The idea behind Power of Community was to make the value of IBM TechXchange feel tangible by putting the community itself at the center of the story.
Rather than create a traditional corporate film built around brand messaging, we set out to capture real members speaking in their own words about what TechXchange gives them: a place to ask questions, find answers, share expertise, build relationships and contribute knowledge back to others.
Created for TechXchange Community Day, the film needed to work on two levels. It had to feel impactful and polished enough to play live at a major IBM event, while also standing on its own as content that could continue to be shared afterward.
We also wanted contributors from around the world to feel like part of one connected conversation rather than a series of separate testimonials. Visually, that meant creating a custom motion system around IBM’s established Design Language, using animation and iconography to reinforce ideas of connection, exchange and participation.
Ultimately, the goal was to celebrate the people already contributing to TechXchange while encouraging others to participate, share what they know and become more active within the community.
We started by working directly with IBM and their agency partner, Somnio, to shape the story before any footage was recorded. Together, we developed questions designed to bring out real experiences rather than scripted responses, with a narrative built around learning, problem-solving, sharing knowledge and giving back.
As a first-time IBM client, there was also a significant research and brand-learning phase. IBM has an extensive Design Language governing typography, layout, iconography, animation and other visual systems. We spent considerable time studying those guidelines so the creative would feel native to IBM rather than simply placing IBM branding over our own design approach.
One of the largest production challenges was coordinating remote contributors across the world within a compressed timeline. We managed scheduling across multiple time zones, guided the recording process, tracked incoming footage and organized material captured in different locations and environments.
Once everything was received, we built the story in the edit. We reviewed the interviews for moments where one person’s thought could naturally lead into another’s, allowing separate recordings to feel like one continuous conversation. The authenticity of each contributor was preserved, but the finished narrative was carefully constructed to build momentum and reinforce the central idea of community.
That same thinking drove the motion design.
Every major animation in the film was created from scratch. We worked extensively with IBM Design Language iconography, selecting icons based on the specific concepts and meanings they represent within IBM’s visual system, then developing custom animation around them.
Icons, typography, transitions and connecting movements were designed to respond to what each person was saying and visually carry ideas from one contributor to the next. The animation was not added as decoration. It became part of the storytelling, helping visualize collaboration, communication, knowledge-sharing, growth and connection.
The challenge was finding room to be creative inside one of the world’s most established brand systems. Working closely with IBM and Somnio, we created something expressive and energetic enough for a major event while remaining purposeful, precise and unmistakably IBM.
The result brought globally recorded, unscripted voices into one cohesive story, with research, editorial and custom motion design working together to make the “power of community” visible.
The finished film achieved what we set out to do: make the value of IBM Community (leading into their TechXchange event) feel human, immediate and driven by the people who participate in it.
Rather than IBM telling its audience why the community matters, members demonstrated that value themselves through real experiences of asking questions, finding support, sharing expertise and contributing knowledge back to others.
Bringing contributors from around the world into one connected narrative gave the piece an authenticity that a scripted brand film could not replicate. At the same time, the custom motion system and IBM Design Language brought those independent voices together visually, giving the film the scale and polish needed for live playback at TechXchange Community Day.
The project was also a success from an execution standpoint. A large number of remotely recorded contributors, multiple time zones, a short production window and detailed enterprise brand requirements all had to come together without that complexity becoming visible in the final piece.
The result feels cohesive, intentional and distinctly IBM while remaining genuinely led by the voices of its community. It created a strong opening moment for the event and a lasting piece of content that could continue celebrating participation and encouraging others to contribute after Community Day ended.
