In 2022 the global software company Autodesk wanted to create their first B2B commercial for Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC), a workflow-management tool that connects all subcontractors, engineers and architects on a construction project to one platform so everyone’s working off the same plans and seamlessly communicating with each other.

In our research we found that without this software on construction sites, it’s not uncommon for one small miscommunication to result in a monumental mistake. To highlight the need for ACC, we brought this insight to life with a 30-second commercial featuring a large-scale game of “telephone.” A foreman’s original statement, “We need to redo this wall,” quickly gets misinterpreted as it’s passed along on the noisy jobsite. And at the end of multiple relays, the miscommunication leads to the accidental construction of a 100-foot waterfall.

In this spot we show how one small miscommunication on a construction site results in a monumental mistake. A large-scale game of “telephone” ensues after a foreman’s original request gets misinterpreted as it’s passed along on the noisy jobsite. The statement “We need to redo this wall” becomes “We have to demo it all,” part of which turns into “demo it all,” then “material recall,” then “fire Paul.” And at the end of multiple relays, the miscommunication leads to the accidental construction of a 100-foot waterfall.

The commercial ran on the streaming apps of a range of networks, including Paramount+, CBS Sports, Discovery, Comedy Central, NBCU and HGTV, with a primary target audience of general contractors and a secondary audience of subcontractors.

After the launch organic search volume for ACC was three times higher than the previous year’s. The commercial also delivered an 8.8-point lift in aided brand awareness (11 times the industry norm in lift) and a 10.1-point lift in brand favorability (10 times the industry norm in lift).