Scheduling Links
“When can you meet?” What seems like a simple question can often lead to a lengthy, seemingly-endless back and forth: “10am on Wednesday?” “Erm, how about Thursday at 9am?” “Uhhhh, what about Friday at 11am?” Etcetera. UGH. Clockwise, an AI-powered calendar management app, sought to put an end to this madness with a solution: Clockwise Links.
Timeline Kick off — 1/19 Shoot — 2/23 Launch — 3/9 Scope Video (15, 30, 60 second) Paid ads Landing page Email
Scheduling Links
“When can you meet?” What seems like a simple question can often lead to a lengthy, seemingly-endless back and forth: “10am on Wednesday?” “Erm, how about Thursday at 9am?” “Uhhhh, what about Friday at 11am?” Etcetera. UGH. Clockwise, an AI-powered calendar management app, sought to put an end to this madness with a solution: Clockwise Links.
Timeline Kick off — 1/19 Shoot — 2/23 Launch — 3/9 Scope Video (15, 30, 60 second) Paid ads Landing page Email
Scheduling Links
“When can you meet?” What seems like a simple question can often lead to a lengthy, seemingly-endless back and forth: “10am on Wednesday?” “Erm, how about Thursday at 9am?” “Uhhhh, what about Friday at 11am?” Etcetera. UGH. Clockwise, an AI-powered calendar management app, sought to put an end to this madness with a solution: Clockwise Links.
Timeline Kick off — 1/19 Shoot — 2/23 Launch — 3/9 Scope Video (15, 30, 60 second) Paid ads Landing page Email
↑ Final 60s spot
↑ Final 60s spot
↑ Final 60s spot
The concept of the video focuses on an employee, Sarah, and her contractor, Ryan who engage in an increasingly absurd back-and-forth to find a meeting time. The setup is “old way vs new way”, with Links’ value props clear and center.
Authentic
Eclectic
Focused
Warm
Authentic
Eclectic
Focused
Warm
Authentic
Eclectic
Focused
Warm
Clockwise
Olivia — PM
Lulu — Illustrator
Fran — VP of Marketing
Charles — Head of Design
External
Third Coast Films — Video agency
Clockwise
Olivia — PM
Lulu — Illustrator
Fran — VP of Marketing
Charles — Head of Design
External
Third Coast Films — Video agency
Clockwise
Olivia — PM
Lulu — Illustrator
Fran — VP of Marketing
Charles — Head of Design
External
Third Coast Films — Video agency
Case Study →
Case Study →
Case Study →
“When can you meet?” What seems like a simple question can often lead to a lengthy, seemingly-endless back and forth: “10am on Wednesday?” “Erm, how about Thursday at 9am?” “Uhhhh, what about Friday at 11am?” Etcetera. UGH. Clockwise, an AI-powered calendar management app, sought to put an end to this madness with a solution: Clockwise Links.
Challenge
Crowded market
Group scheduling solutions, like Links, are a plenty: Calendly, Doodle, Cal.com and even the quirky-named Chili Piper are popular choices. The first challenge, then, was cutting through the noise.
Nuance
Clockwise Links works like these solutions, but with crucial nuance: instead of just suggesting available openings on your calendar, Links takes into account your preferences (like your working hours), and then suggests available times. The means that you keep a schedule that doesn’t have back-to-back meetings and everyone finds the best time to meet, not just the next.
Challenge
Crowded market
Group scheduling solutions, like Links, are a plenty: Calendly, Doodle, Cal.com and even the quirky-named Chili Piper are popular choices. The first challenge, then, was cutting through the noise.
Nuance
Clockwise Links works like these solutions, but with crucial nuance: instead of just suggesting available openings on your calendar, Links takes into account your preferences (like your working hours), and then suggests available times. The means that you keep a schedule that doesn’t have back-to-back meetings and everyone finds the best time to meet, not just the next.
Challenge
Crowded market
Group scheduling solutions, like Links, are a plenty: Calendly, Doodle, Cal.com and even the quirky-named Chili Piper are popular choices. The first challenge, then, was cutting through the noise.
