PA, one of the world’s leading consulting firms, turned to SomeOne to create a new strategically led campaign to attract new clients, explain the organisation’s ethos and inspire staff.
Founded in 1943, they excel in a wide range of industries. Combining innovative thinking and breakthrough technologies their ingenuity is helping to solve some of the world’s most challenging problems.
We worked with PA to launch an entirely new brand campaign, focussing on the firms ability to bring a higher level of ingenuity to the seemingly impossible.
This brief had a number of key touchpoints to deliver upon — a key one being to reflect PA’s purpose of ‘Bringing ingenuity to life’. Solidifying their position as a challenger brand to clients as well as inspiring internal teams.
INGENUITY AT THE HEART OF THE BUSINESS
SomeOne created an overarching concept that focuses on the individuals who actually bring ingenuity to life at PA. Pairing real-life roles with artisanal crafts, we developed and deployed an international campaign which highlights the people that are working on the art of the possible.
Our research uncovered a sector awash with standardised messaging and generic visuals. This highlighted the need for a fresh campaign that wouldn’t fall into category cues.
Category norms demand consultancy firms create communications that are little more than case studies on a poster. PA has far more to offer than dull statistics and talk of delivering on KPI’s.
Unlike so many consultancy groups, PA proudly hires and employs a wider portfolio of talent. Gone are the traditional drab swathes of box tickers and number-crunchers, and in their place are designers, scientists and engineers. A more interesting, interested and ingenious mix of experts working intelligently towards success for a radically diverse series of clients worldwide.
Working at speed, scale and significance means many firms forget that they are hired for their mindsets, not their tech-stacks. So bringing charm to a widely charmless category was not limited to the visual outcomes but also to our written approach. Well known sayings centered around peoples names added a touch of internationally understood humor that lifted communications away from the norm.
A MORE INGENIOUS STRATEGY
While it is understandable that firms wish to showcase past successes in advertising — it’s a potentially deeply flawed approach in this sector. Historic consultative triumphs rarely connect to audiences looking for solutions in their own specialist fields.
A toothpaste company is not interested in what might have previously worked for a car firm. When companies go looking for help at this level, they are attracted to working with a wider compelling mix of experts — those people able to bring less literal and more lateral thinking to problems that have left their organisations confounded.
AN INGENIOUS APPROACH TO MOTION
Rather than shoot traditional live action scenes we took a more ingenious route. After a meticulous set build, we shot stills with the intention of bringing them to life via animation.
The resulting images work brilliantly in both static printed media and enlivened on digital screens. Final images are presented in a way that emphasizes thoughtful processes, innovative mindsets and attention to detail. The tiny glow seen in the crystals, the swing of the keys in the backdrop all contribute to a richer, more considered outcome.
Each scene promotes a product or feature of PA’s unique approach, stylised colour-blocked symmetrical compositions help highlight unique selling points.
The campaign will run globally, with focus in Europe and the US.
PA people combine insight and imagination with the ability to build and implement; pushing beyond traditional boundaries and opening new frontiers for how people thrive, and organisations grow. SomeOne have delivered a campaign that perfectly reflects both the ingenuity of our teams and the breakthrough solutions they deliver for our clients.
The level of detail & attention carried throughout the campaign resulted in something truly unique in the sector. Representing the array of PA’s experts in such an eye catching, memorable way has not only captured the attention of clients but shone a new light on the entire organisation.
Thanks to Jo, John, Andy, Andrew and the entire PA team for their support and collaboration.
SomeOne Team
Simon Manchipp, Founder
Rich Rhodes, Executive Creative Director
Fi Casey, Design Director
Ben Field, Account Director
Simon Sorted, Photographer