"I have a cottage industry in lightsabers"
This week's most interesting videos, made by and for organisations.
Last week I featured this New York Times video, which purported to bust the taboo of talking about periods. Writer, illustrator and podcast host Justyna Green got in touch, to point out that the NYT wasn't being as daring as I was suggesting.
“Women can talk about their periods all the time (from my experience) and are very open about stuff,” she said. “It's the mainstream that doesn't, which turns them into a taboo. They're kind of trying to own something that's already happening.”
It's so nice to hear back from people who read this newsletter, especially when they're challenging my thinking. But hey, unfettered praise is absolutely fine too...
Onto this week's smorgasbord!
The WSJ takes us on a mindboggling tour of Disney’s “Area 51” (9 mins)
Back in January, Disney released an eye-popping video of its imagineer Lanny Smoot demo'ing the holotile floor, a sort of omni-directional treadmill which allows people to walk around in virtual reality.
Here, The Wall Street Journal follows up with a more holistic short doc about Lanny, his incredible inventions, and how joy and delight are fundamental parts of every Disney experience.
It's a good reminder that smart, editorial storytelling can build on and contextualise something many people may have already seen. (Watch on YouTube)
Slick new Wimbledon trailer takes us right into the action (1 min)
The Wimbledon tennis tournament has a pretty buttoned-up brand, from its manicured lawns to its all-white dress code.
This stylish trailer breathes new life into that brand, with its immersive visuals and the way it layers past and present together, built around the smart tag line, "Always like never before."(Watch on YouTube)
A tribute to one woman’s resilience for Channel 4’s shorts strand (11 mins)
Regular readers will know I'm a sucker for a poetic script, and Ashica Stephen's story about her mother's journey from India, to London, to freedom, is best-in-class. This film, part of Channel 4's Random Acts series, combines Ashica's gorgeous words with real VHS footage of her mum and their family.
It covers an awful lot of ground, and builds to a beautiful conclusion, about identity, hope, and our ability to define, or redefine, our destiny. (Watch on Vimeo)
It's Nice That takes us on a creative tour of Santiago (1m 30s)
The world is not short of creative city guides, but it's worth calling out when this familiar format is done really well. These videos tend to focus on the same few cities, so it was nice to be taken somewhere new in Santiago.
And guide Camilo Huinca shares insight into the Chilean capital as well as some nice things to look at (although I slightly wish the last stop had been more unexpected than a hipster coffee shop). (Watch on Instagram)
Nedbank pays tribute to the sacrifice of school protesters in moving campaign (2 m 40s)
On 16 June 1976, thousands of South African schoolchildren took to the streets for a peaceful march against the racist education policies imposed by the Apartheid government. Police opened fire, and many of the protesters were killed.
South Africa's Nedbank created this Class of '76 campaign, to remember the victims and honour their sacrifice. This film is done with obvious care and sensitivity and it's shows how brands can do genuine good, without shoehorning themselves into the story. (Watch on YouTube)
Nat Geo goes into the science behind the new emotions of Inside Out 2 (4m 30s)
When a cultural phenomenon comes along, organisations must choose whether to ride that particular bandwagon. A good way to decide is whether you can add any value in a way that makes sense for your brand. This is what that looks like.
To mark the release of Inside Out 2, Nat Geo had actor Tony Hale (who voices Fear) talk with psychologist Dr Lisa Damour about the four new emotions the second film introduces – anxiety, embarrassment, ennui and envy. It's a neat set-up with genuine insights, like why our cheeks flush when we’re embarrassed. (Watch on YouTube)
adidas’ pitch perfect Hey Jude spot hails a new sporting hero (2 mins)
Jude Bellingham is one of the biggest stars at this summer's European Championships, and so the pressure was on for adidas to find the right way to celebrate its new superstar.
They really delivered here, taking the Beatles song with which Bellingham is serenaded, and building it into a narrative of hope, rising Phoenix-like from the crushing disappointments of England failures past. (Watch on YouTube)
Small restaurant packs a big punch with fun footy video (10s)
We'e talked before about TikTok's ability to level the playing field and give very small businesses an opportunity to create something that pops off.
Babul's restaurant in the small northern town of Darlington has more than 850,000 views so far on this super fun, super simple video, playing with the phrase which becomes ubiquitous in England around every major football tournament. (Watch on TikTok)
Nothing brings its own expertise to the fore in Apple AI discussion (7 mins)
There is a discussion at the moment on whether brands should build content around interviews with guests, or harness the expertise they have in-house. This is a perfect example of the latter, from tech brand Nothing.
It's three employees discussing the recent Apple AI announcements, filmed in a lo-fi way and full of smart opinions, insights and follow-up questions. With 100k views in three days, this is a reminder that the game really boils down to what value you can add. (Watch on YouTube)
Do you want a fresh pair of eyes on a new idea you’re working on? Or looking for someone to help your team up their ideas game? What a coincidence – I do that! Feast your eyes on words about me here: LINK TO SUPERCOOL WEBSITE.
“Every organisation thinks they're a snowflake, but all snowflakes are made out of snow.”
Cory Munchbach