OutSystems may be the leading low-code platform, but low-code app development as a category isn’t well-known. Developers and technology leaders don’t enjoy being marketed to, so even when they hear about low-code, they aren’t inclined to tune in. Sounds like a perfect challenge for us: introduce a new category of product to an extremely skeptical audience while raising brand awareness — all in a 20 second video.
This was also a perfect fit with our sprint approach to campaign development. In a sprint, a diverse team of creatives — videographer, illustrator, art director and copywriter — use a set of timed exercises to take concepts from inspiration to execution quickly. It lets us create rough videos in a matter of days instead of weeks, evaluate them with the client, then refine or build on them. And since we’re a pretty tough crowd ourselves, if the idea made it through our process, it would likely get through to our developer audience.
Our idea was deceptively simple: two developers discussing their workload and mishearing “with OutSystems.” But making the spot and the humor work would all be in the performance. We took no chances. Not only did we cast improv actors, we also had them read with each other to make sure the chemistry was just right. We wanted, and found, actors with the ease and expressiveness to take our script and elevate it through their delivery and interactions.
Of course, once our hero understood the benefits of working “with OutSystems,” he’d never go back to working without it. The next spot in the campaign has him sharing his discovery with a friend — while using a robotic exoskeleton. This quickly and visually implies how much more productive OutSystems has made him, and it is also a fun, ownable element that can be used across different executions to bring the OutSystems brand to life. And honestly, who wouldn’t want a robot arm delivering coffee if they could get one? In short, we talked to developers the way they talk to each other. The result is a campaign that gives developers and CTOs something to smile about without giving them the feeling that they are being sold to, and some great characters we look forward to seeing more of.