We recently made a puppet show. A corporate training series, complete with felt characters, wigs, googly eyes, and slapstick jokes. Why did we do that?
The Golden Age of Corporate Film
Corporate filmmaking wasn't always associated with beige boardrooms and boredom. Once upon a time, in the first half of the 20th century, industrial or corporate film was considered the height of the new art/science of moving picture storytelling. The best directors of the day would transition from Hollywood blockbusters to biscuit company promotions to Pinewood or Shepperton Studios, and then onto the next project. There was no stigma attached to these different types of work, and when they played out to audiences in cinemas the world over, the viewer marvelled at cinematic glimpses behind business facades.
Betamax Corporate goes Magnolia
That began to change in the latter part of the 1970s and early 80s, when Betamax and VHS led to a wave of low-quality work, piped out from HQ to captive audiences in magnolia-painted rooms. Volume increased, corporate film lost its lustre. There were, of course, some notable exceptions, but the use of video as a communications resource for captive audiences destroyed quality, storytelling, and the brand of corporate video itself. In some ways, it still suffers from this brand damage.
The Rebound
That started to change after the turn of the century, when new equipment like the PD150 camcorder and prosumer non-linear editing platforms like Avid and Premiere put the power of studios in the hands of individuals. Broadband internet led to a further explosion in the use of video, and the rest is, well, history. Now, we live in a world of infinite distraction. As I write, my phone buzzes next to me every 30 seconds (I know, I should silence it!)
The New Wave in Brand Communications
The bar has been lifted more than we could have imagined. DSLR cameras put a stunning narrow depth of field in the hands of budget filmmakers, AI is adding to our ability to create incredible work. This is just as well, as our audience is more spoilt than ever. Netflix hosts defence budgets worth of content, accessible for less than the price of a pizza. YouTube, TikTok and Instagram Shorts algorithmically supercharge a growing world of content sucking eyeballs to the tune of millions of lifetimes per year.
The Bar is So High Now
Why does this matter? Because it means we have to be better than we’ve ever been to capture the attention, emotions, and memories of our audiences. We don’t necessarily need to spend Netflix-style budgets (but you know where to find me if you’d like to 😉), we do need to think carefully about the audience and how we engage them. What is considered ‘good’ is a high bar. This is one of the reasons we have been conducting in-depth research into the power of connection, through our podcasts, documentary series, and forthcoming Global Connection Report.
We’ve always produced a lot of learning and development work. It’s a great area to focus on because engagement and recall are essential. Over the years, we’ve made interactive games for the British Army, Allianz, and ABinBev, we’ve produced hundreds of training animations, but we have never made an L&D puppet show. That was, at least, until now…
Pushing Boundaries for Amazing Outcomes
Working with our client, The Trade Desk, and puppet creators, Big Howl, we produced a puppet series to improve communication within the business. It is always great to work with a client who is willing to take the risk and push boundaries, because the returns are so much greater. We were so stoked to be able to work with them on this project. The films help people to manage and communicate more effectively. I can't share them here, but I am able to share the behind-the-scenes ‘making of’ here:
You can see the work, and fun(!), that goes into getting a series like this made. But puppets? Seriously? Why was it all worth the effort?
1. Puppets Lower Defences
When we see puppets, we instinctively let our guard down. It feels playful rather than threatening or judgmental - perfect when tackling sensitive or complex workplace topics like compliance, ethics, or even conflict resolution. Humor and whimsy reduce anxiety, making the audience far more receptive to learning.
2. Humor Boosts Retention
Humorous content is naturally sticky. When training makes people laugh, they recall the content more vividly. Neuroscience backs this up: humor activates reward centers in the brain, triggering dopamine, which helps cement learning into long-term memory. A puppet cracking jokes is actually a powerful way to underline a subject for our brain.
3. Emotional Connection of Story
Puppets effortlessly lend themselves to storytelling, and stories resonate emotionally in ways bullet points never could. People empathise with characters, especially puppet ones, which means lessons embedded in a narrative become far more memorable. According to Stanford research, stories can make information up to 22 times more memorable compared to dry facts.
4. Puppets Disarm Cynicism
You wouldn’t believe it, but employees can be cynical about corporate training! Puppetry acknowledges this skepticism head-on and flips it. By doing something quirky and unexpected, you show employees you "get it." Ironically, puppets can make training feel more authentic, because it doesn’t pretend to be more serious than it needs to be.
5. Universally Engaging
Puppets work across diverse audiences. They break language and cultural barriers, convey nuanced emotions simply, and appeal to a sense of playfulness everyone has (even if they won’t admit it). Engagement spikes when learners feel something is universally accessible and relatable.
6. Novelty Drives Attention
Our brains are wired to notice the unusual. A puppet delivering workplace policies or sales training? That immediately grabs attention, cutting through the noise of traditional corporate messaging. Novelty engages the brain, making it far more likely people will pay attention and absorb critical information.
In a world drowning in content, doing something surprising - and maybe even delightfully silly - isn't frivolous. It’s strategic. Because the opposite of captivating isn’t professional - it’s forgettable. And unforgettable, impactful communication is exactly what we’re after.
Production Team
Executive Producer - Georgia Hammond | Director - Kevin Kelly | Producer - Courtney Schaefer | Production Coordinator - Kennedy Greenidge-Murray | Director of Photography - Mike Gialloreto | Camera Operator - Cara V Kersting | BTS Shooter - Matt Bilmes | Camera Assistant - Austin Mulhern | Gaffer - Tom Chaves | Grip - Manoj “Nooch” Gurung | Sound - Amelia Palmer
Production Designer - Lana Boy | Art Director - Logan Murray | Props Master - Sharon Vion | Puppet Wrangler - Rose LaBarre | Puppeteer - Emily Marsh | Puppeteer - Paul McGinnis | Puppeteer - Brendon Gawel | Puppet Fabricators - Big Howl | Productions Lead Editor - Matt Bilmes | Editor - Jordan Smith
Senior Producer - Nicolas Bebout | Art Director - Reagan Hicks | Copywriter - Sophie Perez | Creative Director - Evan Lambert | Project Manager - Christopher Newland
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