Curly Helps DaVita Go Undercover

Sometimes low tech is the creative strategy to achieve a high result.

Recently, Curly: Creative. Communications. was asked to help our client, DaVita Clinical Research to accomplish that goal.  

As part of an internal video challenge, DaVita Clinical Research (DCR) in Minneapolis had to develop a creative and fun video on how they live out 1 of the 7 core values:  Fun, Fulfillment, Continuous Improvement, Accountability, Team, Service Excellence, and Integrity. 

Through a short called, “Undercover Participant,”Curly recently helped DCR go “undercover” to find out how their employees live out the core value of “Fulfillment” in their work.  

The success of this task lay heavily in the execution of a concept through good direction, staging, and scripting.

To achieve an undercover feel, we chose to use a GoPro camera, a selfie stick and small tripod instead of any high end equipment. This helped create the illusion of being undercover when used as a selfie, and the fish eye lens when placed at a distance from the talent, creates a surveillance camera feel for the piece. 

We scripted the story like the longer form reality broadcast show like “Undercover Boss,” but shortened to a 90-second format: 

  1. Title Sequence: Undercover music + GoPro video of the participant getting dressed with a branded intro with dramatic sound effect. 
  2. Introduction: A handheld GoPro standup with undercover participant introducing the place, his role, and the reason for going undercover. 
  3. Interviews: GoPro Camera placed into an office where the subject reveals how they live out fulfillment. 
  4. Conclusion: A “Confession Camera.” Talent sits down to a static camera in a room to recap and reinforce the soundbytes from each of the subjects. 
  5. Ending:  Branded Outro with an ongoing call-to-action soundbyte. This undercover agent is going to undercover at another location in the organization. 

This video was shown to an internal audience at a DaVita-wide conference.