Nuance
Clockwise Links works like these solutions, but with crucial nuance: instead of just suggesting available openings on your calendar, Links takes into account your preferences (like your working hours), and then suggests available times. The means that you keep a schedule that doesn’t have back-to-back meetings and everyone finds the best time to meet, not just the next.
↑ An abstract representation of how a user selects their Links preferences (animation created months later during the rebrand of Clockwise, c/o of Stina Wahlen).
↑ An abstract representation of how a user selects their Links preferences (animation created months later during the rebrand of Clockwise, c/o of Stina Wahlen).
↑ An abstract representation of how a user selects their Links preferences (animation created months later during the rebrand of Clockwise, c/o of Stina Wahlen).
Third Coast Films
The team tapped Third Coast Films (TCF) to produce the video with a goal to create a 15, 30, and 60 second video in 2 formats (1:1 and 16:9) for paid ads. When I joined, TCF was about halfway through the scriptwriting process which was taking longer than expected. Right away I saw the problem, there was:
Third Coast Films
The team tapped Third Coast Films (TCF) to produce the video with a goal to create a 15, 30, and 60 second video in 2 formats (1:1 and 16:9) for paid ads. When I joined, TCF was about halfway through the scriptwriting process which was taking longer than expected. Right away I saw the problem, there was:
Third Coast Films
The team tapped Third Coast Films (TCF) to produce the video with a goal to create a 15, 30, and 60 second video in 2 formats (1:1 and 16:9) for paid ads. When I joined, TCF was about halfway through the scriptwriting process which was taking longer than expected. Right away I saw the problem, there was:
No direction
No storyboards
Combined, this lead to confusion about how the video would come to life and how decisions would adhere to a larger creative strategy. ← Early script
Combined, this lead to confusion about how the video would come to life and how decisions would adhere to a larger creative strategy. ← Early script
Combined, this lead to confusion about how the video would come to life and how decisions would adhere to a larger creative strategy. Early script
To help stakeholders understand the value and need of both, I turned to Hollywood. The same script could look very different depending on the direction. David Fincher might make the story feel like it lives in a town that never stops raining (*cough, Fight Club), where as Jean-Pierre Jeunet might make it feel like a quirky, candy-sweet comedy (Amelie).
To help stakeholders understand the value and need of both, I turned to Hollywood. The same script could look very different depending on the direction. David Fincher might make the story feel like it lives in a town that never stops raining (*cough, Fight Club), where as Jean-Pierre Jeunet might make it feel like a quirky, candy-sweet comedy (Amelie).
To help stakeholders understand the value and need of both, I turned to Hollywood. The same script could look very different depending on the direction. David Fincher might make the story feel like it lives in a town that never stops raining (*cough, Fight Club), where as Jean-Pierre Jeunet might make it feel like a quirky, candy-sweet comedy (Amelie).
Lulu to the rescue
In order to align on a creative direction, we needed storyboards. And to create those, I needed someone who’s sketching abilities were waaaaay more coherent than my own. Thankfully we had Lulu, our way over-qualified in-house illustrator. In the span of a few short days she and I collaborated, rearranged, remixed, and ideated on different ways-in, utilizing both the current script + new ideas.
Lulu to the rescue
In order to align on a creative direction, we needed storyboards. And to create those, I needed someone who’s sketching abilities were waaaaay more coherent than my own. Thankfully we had Lulu, our way over-qualified in-house illustrator. In the span of a few short days she and I collaborated, rearranged, remixed, and ideated on different ways-in, utilizing both the current script + new ideas.
Lulu to the rescue
In order to align on a creative direction, we needed storyboards. And to create those, I needed someone who’s sketching abilities were waaaaay more coherent than my own. Thankfully we had Lulu, our way over-qualified in-house illustrator. In the span of a few short days she and I collaborated, rearranged, remixed, and ideated on different ways-in, utilizing both the current script + new ideas.
Authentic
Eclectic
Focused
Warm
Authentic
Eclectic
Focused
Warm
Authentic
Eclectic
Focused
Warm
The simplest direction was the easiest to produce and, happily, the most memorable:
Sarah is an engineering manager for Standard Corp and needs to fix a complicated bug by EOD. As she starts to settle in, she gets a ping from her coworker, Ryan, who needs to schedule some time with her. A back and forth to find a time quickly escalates in absurdity, ultimately getting solved with Sarah utilizing Clockwise Links.
