Olympus
Long Form Branded Content at the Center of a 100-Year Anniversary
CHALLENGE:
Create a branded content documentary series that would encapsulate 100 years of innovation across Olympus’ three primary business units; Medical, Imaging, and Scientific Solutions.
APPROACH:
With such a rich and extensive history of game-changing products and innovations to pull from, we dove deep into the exploratory phase of the project for the iconic brand. We got personal, interviewing more than 30 individuals from different perspectives on Olympus’ business and their impact on humanity. Interviews, historical documents, academic writings, and photographic research provided the backbone for the story, while production included 15 shoot days over 3 months, across the U.S. and Japan.
When learning about Olympus’ history in photography, one aspect became very clear: camera making is an altruistic pursuit. It is a way to communicate ideas, history, emotions, and memories. Olympus cameras are a response to the natural ways people want to take photos and what they want to take photos of. With the ever-inspiring designer, Yoshihisa Maitani, at the helm, Olympus carved their name in the history books with classic designs such as the Pen, the OM-1, and the invention of the micro four thirds camera system. Their ultimate motive is to provide people of all means the ability to take photos.
Olympus’ dedication to making people’s lives healthier, safer, and more fulfilling is intrinsically represented within their Medical business. With pioneering devices such as the first practical gastrocamera and the endoscopic video system, Olympus laid the groundwork for gastroenterology as we know it today. Next time you walk into a medical facility, look around and take note. Chances are an Olympus device is being used in the process to make your experience move comfortable and effective.
Olympus’ Scientific Solutions business revolves around the idea of seeing beyond the limits of the human eye. Through their microscopes, industrial endoscopes, and radiographic instruments, Olympus provides the opportunity to see inside objects and organisms. From the development of new medicines to the internal safety inspections on airplanes, their objective is to witness, analyze, process, and learn about the inner mechanisms of life. With this knowledge, specialists harness the power to provide safer environments and procedures for the public good.
RESULTS:
The 3-part video campaign became the featured branded content for Olympus’ 2019 Anniversary marketing efforts, driving conversation about the human side of the brand – stories that had yet to be told. The unique narratives engaged audiences and garnered attention from stakeholders and brand enthusiasts from around the world.