Stories have the power to bring us all closer together.
2020 was a pretty shitty year for togetherness. But it was a good year for watching TV. So for Netflix’s first ever global brand campaign, we set out to create something that would stir a universal sense of connection, while making people feel good about being a couch potato.
We started with the simple insight that a well-told story puts us in someone else’s shoes; allowing us to shift our perspective and ultimately be more open-minded and empathetic.
Every story is a journey.
And the viewer is the hero.
Our global campaign needed a universal visual idea. So we reimagined the familiar progress bar UI to become a connective thread, weaving through various story worlds. Along it moved the red dot; a metaphor for the audience who, as they journey into the unknown, experience a shift in emotion and perspective.
Success at a global scale.
The work was released simultaneously in 27 markets (which was upped from the original several markets as soon as CEO Ted Sarandos saw the work and gave it a big, expensive CEO thumbs up).
Print and OOH were developed and translated for over 50 original Netflix original titles, and the hero film featured tailored voice-overs from local talents in dozens of languages, making it one of the broadest reaching and most diverse marketing communications in Hollywood history.
I also personally learnt several phrases in Portuguese, which was bué fixe.
My own Netflix journey had begun.
After joining the competitive global Netflix account pitch and leading it to victory, I was tasked with seeing the One Story Away project through to delivery.
The work helped Netflix become the most improved brand of 2020, according to Campaign, and was awarded dozens of times at major industry shows, including a yellow pencil at D&AD and gold at Clios.
I’d then go on to be the global creative lead for all AKQA’s Netflix projects for a couple years, at different points overseeing teams in nine offices across The Americas, Europe and Asia.
