Exploring the World of Corporate Films: Human Resources Films in Focus – Part 1

In today’s visual age, corporate films have become powerful tools for communicating organizational messages of all kinds. Through our new series “Exploring the World of Corporate Films”, we’ll dive into award-winning corporate productions and uncover the creative approaches and strategic decisions that elevate simple corporate communications into memorable, award-winning films.

Our first focus is on Human Resources films – where storytelling meets people management. The spectrum of HR films is remarkably diverse: from recruitment and onboarding to employee development, workplace safety, diversity and inclusion initiatives, as well as cultural transformation. Each brief requires a unique creative approach, yet all share the same fundamental goal: connecting with people on both professional and emotional levels.

At the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards, we have witnessed remarkable examples of how companies and organizations transform their HR messages into compelling visual narratives. To understand what makes these films so successful, we reached out to some of our past winners to share their methods and innovative solutions.

Let’s begin with one of the 2024 winning productions in the category Human Resources: the six-part video series “Welcome to Uelzen – Better than expected”:

We spoke with Kai Tenzer from Cyrano Kommunikation to get an inside look at how this award-winning series came to life.

1 The film series aimed to attract skilled labor to Uelzen, a rural district often perceived as less exciting than nearby cities. Instead of rejecting rural stereotypes, you embraced them with humor in a sitcom format. How did you arrive at this creative approach, and what advantages did this style bring to the campaign?

From the very start it was clear that we had to bring something fresh and different to the narrative. Because while the district of Uelzen has a lot of very nice corners, great landscape and a good number of high-performance companies, that is not unique enough. And given the existing image of not only Uelzen but rural districts in general we knew we had to produce something that would really raise eyebrows. So, we looked at the prejudices that exist when people think about Uelzen: boring, technologically backward, backwater people – that kind of stuff. Negative points like these cannot be countered with facts but only with an emotional approach. Humor as the core of that approach was quick to hand. The idea was: a mix between “Stromberg” – the German version of “The Office” – and “Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis”. We created a grumpy male character who really dwells on the prejudices – but experiences something very different. The series format was ideal for this kind of idea because we could focus on one core prejudice per episode.

Dealing with the task at hand in this way enabled us to put a smile on people’s faces, to highlight the great character of people in Uelzen: They can laugh about themselves – but they have a heart of gold, are very sympathetic and professional at the same time. In that way we could build a campaign that distinguishes itself from usual employer branding campaigns and that really adds to Uelzen’s image.

2 What were the biggest production challenges you faced, and how did you strike the right balance between entertainment, authenticity, and positioning Uelzen as an attractive place to settle and build a career?

Authenticity was the most important aspect for the campaign. In order to present the people and the companies in the best possible light and to achieve a high acceptance for the campaign within the district of Uelzen we had to incorporate them in the videos. So, we shot at a variety of locations in Uelzen and apart from the four main actors used only people from the district – not only as extras but for speaking roles as well. Shooting with non-professionals is always a challenge – especially in scenes with up to 30 people or youth football teams. Luckily everybody involved handled this extraordinarily well, courtesy of our great director and camera team.

Another big challenge was the tight budget we were running on. Every situation had to work out because we only had four days of shooting on location. The precise coordination of the script in advance was crucial for this. Everybody knew what to do at each exact moment. A lot of the scenes have an improvised feel to them, which makes up a lot of the series’ charm. But all of it was minutely planned and scripted in advance.

3 How did the local community respond to being part of the campaign, and in what ways did their involvement contribute to the overall success of the project?

As I said before, the involvement of the local people and companies was crucial. Portraying a district as loveable will never work out if you do not work with the people that live there. Luckily the whole community was 100% behind the project. From scouting the locations to getting extras to appear in the sitcom to distributing the final project in the end everybody really embraced it. That gives the videos the special authentic feel that separates them from other, completely staged videos. Winning two Golden Dolphins in Cannes was the cherry on top of the project and everybody was really thrilled about the success.

The second project we will highlight is “BCG – Passion with Purpose”, a series that earned two Gold awards in 2022. We are pleased to have Emily Lay from Casual Films sharing the creative approach and storytelling choices that made this series stand out, as well as her thoughts on what makes an HR film truly memorable.

Before diving into the creative process, take a moment to experience the films yourself:

1 Many recruitment films focus purely on workplace culture, but this series connects employees’ personal passions with their careers at BCG. What was the strategy behind this approach, and how did it help communicate BCG’s unique values to potential candidates?

BCG contacted us as they were looking to attract new talent from different backgrounds for a variety of positions. The films were to be inspiring, challenging and impactful. They needed to provoke interest through an unconventional approach that would differentiate the firm in a highly competitive recruitment market.

Identifying individual passions and drawing meaningful parallels with BCG’s Purpose Principles was central to the project. Each film was focused on one of BCG’s five core values: Bring Insight to Light, Drive Inspired Impact, Conquer Complexity, Lead with Integrity, and Grow by Growing Others.

After selecting contributors, our creative teams worked closely with each individual to explore their personal interests and how they each embody innovation within BCG. The final films offer unique insights into the challenges and rewards of a career at the firm, both personal and societal.

By combining metaphorical storytelling and striking visuals, each film draws a clear connection between the contributor’s passion and their professional growth. Through this personal lens, potential candidates are invited to imagine how their own principles and motivations might align with life at BCG.

Ultimately, by centering the films around personal stories over workplace culture, we created a deeper connection with the audience that cuts through traditional recruitment content.

2 The series had to be both inspiring and unconventional to stand out in a competitive talent market. What creative choices or film techniques did you use to ensure the films felt unique and engaging?

To make every film unique, it was important to both the client and Casual to select locations that were not only visually interesting but also reflective of employees' personal passions. This approach took us around the world from EMEA, to the US and APAC. Filming with local crews in cinemas and art galleries, to swimming pools and driving ranges.

Interviewing the contributors in these locations and capturing them interacting with their surroundings helped reinforce the theme of passion. For example, reflecting on artwork in a gallery or teeing up the perfect shot at a driving range brought authenticity to each story.

This grounded, real-world approach was complemented by abstract and metaphorical sequences to help illustrate broader ideas and communicate certain themes that are often hard to visualize. These visuals were chosen to complement one another and communicate a feeling or theme through carefully crafted sequences. Shots were often layered on top of one another, which played with composition and brought a new dimension to the overall aesthetic. Having the freedom and trust from our client at BCG to move away from traditional corporate imagery was refreshing. Ultimately, it gave us the opportunity to create something that genuinely stood out.

3 Based on your experience with HR films, what sets a truly outstanding one apart? Which elements or approaches tend to have the most impact?

Our most successful films in this space are those where clients prioritize the employees and their stories over overt brand presence.

Connection is everything, and what stays with people is the story and the emotion behind it.

If you have a strong narrative that resonates, you can create space for your brand to connect in a more meaningful and impactful way.

We would like to thank Kai Tenzer and Emily Lay for answering our questions, sharing their experiences, and providing such valuable insights into their work.

Stay tuned as we continue this series, showcasing two more outstanding HR films that have won awards in recent years – you won’t want to miss them!