The simplest direction was the easiest to produce and, happily, the most memorable:
Sarah is an engineering manager for Standard Corp and needs to fix a complicated bug by EOD. As she starts to settle in, she gets a ping from her coworker, Ryan, who needs to schedule some time with her. A back and forth to find a time quickly escalates in absurdity, ultimately getting solved with Sarah utilizing Clockwise Links.
The simplest direction was the easiest to produce and, happily, the most memorable:
Sarah is an engineering manager for Standard Corp and needs to fix a complicated bug by EOD. As she starts to settle in, she gets a ping from her coworker, Ryan, who needs to schedule some time with her. A back and forth to find a time quickly escalates in absurdity, ultimately getting solved with Sarah utilizing Clockwise Links.
Let’s get weird The task then became refining the exact scenarios that “escalates in absurdity”, which had to be: quick (to hook the audience) silent (paid ads start w/o sound) feasible (to hit our timeline) Challenge accepted.
ProblemWebflow is a simple but powerful website builder with a big cult-following. I worked closely with their internal creative team to develop their new Experts offering.
Let’s get weird The task then became refining the exact scenarios that “escalates in absurdity”, which had to be: quick (to hook the audience) silent (paid ads start w/o sound) feasible (to hit our timeline) Challenge accepted.
One idea had Ryan outside of Sarah’s apartment, knocking on her window, in order to get her attention. But that would require permits, finding a building, possibly building scaffolding and whole bunch of other nonsense. Nerp.
Another had Ryan swiveling in her lounge chair, like some kind of Bond villian, but that felt ... creepy. Or as one coworker said “Ick! Why is dude in her apartment?”
One idea had Ryan outside of Sarah’s apartment, knocking on her window, in order to get her attention. But that would require permits, finding a building, possibly building scaffolding and whole bunch of other nonsense. Nerp.
Another had Ryan swiveling in her lounge chair, like some kind of Bond villian, but that felt ... creepy. Or as one coworker said “Ick! Why is dude in her apartment?”
One idea had Ryan outside of Sarah’s apartment, knocking on her window, in order to get her attention. But that would require permits, finding a building, possibly building scaffolding and whole bunch of other nonsense. Nerp.
Another had Ryan swiveling in her lounge chair, like some kind of Bond villian, but that felt ... creepy. Or as one coworker said “Ick! Why is dude in her apartment?”
We even looked at hiring a sky-writing plane as if Ryan was going to elaborate lengths to annoy Sarah with his available times (aside, what a rad job!).
Or a wall stickies on the apartment across the street. But again, cool but not feasible within our timeline or budget/scope.
We even looked at hiring a sky-writing plane as if Ryan was going to elaborate lengths to annoy Sarah with his available times (aside, what a rad job!).
Or a wall stickies on the apartment across the street. But again, cool but not feasible within our timeline or budget/scope.
We even looked at hiring a sky-writing plane as if Ryan was going to elaborate lengths to annoy Sarah with his available times (aside, what a rad job!).
Or a wall stickies on the apartment across the street. But again, cool but not feasible within our timeline or budget/scope.
Feeling stuck, I turned to Hollywood again. One of my fave directors is Guy Ritchie, who’s known for combining match cuts with sound effects in quick order. I love how it develops the character, story, and location in just a few seconds. And it’s often parodied, like this scene from Shaun of the Dead:
Feeling stuck, I turned to Hollywood again. One of my fave directors is Guy Ritchie, who’s known for combining match cuts with sound effects in quick order. I love how it develops the character, story, and location in just a few seconds. And it’s often parodied, like this scene from Shaun of the Dead:
Feeling stuck, I turned to Hollywood again. One of my fave directors is Guy Ritchie, who’s known for combining match cuts with sound effects in quick order. I love how it develops the character, story, and location in just a few seconds. And it’s often parodied, like this scene from Shaun of the Dead:
Inspired, I made a montage of Sarah getting ready for work, a sort of work “mise en place”. It checked all the boxes: 1) quick (to hook the audience) 2) silent (paid ads start w/o sound) and it was 3) feasible.
