The driving idea behind “The Future of Identity” was to create a branded narrative that introduced AKA Identity as a trusted and innovative leader in the cybersecurity and Identity space. The campaign aimed to humanize the brand while addressing its marketplace's technical and dynamic challenges. The specific goals were threefold: establish AKA’s leadership credentials, frame the pressing problem of identity management for enterprise-level IT leaders, and position AKA’s solution as both unique and human-centric. Given the shrinking attention spans and crowded content landscape, the project needed to be not only informative but also compelling, interesting, and engaging, ensuring resonance with a discerning audience of CISOs and IT leaders.
This project was spearheaded and written by AKA Identitiy's VP and Head of Marketing Chris Cochran. Chris enlisted his long-time friend, multiple-time teammate, award-winning documentary director and owner of Aristoi Media, Ian Van Alan. The project followed the Double Diamond Design Methodology, encompassing discovery, definition, development, and delivery phases. The process began with extensive research into audience needs, market dynamics, and competitor strategies. During the discovery phase, collaboration between AKA revealed the need for a narrative approach rather than a simple explainer video. The North Star guiding the project was to humanize AKA and build trust by showcasing the company’s leadership and mission.
Execution involved assembling a talented team, including cinematographer Scott Peck, and leveraging high-quality tools such as Sony Venice 2 cameras and TLS Cooke Panchro lenses. These creative choices helped achieve a warm, organic aesthetic, diverging from the sharp, clinical look typical in tech content. A detailed 43-page creative treatment was crafted, including scripts, storyboards, and production plans.
Challenges included ensuring the narrative remained authentic while delivering the necessary technical depth, completing the project on a very modest budget and in a one-and-a-half-day shooting schedule to film both pieces of content. To overcome this, the team adopted a highly collaborative approach, refining the story and visuals to balance human connection with technological sophistication. The production schedule, coordinated by Catherine Kudulis, allowed the team to capture high-quality visuals across multiple locations, ensuring a polished, cinematic outcome in the allotted time and under budget. Another challenge was working with Burning Tractor to accomplish the projects VFX needs.
What made this work unique was its departure from traditional marketing formulas. By treating the project as a branded documentary, it combined storytelling techniques with design principles to engage audiences on both emotional and intellectual levels.
The project successfully introduced AKA Identity to its target audience, meeting the team’s objectives of establishing trust, articulating the problem of identity management, and positioning AKA’s solution as a unique, human-centric offering. The branded documentary format captured attention and resonated with the audience, making the message both memorable and impactful.
Feedback highlighted the quality of the production and its ability to humanize the brand while addressing complex technical challenges. The creative choices, including the visual style and narrative structure, differentiated AKA from competitors and elevated its brand presence in a crowded market. The project’s success lay in its ability to authentically connect with CISOs and IT leaders, making AKA’s debut not just visible but impactful.
This video AKA Identity, punched well above its weight in terms of brand awareness, category creation, and business acquisition.
