Accenture 'defies gravity' in support of mental health

Global consultancy giant Accenture shows its human side in this harrowing film about a woman struggling with her own mental health. Shot in vertical video, it draws the viewer into her emotional tumult as she confesses her stresses to someone over the phone. We hear about her challenges as the family breadwinner, trying to secure funds to pay for her mom’s bipolar medication, dealing with her aunt’s cancer and her grandfather’s recent death. All throughout, her physical world caves in around her. Furniture smashes against the wall, books and picture frames fly and she’s tossed about the room, finding little to cling to. With each scene, the viewer is prompted to turn their phone, further drawing them into the chaos. Titled “Gravity,” the film is actually the first in a series, part of the “#StoriesofAccenture Vertical Film Festival” campaign from Manila agency Gigil. It aims to showcase Accenture’s platform of “technology with humanity.” “Gravity” illustrates how the company supports its team members’ mental health. It brings to the screen the real-life story of an Accenture employee, Camille, who made use of iTalk, an emotional counseling service that the company has provided for its staff since 2005, on top of a comprehensive benefits package. Four more films rolling out in the coming months will highlight other aspects of Accenture’s company culture: inclusion and diversity; learning and development; corporate citizenship and workplace creativity and dynamism. The idea for the festival began as an internal crowdsourcing campaign for Accenture Philippines employees, who were encouraged to share their unique experiences at the company via Instagram Stories. From those, five were selected to be recreated for the “#StoriesofAccenture” showcase. Herbert Hernandez, founding partner of Gigil, says that the Accenture clients “were the ones who pushed the agency to find a unique way to tell their stories.” That led to the idea of using the vertical video format. “It’s our duty to give justice to these inspiring stories by telling them in an innovative way. We had no guide for what we were doing, but because of the client’s patience and support, we made it happen together.” (See how the agency and Accenture pulled it off in the behind-the-scenes film below.) Previous campaigns we’ve seen using the vertical video format include Apple’s genre-spanning “Vertical Cinema" film, directed by Oscar-winning helmer Damien Chazelle (“La La Land”). The work represents something of a departure for Gigil, which has been making a name for itself with its absurd, out-there comedy in the service of promoting underdog brands such as RC Cola, Julie’s Bakeshop, Mega Tuna and Unioil. Also, check out the 2021 winners of Ad Age's A-List and Creativity Awards.

Accenture 'defies gravity' in support of mental health

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