To see different stories represented on screen, we must rewrite the script of how they’re found.
For far too many budding storytellers, the chance to make it in hollywood is almost impossible. With bureaucracy, politics, and the need to be in the right place at the right time, it’s barely even possible to know where to start.
But working with Netflix and Adobe to announce their new brand partnership, we helped promote the shared belief that great stories can come from anywhere.
How? With a new take on a short film competition.
Hitting the road to find a new generation of storytellers.
This multi-phased project was a literal adventure; coming to life as a short film competition meets a road trip across America. The prize for winning was getting your original short film idea fully produced by Netflix and Adobe. All that’s needed to enter is to submit a homemade TikTok ‘movie trailer’ of your idea.
It all began with a call-to-action campaign, that featured a poetic broadcast spot. Then a series of hyperlocal ‘story idea’ guerrilla placements in small towns across the country helped creators in far-flung corners of the country feel welcome and inspired. These included hand-painted billboards on baseball fields, napkins on roadside diners, and even ‘missing cat’ posters. After completing production, we luckily found the cat again.
Hollywood is coming
to a town near you.
Once we selected the ultimate three winners, we then documented the behind-the-scenes process of their production journey - from pitch to premiere - and released it as an original Netflix series, called “The Great Untold”. To ensure we paid off the accessibility message of the initiative, the series was also made available online for all to watch for free.
Inspiring a new generation
of storytellers.
From upfront strategy, through to executing the multiple phases of the campaign and even the final series, we worked on everything. Ultimately helping this new brand partnership between Adobe and Netflix establish themselves as champions of grassroots storytelling creativity.
With over half a billion views of #TheGreatUntold on TikTok, and universally positive sentiment in social comments, the initiative clearly resonated with the audience. Also our clients all cried with joy/pride/relief.
The Hollywood press also took notice, as did the various ad industry award shows with recognition from D&AD, Cannes, and Clios.
