Drawn Closer is what happens when a brand with a strong purpose offers up its raison d'etre to a team of technological and creative minds. Sure, it’s branded communication, but it’s so thoughtfully and intentionally crafted that it manages to transcend the world of advertising and stand on its own in culture - a feat that takes real trust from every stakeholder. At the end of the day, Drawn Closer isn’t a commercial. It’s an animated short film, made by, for, and with the middle school students who make it so special.

COX’s mission is to help people have more real, human connections.

Yet to many of its customers, COX was just the regional cable and internet provider they’re stuck with – a utility bill at best – not a brand that shares their values.

We wanted to change that.

The objective: To strengthen COX's relationship with its customers by improving overall brand sentiment and trust in a highly commoditized (and negatively perceived) space.

The challenge: Show people that COX is not just a number you call when service is down at home, but a brand you can count on when human connection is down in society.

The brief: Create bold, real-world solutions that bring Cox’s brand purpose to life by providing real, human connection where it’s needed most.

When COVID-19 cancelled Thurman White Middle School’s play, we reimagined it as an animated film. We partnered with an Academy Award winning director and used facial tracking technology to turn middle school students into voice actors and performers. Each student got the chance to see themselves as an animated character designed just for them, and express themselves creatively for the first time in nearly a year. They also got to experience the milestone of performing with classmates again, all from the safety of their own homes.

A year into COVID-19, many US schools remained closed for in-person learning, leaving students isolated and missing out on important milestones and vital outlets for connection with their peers.

Within the entire school-aged population, it was middle school students who concerned experts the most. Amy Learmonth, PhD Developmental Psychology, said: “Social development is important at all ages, but the kids who are likely to suffer the most from the impact of social distancing are those in late childhood and early adolescence.”

While addressing their academic needs had been a focal point thus far, there were other social and emotional needs being ignored. Those missing out on extracurricular activities were missing out on a pivotal source of connection.

As a true connection company, Cox was poised to take action.

We asked ourselves: Can we reimagine what extracurriculars could look like in the COVID-19 era?

Drawn Closer ran over the course of two months on online and social platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube, as well as local Cox channels and OOH. This campaign ran in all 18 states in the Cox footprint.

Drawn Closer turned an isolated middle school drama class into a community again, giving them the chance to express themselves and connect with each other while giving the performance of a lifetime. The film received over 800,000 views on YouTube in the first month.