Inspired by major brands releasing ads comprised of employee-captured and supplied footage, we decided to create our own team-generated brand video. While we are no strangers to creating our own video content--we are a video production company, after all--this was the first time we would be creating a video separated from one another.
Like many companies during this time, we turned to video, our medium of choice, to deliver our messages. After putting out content addressing the COVID-19 situation and offering support to our network of clients and collaborators, we turned our attention to a different type of message: creativity isn’t canceled. As creators, it was certainly a shock to our systems to be physically cut off from our team, our production space, and for the most part, our tools. But we adjusted; we designed new spaces to create within our homes, we relied on virtual communication to keep connected, and we adapted our workflow. Creativity was not canceled; we knew that, and we aspired to inspire our community with that message.
Craig Bass, co-owner and Creative Director provided his insights: “The impetus for this video was authenticity. So much of marketing involves heavily idealized settings, demographic-driven narratives, and high production values--in fact, this is something that we specialize in. And there isn't anything inherently wrong with this; but it is simply one of many approaches. This pandemic has forced us to embrace other approaches, one of which is user-generated content. The beautiful thing about this type of content is that it breathes authenticity. We talk a lot about authenticity in a normal business climate, but I believe that it has taken a pandemic to make us truly invest in this value. We're all stuck at home, and, apart from glitchy virtual backgrounds, it’s much more difficult to dress-up our messages. Embrace that. Dress-down. Show the world who you really are and what you are really about. Nothing breeds a sense of connection and goodwill quite like honesty and vulnerability--it's a very simple equation.”
And with that in mind, we stripped down the lights and fancy cameras, no actors in professionally-designed sets. Instead, we revealed ourselves, in our environments, and our personal activities, all captured on cell phones. It's honest, DIY, and handmade. (Literally, it is handmade. All of the titles were drawn by hand and animated in an old school sequential fashion, rather than via the sophisticated motion graphics software that we typically utilize. Take a look at the creation of one of the lines from the video here.)
Is this how we would typically approach producing video content for ourselves? Honestly, no. Taking a user-generated approach was born partly out of necessity. But as more and more companies are relying on user-generated outreach material, we acknowledge that these are the sorts of materials that are connecting with audiences. Why? Because they are relatable. Vulnerability can be a very scary thing, and we've consequently avoided it. We cannot avoid vulnerability right now. We are seeing that this vulnerability has potent connective properties, and user-generated materials harness these.
The message “Creativity Isn’t Canceled” became an anthem amongst our team, and we hope it inspires your own creativity, in whatever form that may take.