a proven partner, we knew Alt_Mix would do everything possible to make the work the best it can be.”

For Cory, YouTube’s 'Football Cat' is just the latest in a long series of Super Bowl spots he’s mixed. “I approached all of these spots just like any other project, even though the stage is much larger,” he notes. “I try to use the sonic elements to aid in telling the story. I want to feature the pieces that matter at any given moment, to convey the right feeling and engage the audience’s emotions where and when it's intended.”