Bruntwood: Brave Conversations

We were trusted with developing an internal comms campaign around diversity and inclusion for Manchester commercial construction leaders Bruntwood. The project was set to be a single film, centred around what a diverse and inclusive workplace looked like for Bruntwood, and what they were doing to encourage this atmosphere - but after some honest, challenging conversations, we were able to shape the final project into something far more powerful than your standard D&I statement. 

When it comes to diversity and inclusion, we felt that the key was honesty - even if this paints a challenging picture. We felt there was no point making a film about D&I without, well, including a diverse cast of voices from inside Bruntwood, and being totally candid about what it really looks like from the point of view of the people it’s for. 

With this in mind, we built a series of films that took a real cross-section of Bruntwood’s employees, and engaged in some real conversations with them about what it’s like working there. The new angle showcased difficult, brave conversations where everyone felt completely safe to be honest, even (and especially) when what we were hearing was unflattering. And what we produced was an authentic force for change, straight from the hearts of the people it will go on to affect. 

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We spent a day with our cross-section of Bruntwood’s team - people from all levels and all areas of the company - getting to know them, and the stories we were going to tell. Ranging from race to gender to parenthood to sexuality, to class to education to mental health: we knew it was important that these stories and these voices sat at the centre of the film. After holding these initial conversations, we then sat people down one by one on a really stripped-back set to speak with them on camera about whatever they were comfortable sharing - no bells and whistles or fancy shots, just voices and stories. 

We felt each of these people deserved the space within the film to share what they needed to, and it was essential that they were heard. So, we ended up with 8-10 longer form interviews of about 5-10 minutes each, as well as a montage of the most impactful moments.

Supporting the people brave enough to speak with us was paramount to this project, so everyone involved had full creative signoff on everything they were involved in. We started by screening just to our interviewees, so they could share any comments, then we shared the films with the whole company. 

That’s when Bruntwood realised the wider conversations they could start by sharing this honest, no-frills look at their own workplace - and decided to share the films externally too. So we were asked to develop a strategy for their campaign, and translate the power and honesty of the film series we created into a further-reaching message.

The simplicity and vulnerability of Brave Conversations meant that Bruntwood were able to truly resonate with both their own team, and the wider community - as well as commit to driving meaningful change. What could have been a quiet project without real impact turned into a powerful force of awareness that not only met Bruntwood’s needs but exceeded them, and made its stamp within the company for good.