Google is celebrating the IT professionals who changed our world in record time by keeping it working in the face of the single biggest threat in a century, with a campaign created by customer experience agency Apparent.
As the pandemic swept the globe, it took just 11 days on average for IT professionals to respond, setting up organisations to work remotely, connecting anxious families with loved ones and giving students access to virtual classrooms, and so much more.
Google Chrome Enterprise tasked Apparent to shine a light on these powerful stories by showcasing how IT professionals kept the world connected, learning and working.
The ‘Leaptakers’ campaign recognises how humankind have taken great leaps throughout history, from the moon landings to modern medicine. Now, the IT pros, whose endeavours and innovation often remain invisible, are being recognised for the rightful credit they deserve.
Apparent, which has worked with Google since 2012, embarked on a global search, engaging the IT community, harnessing partners and internal audiences and enlisted advocates through social media to get their personal stories of how they kept the world working during the pandemic.
From thousands of potential game changing stories, five were chosen. These included Life Lines from the UK, a project to provide virtual visits between critically ill patients and their loved ones during the pandemic, facilitating more than a million minutes of calls from 180 UK hospitals to loved ones around the world. From the US, Achievement First helped children thrive when schools closed their doors, delivering 2,800 education professionals and 15,000 children across three states with access technology they may have never used before. While in Nigeria, Special Needs Initiative for Growth, helped children and young people with disabilities access intensive STEM courses to gain confidence and show others what they’re capable of.
Michel Paquet, CEO and founder of Aetonix, the team which delivered Life Lines in the UK said: “It’s really the accomplishment of my career. I have changed the lives of people. That will remain forever.”
New York-based director Christian Padron and production company Scheme Engine were engaged to capture these inspirational stories, which were then turned into films and written articles.
Apparent further extended the campaign, which ran across a dedicated website hub, YouTube and through social media amplification, with a way to find and celebrate the Leaptakers by sending a customised thank you to IT teams, so not only would they feel more visible, but more appreciated, too.
Michelle Turchini, executive creative director at Apparent said: “As the pandemic hit and the world scrambled to different ways of working, learning and connecting with loved ones, it was IT professionals who overcame some of the most difficult challenges to enable ongoing communication seamlessly and at scale.
“The Leaptakers stories are just a small celebration of the challenges they faced, the solutions they built and the impact they’ve had on the lives of people across the globe, recognising the vital and ongoing contribution they made and continue to make every day.”
Steve Ervin, product marketing lead from Google Chrome Enterprise added: “During a time of incredible disruption, the IT Leaptakers stepped up to ensure the world was connected and kept working. Often going unnoticed, this campaign recognises the importance and significance of these professionals and their notable achievements.”
