As REVOLT's internal creative agency #000000 (Pronounced 'Black'), our primary goal was to shape perception and increase awareness of Ally's continuous support for their HBCU focused initiatives. In a thoughtful collaboration with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Ally leaders helped launch ‘Moguls in the Making’—an entrepreneurial pitch competition designed to empower HBCU students.
Over the last five years, Ally has fostered a dynamic partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund to organize a comprehensive entrepreneurial competition across multiple HBCUs. From the 2nd to 4th years, REVOLT has been the exclusive production partner, capturing every moment of the three-day event, along with ancillary activities. This coverage culminated in a multi-episode series that spotlighted the competition's intensity, the participating schools and students, and the involvement of Ally's executives, showcasing the transformative impact of this initiative.
Marking the 5th anniversary of the competition, Ally entrusted us with producing a documentary-style piece. This special project aimed to chronicle the journey, achievements, and profound influence of ‘Moguls in the Making’ over the past five years, as seen through the experiences of former students, winners, and the executives from Ally and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. This documentary was envisioned to celebrate not just the milestones reached but also highlights Ally’s role in nurturing the next generation of Black entrepreneurs and leaders, reinforcing their ongoing support for the Black community and its commitment to fostering educational and entrepreneurial excellence.
This documentary was conceptualized and executed with a focus on authenticity, innovation, and inclusivity. Our approach was to deeply explore and amplify the stories of HBCU students who benefitted from Ally Financial's support, using a blend of narrative-driven storytelling and strategic brand integration. Through on-location we captured genuine, impactful student experiences that showcased their challenges, achievements, and the pivotal role Ally played in their educational journey.
Facing the challenge of engaging audiences with stories of unfamiliar individuals, we prioritized empathy and relatability when constructing our narrative. To avoid the pitfalls of overt branding, Ally's involvement was woven subtly into the narrative, ensuring the focus remained on student stories and their broader implications. Crafting an emotionally resonant storyline that would draw viewers in and inspire action required creative storytelling techniques and a nuanced understanding of our audience's cultural and social context.
This documentary distinguishes itself by authentically portraying the transformative impact of education and financial support, highlighting the aspirational journey of HBCU students and Ally's commitment to fostering their success. It's a narrative of empowerment, resilience, and the collective effort to uplift and provide opportunities within the Black community, demonstrating our agency's dedication to impactful storytelling and creative excellence.
While historical ‘Moguls in the Making’ campaigns consistently aim to empower young, Black entrepreneurs, this year’s documentary style approach stirred greater curiosity as it featured insightful takeaways from previous pitch winners, proving Ally’s commitment to the long - term career success of its participants. Throughout the campaign we measured success via impressions to gauge brand reach among our audience. The content from our MITM campaign exceeded our expectations, garnering over 8.8 million impressions—double our social media target and 54% above our digital impressions goal. This success highlighted the annual competition's impact and support for Black HBCU students, resonating deeply with audiences.
Additionally, our internal #000000 Research & Insights team conducted a “Brand Uplift” study and found that after watching the documentary, viewers felt that Ally:
Viewers also rated Ally's sponsorship of Moguls in the Making positively and felt that ‘Moguls in the Making’ fits well with the Ally Brand, and that Ally's sponsorship of the Moguls in the Making program comes across as authentic.
As a result of our content launch, brand interest surged by 19%, accompanied by a significant increase in search demand during the premiere weekend, showcasing the remarkable impact we achieved.
