The Collective Project
AWARDS
Gold Cannes Lions, Bronze Cannes Lions, Cannes Lions Shortlist, (2) Bronze Pencils, Bronze EFFIE, Adweek Watch Award, Webby Award – Viral Marketing, (8) Gold ADDYs, (5) Silver ADDYs, Judge’s Choice ADDY
Project Description
Microsoft wanted to get college students to care about OneNote: one of their most powerful, least-known apps. But this audience wasn’t going to click a banner or watch a product demo. They're a skeptical bunch. Especially of marketing. So we helped Microsoft stop selling a tool, and start enabling a movement around change.
ROLE
Executive Creative Director
The Challenge
Millennials weren’t buying what brands were selling. Especially, not productivity software. They demand authenticity, impact, and purpose. If OneNote wanted relevance, it needed to show up differently: not as a product, but as an initiative for change. The challenge? Prove value and intent without pitching.
The Challenge
Millennials weren’t buying what brands were selling. Especially, not productivity software. They demand authenticity, impact, and purpose. If OneNote wanted relevance, it needed to show up differently: not as a product, but as an initiative for change. The challenge? Prove value and intent without pitching.
The Solution
Turn OneNote into a stage for student change makers. We’d find real college students doing putting real good out in the world. And, we use OneNote to tell their stories, amplify their missions, and mobilize others to get involved. No filters. No fluff. Just action, impact, and unification around a cause.
We launched with Albert Manero, a University of CentralFlorida student using 3D printing to build bionic limbs for kids. His nonprofit, Limbitless, became our first spotlight. To take it global, we brought in a different kind of superhero: Robert Downey Jr., who surprised a young boy with a custom-designed Iron Man–style arm. The moment went viral.
From there, we kept the spotlight moving by sharing stories of student-led orphan foundations, community libraries, and more. Every story reinforced the same message: OneNote isn’t just for taking notes. It’s for taking action.
The Summary
Turn OneNote into a stage for student change makers. We’d find real college students doing putting real good out in the world. And, we use OneNote to tell their stories, amplify their missions, and mobilize others to get involved. No filters. No fluff. Just action, impact, and unification around a cause.
We launched with Albert Manero, a University of CentralFlorida student using 3D printing to build bionic limbs for kids. His nonprofit, Limbitless, became our first spotlight. To take it global, we brought in a different kind of superhero: Robert Downey Jr., who surprised a young boy with a custom-designed Iron Man–style arm. The moment went viral.
From there, we kept the spotlight moving by sharing stories of student-led orphan foundations, community libraries, and more. Every story reinforced the same message: OneNote isn’t just for taking notes. It’s for taking action.
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The Solution
Turn OneNote into a stage for student change makers. We’d find real college students doing putting real good out in the world. And, we use OneNote to tell their stories, amplify their missions, and mobilize others to get involved. No filters. No fluff. Just action, impact, and unification around a cause.
We launched with Albert Manero, a University of CentralFlorida student using 3D printing to build bionic limbs for kids. His nonprofit, Limbitless, became our first spotlight. To take it global, we brought in a different kind of superhero: Robert Downey Jr., who surprised a young boy with a custom-designed Iron Man–style arm. The moment went viral.
From there, we kept the spotlight moving by sharing stories of student-led orphan foundations, community libraries, and more. Every story reinforced the same message: OneNote isn’t just for taking notes. It’s for taking action.
The Results
The Collective Project didn’t just change how people sawOneNote, it changed how they saw each other.
- 2B+ global impressions
- 46M+ video views
- 136M+ reached through owned media
- 300K+ OneNote downloads
More importantly, it proved something bigger: when you give the right people the right tools, small stories can spark massive change.
