B2B has a bad habit of leading with features and speeds
Sure, some do it better than others. But it’s still product front and center, just done in a cleverer way.
It was high time we bucked that trend. This is… Who is… Watson? The Day AI Went Prime Time.
Our audiences, like all of us, are people first, B2B buyers second
They’re getting younger, bringing fresh perspectives, and using LLMs for answers. Today, it’s trust that’ll decide which brands win, and which brands get left behind.
The challenge was, asking clients to “be brave, not boring” is a big ask.
So, we put our money where our mouth is to prove that a story-based approach to B2B marketing actually works. IBM Watson’s story was the perfect vehicle to showcase our storytelling ambitions.
Meet Celia Aniskovich
Celia is an award-winning Producer & Director who’s worked with Ben Affleck (The Merchants of Joy), as well as Hillary and Chelsea Clinton (Facing the Falls).
With her at the wheel, we knew this was THE opportunity to show how brand, technology, and human ingenuity create lasting impact.
Global screenings
After screening an advanced preview at this year’s Cannes Lions, we orchestrated premieres across New York, San Francisco, and London.
Each was accompanied by live salons with senior leadership representing both IBM and our own documentary team to maximize momentum and reach.
‘Who is… Watson?’ isn’t an IBM commission
It’s an ode to brand storytelling (before it was a thing), a short documentary about audacity.
One that details the brilliant people who bet a company’s global reputation on moving AI from lab to living room through its historic win on gameshow, Jeopardy!
A modern twist on a classic format
Unlike traditional releases, we fully integrated our digital and in-person channels. Think workshops, teasers, quote cards, ‘behind the bet’ snippets, and maker notes, all combined as part of an ABM-style approach to relationship building and promotion.
THE RESULT?
Who is… Watson? is proof that a repeatable model for documentary-grade B2B content exists. And the business we’ve driven off the back of this project only reaffirms our belief.
To date, we’ve seen:
6,054% ROI production costs vs. $8M influenced pipeline
30,000 views
Attendees across
New York (100),
San Francisco (45), London (90), and Cannes (40)
Brand storytelling RFPs from IBM, Kyndryl, Baker Tilly, and SAP
[CONFIDENTIAL]