And/Or's film for TOMS tells the story of how the world's first 'one for one' company has evolved
New York production studio And/Or has created a short film for TOMS shoes that explains how the company has evolved and its dedication to social good.
Based on TOMS' 2019 Impact report, it balances playful yet serious tones. It also uses a mix of techniques including live-action, tabletop, portraiture, design and animation, And/Or has delivered a video that feels like a cohesive, authentic part of the brand.
While many explainer videos can feel flat, generic, or overly serious, And/Or's approach proves how a vital message can be delivered in a creative way that doesn't compromise a brand's personality or the importance of its message.
As the Original 'One for One' company, TOMS mission has always been to use business to improve lives. In the beginning, that meant for every pair of shoes sold; they'd give a pair away. TOMS is now evolving its giving model to include shoes and impact grants, which enables them to develop lasting partnerships with the organisations they support, creating a more flexible and sustainable way of giving. Now, for every $3 they make, they give $1 away.
TOMS approached And/Or to help them communicate their new model. The resulting work uses a mix of archival content, newly shot material – which exclusively features TOMS employees – and bold design and animation.
And/Or's Kelli Miller, who directed the film, says: "A good explainer video doesn't just clue audiences into the facts, it offers them a chance to get to know the company they're interacting with on an emotional level, too. That balance of tone between personable and serious is something we really focused on."
Using ephemera, meaningful objects, authentic portraits and helpful hands of TOMS employees, And/Or communicated that this giving model was a group effort over time, and ensured that the change in the TOMS 'giving' structure was a clear takeaway.
"More than anything, we wanted our work to reflect the ethos and culture of TOMS giving, to keep partners and real TOMS employees front and centre, and to convey the work real employees put in every day to make giving happen," adds Miller. "We also created a visually consistent 'graphically evolved' look and feel that could find playful moments among the serious message and feel unique and ownable to TOMS voice.
