How to tell a story that makes an impact

Microsoft Sweden wanted a fresh communication approach for one of their recent cutting-edge solutions. They wanted to move away from the superficial, futuristically styled imagery and stereotypical shallow high-tech promises. The brief was to create a unique motion media expression about the technology’s benefits and how they manifest themselves in the lives of the users. The technology itself should not be the focus of the story. Rather showing how it enables its users to live a better life.

Spoon developed a visual storytelling concept that gives way for the human perspective take center stage, as opposed to the tech. In the film, we follow Alicia throughout common aspects of her daily life, giving us a first-hand look into the circumstances that she, and other visually impaired students, face. Although the viewer might get a sense of Alicia’s difficulties, this is, first and foremost, a story about a girl who is determined to live her life just like everyone else.

The technology that enables Alicia to go about her daily life is only subtly present. Instead, the video zooms in on Alicia’s willpower and candour. Centering on the main character’s determination, the video hopes to encourage the target audience to see the opportunities in creating sustainable conditions for people with disabilities. The story’s angle and message is aligned with Microsoft’s mission “to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more."

As technology takes a back seat, the narrative captures the ways in which hope, and optimism prevail – despite the backdrop being riddled with obstacles. In that way, it marks a shift from the previous style of the company’s B2B content. The video is utilized to spark dialogue with school boards and municipalities, filling the gap between the overarching brand communication and the solution-centred content further down its marketing funnel.

The result is a story that adds significant value to the positioning of Microsoft Sweden as a conscious organization that wants to be a part of shaping a better society.

"Alicias osedda vyer" won Gold in the in the category "Best brand film B2B" in Publishingpriset 2022. The total reach was 16,9K via Microsoft's own digital and social channels. An internal campaign was also run via Microsoft's tool for employees on LinkedIn, with a reach of approximately another 4K with many nice comments.