Customer evidence film
Microsoft × Pantone
Turning decades of color intelligence into on-demand creative insight
Pantone has spent decades building a shared language for color
— grounded in research, human insight, and cultural context.
Together with Microsoft, they set out to translate that expertise into a system that could be accessed instantly, without oversimplifying what makes it valuable.
The challenge
Pantone’s expertise is deep, human, and hard to translate
Pantone’s authority comes from decades of research, forecasting, and human judgement.
The challenge wasn’t generating new insight — it was making that knowledge usable at speed, without reducing it to abstraction or novelty.
The challenge was to:
Translate decades of research into something actionable
Maintain trust and authority while increasing access
Balance automation with human judgement
Align a creative brand with enterprise-grade AI infrastructure
Part of an ongoing body of work documenting how global organisations are integrating AI into real-world practice.
The story
The approach
A controlled narrative built on clarity and credibility
The narrative centres on:
Pantone’s voice leads — Microsoft supports
AI presented as an enabler, not the hero
Human expertise remains visible throughout
Outcomes grounded in real use, not aspiration
The narrative was shaped remotely across locations, requiring tight editorial control, shared reference points, and clear intent at every stage.
Rather than positioning AI as a finished solution, the film frames it as a bridge — translating decades of research and human insight into tools designers can use in the moment, across teams and locations.
Execution highlights
Documentary-led interviews with Pantone leadership and technical partners
Real-world environments grounded in design and research
High-resolution screen capture integrated with live-action footage
Story flow used to reveal scale, continuity, and craft — not abstraction
Brand-safe visuals aligned with Microsoft and Pantone guidelines
Outcome
A launch film for Microsoft’s global AI audience
Featured as part of Microsoft Ignite 2025
Published on the Microsoft Azure YouTube channel
Used to introduce the Pantone × Microsoft collaboration in a public, global context
The film was designed to function in a high-stakes launch environment — introducing a complex collaboration clearly and confidently, without over-explaining or overselling. Its role was to set context, establish credibility, and frame the partnership in human terms.
Creative Direction & Production:
George Lewis
Director of Photography:
Chris Baker
Narrative, Edit & Post-Production:
Matt Osborne
Start a considered conversation
If you’re exploring a narrative-led film and want it to feel clear, credible, and genuinely human,
a short conversation is often the best place to start.
We’ll ask a few quick questions first — just enough to understand the context, the people involved, and what you’re trying to communicate — so that any conversation we have is focused and useful from the outset.
A calm starting point — no pressure, no pitch.
Not sure yet?
Feel free to explore more of our work,
or get in touch when it feels right.
