The Client:
Bicoastal Tool is an award-winning, fully integrated production company representing top live-action and interactive directors for advertising projects. Utilizing their diverse in-house talent pool, Tool creates engaging commercial and digital content across all platforms.
The Challenge:
For 15 years, Tool maintained a solid reputation as a live-action production company representing top-tier directors to the advertising industry. When the company decided to expand its presence by becoming the first firm to represent digital artists, it needed help repositioning its brand. They challenged TRUST to create PR as forward-thinking as the work spilling from their studios, showcasing Tool's transformation from a traditional production company into a live-action and digital powerhouse.
The Strategy:
TRUST created a media strategy and digital materials that redefined Tool's identity both online and in traditional media, moving the company into the digital space with smart outreach and quickly expanding its profile.
TRUST enacted a three-part strategy to push Tool toward its goal of becoming a premier full-spectrum production company:
- Push the new brand into the digital space: TRUST brought Tool's ever-evolving skillset to multi-tiered trades, blogs, and relevant social networking hubs, re-positioning the studio as the digital firm representing accomplished innovators and visionaries.
- Put the focus on the people: Because Tool represents one-of-a-kind digital artists and shops working across the spectrum, TRUST prioritized those introductions, creating ad industry stars out of people like videogame visionary Jason Rohrer, Tool's new digital marketing exec Dustin Callif, and multiscreen director Jason Zada.
- ... and on the tech: From an interactive web-series, co-directed by director Matt Ogens and interactive director Grant Skinner, in collaboration with Sears/Craftsman/Y&R Chicago, to an experimental interactive music video for the band Cold War Kids, to original content for the sci-fi Universal Studios film Repo Man, TRUST drew out the details of Tool's ground-breaking work.
Because TRUST had to call attention to Tool's innovative and creative efforts, traditional PR wouldn't be enough. One of the highlights of TRUST's creative ad efforts came when Tool launched its Touching Stories iPad app, a first-of-its-kind innovation that granted users the power to interact with onscreen characters. TRUST hit the industry hard, not only locking in a five-day exclusive with Fast Company to unveil the product, but descending upon the epicenter of the advertising world - the Cannes Advertising Festival, with the haveYOUbeenshortlisted.com iPad giveaway. A multi-tiered fusion of digital innovation, social networking, and old-fashioned hustle, the promo put Tool's handiwork on can't-miss-it-if-they-tried display for the heaviest hitters in advertising.
The Results:
Due in large part to TRUST's relentlessly pushing Tool's work out across the media spectrum, the company is now known in the advertising and entertainment industries as a leader in digital innovation. The studio attracts the most revolutionary and sophisticated talent in digital advertising and entertainment, from content creators to videogame designers to directors to digital artists. This outstanding roster is regularly recognized for their visionary work, appearing in major publications and raking in hardware at industry award shows. Since Tool and TRUST joined forces, Tool:
- After missing the cut in 2007 and 2008, TRUST secured Tool's place on Creativity's top production company list for two consecutive years. The 2009 write-up positioned Tool on the vanguard of studios making the difficult but necessary transition to full-spectrum production company and showcased their rapid acquisition of top talent in a variety of mediums. In 2010, the write-up spotlighted Tool's plethora of innovative digital products, while reinforcing its strength at creating traditional spots.
- Was one of only three North American studios to land a spot in shots' 2011 top 10, an influential table ranking the ad industry studios who carry the greatest creative influence.
- Earned a slot alongside Netflix and DreamWorks on Fast Company's list of 10 Most Innovative Companies in film as a result of the Touching Stories iPad app.
- Became a regular on the awards circuit at major industry shows, earning, among others, a Webby for its Onion News Network Apartment Fires segment, an AICP NEXT for its interactive Cold War Kids video, a Cannes Gold Lion for its interactive issue of VIV magazine, and Emmy nomination for its Bud Light Magazine Buyer spot.
- Earned a coveted spot in Communication Arts' Interactive Annual feature.
- Established itself as a go-to company for speaking opportunities. EP Digital Dustin Callif has spoken at everything from AICP to the Cannes Festival of Creativity.
