The brief was clear: we needed to engage employees at a deeper level. We needed to create an emotional connection in an authentic way. There was a desire to instil a renewed sense of pride to be a part of the firm. We had to find a way to span different generations, levels, languages and vastly different types of work that are all a part of the firm, and make them feel connected by the unique talent experience. We didn’t want the piece to feel over-produced; rather we were after a genuine style and tone.
I discovered the “where I’m from” poem by George Ella Lyon which inspired the script for this piece. I directed a writer to interview the talent being featured, pull out elements of their work and life stories to incorporate and write into the poetic style. My internal video team shot the talent and really elevated the piece with an eye to capturing details and the human side of our subjects.
The final piece was met with a standing ovation on its initial release to our firm’s leadership at a conference. The emotional connection we wanted came through in a genuine and authentic way that our audience responded to.