MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade wanted to broaden the range of graduates applying for their Grad Programme. So they wanted help to make a video for web and social that would resonate with graduates from diverse backgrounds.
Client: Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade
Roles: Creative Director, Producer, Video Director, Account Director, Copywriter, Voiceover
Traditionally, applications to MFAT's Grad Programme were A-type Pakeha achievers for the most part. However, the Ministry wanted to increase the diversity of their graduates. By doing this, they hoped to expose a broader range of people to their work and, eventually, attract a more diverse workforce.
So, we needed a video that resonated with graduates - especially those from Māori and Pasifika backgrounds.
To do this, I talked to several MFAT staff, including employment, Māori and Pasifika advisors, to get a profile of what motivates graduates from those backgrounds. Things such as status, helping out their own cultures and making a difference were more important than factors such as travel and geopolitics, which motivate Pakeha grads.
I then worked with our animators to create a video that used MFAT's existing Māori and Pasifika graphic devices. We also tried to include many images that would appeal to diverse audiences without changing the overlying messages. This allowed the video to work on two levels, appealing to the traditional grad profiles and grads from Asian and Polynesian backgrounds.