In an age where brand storytelling transcends mere advertising, Microsoft Unlocked has embarked on a mission to redefine the narrative of human-centric innovation. Our collaboration with Mentra, a trailblazing neurodiversity employment network, is deeply rooted in this ethos. Inspired by her brother's journey to communicate, Jhillika Kumar founded Mentra along with co-founder Connor Reinhardt, showcasing their deep commitment to inclusivity and empowerment in the professional world. This story fosters Microsoft's brand loyalty and amplifies Mentra's transformative work in neurodiverse employment.
Mentra stands at the forefront of an initiative to leverage the untapped potential of over 1 billion neurodivergent individuals globally. Through this journey of creating Mentra, both Connor and Jhillia would eventually discover their own diagnosis. This story underscores how imperative neurodiversity and inclusion are within the workplace, illustrating how Mentra serves as a catalyst for unlocking hidden talents and cultivating a brighter future for neurodiverse individuals.
With the help of Microsoft AI technology, Mentra helps match the right candidate with the right job opportunity. Mentra serves as a bridge, connecting over 44,000 neurodiverse job-seekers with fulfilling careers, broadening the spectrum of individuals contributing meaningfully to a wide range of industries and fields. Through amplifying narratives like Mentra's, we help to pave the way for a more equitable and diverse professional landscape, where every individual's unique talents are celebrated and valued.
This project stands out for its comprehensive approach, encompassing concepting, strategy, design, copywriting, and production within an impressively short timeframe of just seven weeks. From the outset, our team delved into exploring diverse storytelling angles, culminating in the creation of a hero video and three supplementary cut downs.
Our approach for the short docu-style film was a video that told the story of Mentra from co-founders Connor and Jhillika’s unique first person point of view. We wanted to go on the journey of Mentra with their voices leading the way. Additionally, we featured and celebrated their Menta staff, some of whom are neurodiverse. Additionally, we leveraged a bright and youthful color palette for our film and interactive web experience to tap into the optimism and fresh thinking that Mentra represents. Accompanying our hero video was the development of a fully responsive web page design, crafted to integrate various illustrative animated assets that served to communicate both misconceptions and factual insights about neurodiversity, enriching the viewer's understanding of this complex topic.
One of our primary challenges revolved around condensing the video content to a concise 90 seconds. Despite the abundance of compelling footage captured over a two-day shoot, we navigated this task with finesse, ensuring that every frame was essential to the narrative.
Simultaneously constructing the web page layout while content production was in-flight presented a unique logistical challenge. However, by maintaining close collaboration between teams, we leveraged production assets to inform and refine our design iterations in real-time. This synchronized workflow facilitated rapid iteration and ensured alignment with the overarching creative vision.
Overall, our approach was rooted in agile decision-making, with the production team uploading daily footage for immediate review and integration into the evolving web page design. This feedback loop enabled us to adapt swiftly to emerging insights and refine our designs iteratively, culminating in a cohesive and impactful final product.
This project exemplifies our team's ability to navigate complexity and deliver exceptional results within tight constraints. By seamlessly integrating creative disciplines and fostering close collaboration, we not only overcame challenges, but also elevated the project to new heights of innovation and impact.
This narrative stands as one of the most captivating tales featured on the Unlocked platform, resonating deeply with audiences worldwide. Its accompanying video has amassed over 3.9 million views on YouTube alone, indicative of its profound impact.
It has sparked crucial conversations, elevating awareness and understanding about neurodiversity while dispelling harmful stereotypes and myths that often shroud this community. By shedding light on the experiences and triumphs of neurodiverse individuals, we feel proud to be a small part in the efforts that the Mentra team are doing to contribute to a broader societal shift towards inclusivity and acceptance.
The immense engagement garnered by this story underscores its significance in amplifying voices that have long been marginalized. Through its compelling portrayal of Mentra's mission and impact, it has inspired countless individuals to reevaluate their perceptions and embrace neurodiversity as a fundamental aspect of human variation. Our qualitative and quantitative research showed that the Mentra story resonates with consumers, positively impacts perceptions of how technology can improve society, and reinforces our Microsoft brand mission of technology empowering humans to achieve more.
As Microsoft Unlocked continues to champion narratives that drive positive change, stories like these serve as beacons of hope and catalysts for progress. By sharing authentic stories that celebrate diversity and resilience, we contribute to a more compassionate and inclusive society where every individual is valued for their unique contributions and experiences.