Inspired, I made a montage of Sarah getting ready for work, a sort of work “mise en place”. It checked all the boxes: 1) quick (to hook the audience) 2) silent (paid ads start w/o sound) and it was 3) feasible.
Inspired, I made a montage of Sarah getting ready for work, a sort of work “mise en place”. It checked all the boxes: 1) quick (to hook the audience) 2) silent (paid ads start w/o sound) and it was 3) feasible.
Found this amazing place which, holy smokes was incredible.
Evaluated casting and auditions (which honestly was surreal to hear your script read out loud by talented strangers).
Evaluated casting and auditions (which honestly was surreal to hear your script read out loud by talented strangers).
Evaluated casting and auditions (which honestly was surreal to hear your script read out loud by talented strangers).
Remote art direction Because our limited budget, I was unable to fly to Austin to help with the shoot. This meant remote art direction, and lots of it. S/O to TCF for being accommodating throughout the filming process!
Remote art direction Because our limited budget, I was unable to fly to Austin to help with the shoot. This meant remote art direction, and lots of it. S/O to TCF for being accommodating throughout the filming process!
Remote art direction Because our limited budget, I was unable to fly to Austin to help with the shoot. This meant remote art direction, and lots of it. S/O to TCF for being accommodating throughout the filming process!
Product UI While TCF worked on getting everything filmed (and I waited not-so-patiently by my phone), I moved to articulating the product for screen. This meant drastically reducing what a user actually sees → create Link save preferences share the URL user picks time adds to calendar Creating understandable but nuanced UI in a video is always a challenge because it lives on screen for mere seconds, can look outdated quickly and a lot of info needs to be conveyed.
Product UI While TCF worked on getting everything filmed (and I waited not-so-patiently by my phone), I moved to articulating the product for screen. This meant drastically reducing what a user actually sees → create Link save preferences share the URL user picks time adds to calendar Creating understandable but nuanced UI in a video is always a challenge because it lives on screen for mere seconds, can look outdated quickly and a lot of info needs to be conveyed.
Product UI While TCF worked on getting everything filmed (and I waited not-so-patiently by my phone), I moved to articulating the product for screen. This meant drastically reducing what a user actually sees → create Link save preferences share the URL user picks time adds to calendar Creating understandable but nuanced UI in a video is always a challenge because it lives on screen for mere seconds, can look outdated quickly and a lot of info needs to be conveyed.
In just a few short, albeit dense, days, I iterated and iterated and iterated on UI. It was a whirlwind, but the result was a defined set of components that succinctly explained the UX.
In just a few short, albeit dense, days, I iterated and iterated and iterated on UI. It was a whirlwind, but the result was a defined set of components that succinctly explained the UX.
In just a few short, albeit dense, days, I iterated and iterated and iterated on UI. It was a whirlwind, but the result was a defined set of components that succinctly explained the UX.
After some light back n forth on the final edit - including impromptu narration from Anitaka - the result was addressed our challenges: break through the competition and communicate the nuance of Clockwise Links through a realistic, if a bit hyperbolic, back and forth between two coworkers.
↑ Final 60s spot
↑ Final 60s spot
↑ Final 60s spot
Launch With the video done, it was time to turn our sights towards the rest of the roll out. This included a dedicated landing page, social blast, and email. At that time, most of the surfaces were templated so the focus was on content creation.
Launch With the video done, it was time to turn our sights towards the rest of the roll out. This included a dedicated landing page, social blast, and email. At that time, most of the surfaces were templated so the focus was on content creation.
Launch With the video done, it was time to turn our sights towards the rest of the roll out. This included a dedicated landing page, social blast, and email. At that time, most of the surfaces were templated so the focus was on content creation.
Results We expected a slow burn on views since this was our first toe in the video waters, targeting 1) view rate and 2) CPC
Results We expected a slow burn on views since this was our first toe in the video waters, targeting 1) view rate and 2) CPC
Results We expected a slow burn on views since this was our first toe in the video waters, targeting 1) view rate and 2) CPC
367 views (at launch)
on Youtube
CPC $32 on $1.8K spend (normally $85!) for paid ads
