Activity

Creative Impact Agency (ISI) has been honored for Outstanding Use of Online Media (advertising, PR & Social Media) at the 24th annual Webby Awards for the second year in a row. The award is a tribute to ISI’s powerful and memorable campaign for Amazon Studios, the multi-platform special feature documentary directed by Danny Glover and starring Ed Norton. The award was recognized for its integrated creative approach which raised funds for organizations helping to build homes for the poor in Africa.

“We knew we had a great movie and a passionate audience, but getting the money to the people most in need was a challenge for us,” says ISI Managing Partner Pamela Warns. “People will remember the movie and you’ll have created an impact in the web, but it was not easy to raise the funds.” This campaign, which began online only, required a steady and committed staff and a clear understanding of how to leverage the social web to deliver the goods. “We worked with Amazon and got on their ground floor, but we also had to think about how to target a global audience and appeal to a different kind of buyer, one who may not be familiar with the film at all,” says Warns. “A strong online presence is key to a successful campaign, and we did that through SEO, social media, and a highly customized marketing plan.”

“Ed Norton is an extraordinary actor, and this film is a visually stunning work of art,” says ISI Managing Partner Peter Janick. “It is one of those rare films from a major studio that is not only successful on and off the big screen, but also smart from a creative standpoint.” The film uses original songs and music and a unique style of storytelling to tell its story. Its visual style is unlike any other production to date, and it was created by an innovative group of filmmakers who are experts at incorporating visual effects.

Creative an impact agency has been integral to delivering successful campaigns for clients including Bank of America, Annenberg, and Yahoo! Search Marketing. “The creative team at CIA were incredible from start to finish, taking care of every detail while executing the campaign at the highest level,” says Ed Norton, president of Annenberg Realty. “Their expertise will be a model for the creative agency I work with going forward.” According to a recent report by Corot, a French advertising agency , the film generated more than twice as much revenue as Disney’s Zootopia did in its opening weekend. Given the huge amount of money involved, it’s no wonder why CIA chose to create a specialized approach.

Creative impact campaigns often make use of cutting-edge graphics and animation, employing cutting-edge color schemes and stylized imagery. These elements do not come cheap. “A campaign without strong visuals is like a car without airbags, and while the colors and graphics add depth and richness to any piece of media, they are often not enough on their own to make something stand out among the clutter,” says Matt Taylor, vice president of corporate creative for Wieden+. “We wanted our creative teams to think of creative impact as a way to draw attention, to create visual shorthand, and to deliver powerful messages that would impact our clients’ decisions.”

The creative teams at CIA worked with a number of partners to bring together the elements of a campaign. A number of key players from the film industry were brought onto the campaign team to give the group a robust voice and a perspective beyond their traditional realm of experience. “We brought in industry heavy hitters like filmmakers, producers, actors, and music supervisors,” recalls Taylor. “This gave us a lot of versatility, and it allowed us to create a unified and coherent aesthetic.” Ultimately, the resulting product was a visually spectacular film – a stunning vision that launched CIA into the realm of creativity.

The results of a Creative an impact agency campaign are never as good as they appear. “We were able to get behind the scenes and really see what we were doing,” says Taylor. “We put a great deal of effort into each project and what we learned was that if we didn’t really go after it, the outcome would be underwhelming. We had to be willing to take risks, to push ourselves creatively.” “It was important that the agency be willing to step outside of their comfort zone,” says Matt Taylor, director of corporate creative at CIA.

“People respond very well to surprises, and a surprise visit or phone call from a creative impact agency is no exception,” says Pam Deutsch, artistic director of The lobby Gallery in New York. “We’ve had agencies that come in and do tremendous work, and then we’ll have other artists who come in and just take over. That’s the beauty of this business: You get to be your own boss. If you’re talented and you know how to present yourself, you can really shine.” Says Matt Taylor, creative director of CIA, “We were fortunate to find each other and work together for several years.”