Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute
GDI In a Nutshell
After a brilliant first project about the future of artificial intelligence, we were delighted to work again with the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute. This time, we made an animation to summarize who they are and what they do.
The brief
The GDI has many strings to its bow. But often people fail to understand this, getting bogged down with their trend research work. This video aimed to hammer home the range of services the GDI offers.
We also hoped to capture the intangible – the magic of the GDI headquarters hub: “Where great minds meet.”
To do so, a creative team had the pleasure of flying out to Lake Zurich to meet GDI staff and see where the magic happens.
The animation
The first task was to get the script nailed down. We workshopped the GDI’s messaging, considering where it was clear and what could be more explicit.
To help business leaders imagine how the GDI’s different services might help them, we based the script on three different hypothetical case studies. In each case, a business leader comes to the GDI with a unique business problem and we hear how they tackled it together. This way, we invite the audience to think beyond trend research services and imagine how the GDI might serve their case.
The GDI don’t just give you a report and wish you the best; their solutions capability helps you transform foresight and insights into focused ideas and solutions. Moreover, the GDI Leadership and Transformation capability empowers leaders to transform their organization with a clear vision and a strong culture.
Once the script was polished, it was time for the visuals, and so much time and love went into every detail.
The animation begins in 1962 with a sketch of Gottlieb Duttweiler, the retail pioneer and founder of the institute. He’s laying the first stone and imagining what the institute could be. As the animation unfolds, this simple image is expanded upon until we reach today, and the detail-rich big picture of he building and its gardens is revealed.
We wanted the film to feel true to the GDI, so our creative team researched details like fashion and business trends over the last 50 years and the directions to keep tabs on in the future. Many of the characters are real people involved with the GDI, and the building design was carefully mapped out and furnished with accurate interiors.
The finishing line for the film, brainstormed at the institute itself, sums up what the GDI is about: “Don’t wait for the future to happen… The best way to prepare for the future is to create it”.
The Client
The GDI is a Swiss think tank that researches the future to inspire and empower organizations to shape their field. They provide future studies and trend reviews, hold speeches and conferences, develop innovation strategies and processes and release leadership potential for successful transformations.
The context
Find out more about the work of the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute by visiting their website.
To turn your complex idea into a whiteboard animation, contact us or book a creative consultation today.
