Video Case Studies

Within a partnership through the University of Maryland School of Social Work and made possible through Catholic Charities of Maryland, idfive captured emotionally-gripping stories from the Ruth Young Center program, B’More SUCCEEDS. This program, through a 5-year, $2.7 million federal grant from SAMHA, seeks to support young people in Baltimore City ages 14 through 25 who are using substances and experiencing housing instability with comprehensive treatment and recovery support services.

fivers shot on location over two days, capturing b-roll and interviews, in order to craft a powerful message for the Ruth Young Center to use within future awareness and fundraising efforts. We were proud to support this necessary mission for Baltimore.

For Aims Community College, creating a video that flips the script on who they are and what they offer was a critical next step in rallying a local and national audience of perspective and current students, staff, and the community. After partnering with idfive on an award-winning brand, “All In” tagline, mascot, and marketing materials, Aims possessed a more cohesive and effective messaging platform to articulate the Aims advantage.

With a 90-second montage of students in experiential learning environments at multiple locations and state-of-the-art facilities—including commercial-grade flight simulators, maker spaces, and a new community welcome center, idfive was able to help Aims shatter the common perception of “community college.” Our video production team helped Aims go “All In” and be recognized as a first choice option and leader in higher education.

The Mid-Atlantic Association of Community Health Centers (MACHC) wanted to attract the kind of health care professionals who value patients over paperwork. As a community-focused provider dedicated to removing barriers to care, MACHC needed a recruitment video that highlighted its collaborative, familial culture and reminded viewers of why they entered the field—to impact patients’ lives.

To tell that story authentically, the idfive team went right to the source—MACHC employees. Their response to “Who should work at MACHC?” moves from “people like me” to a powerful final answer: “people like you, who are passionate, inspired, and ready for a more meaningful career.” 

For Goucher College to raise the $100 million dollars for an ambitious campus renovation effort, it needed to inspire donors, alums, and stakeholders to reconnect and give. 

Through a comprehensive discovery process, idfive found that graduates were most excited by recounting personal Goucher moments that changed their life trajectory. With this inspiration, we developed Goucher Undaunted, a comprehensive fundraising effort. The campaign video, shared over social media and during the campaign’s opening gala, expresses Goucher’s underlying legacy.

The campaign reached half of its goal in its first year and gave alumnae/i a reason to reconnect with Goucher—and each other.

Recruiting police officers has never been more challenging, especially for the Baltimore Police Department. The BPD needed an authentic yet hopeful recruitment campaign that demonstrated commitment to the people it serves.

Working with the department, idfive uncovered insights from hundreds of hours of officer and community interviews. The message was clear: the community didn’t want “cops.” They wanted the police to be a force for positive change. The “Who Do You Stand For” video answers that call in direct, honest language, narrated by the BPD commissioner. 

The results: between July 2019 and June 2020, applications to join the BPD doubled.

St. Mary’s College of Maryland was committed to turning the discovery of 19th-century slave quarters into a teaching, learning, and understanding opportunity—one that would challenge preconceptions and reorient perspectives.  

Poet Quenton Baker drew upon actual slave advertisements and runaway slave notices from Southern Maryland to create the redacted words of erasure poetry etched onto the exterior of the Commemorative the College constructed. 

Site visitors and video viewers are invited to literally fill in the blanks and confront what our shared past means to our collective future.

When a campus archaeological survey uncovered evidence of 19th-century slave quarters, St. Mary’s College of Maryland engaged its community in a dialogue to document the discovery, recognize its impact, and create a lasting commemorative memorial that would view slavery from the perspective of the enslaved. 

When COVID-19 forced the Commemorative Dedication online, idfive provided creative direction to create a video that brought the power of the site experience to a virtual audience.

The commemorative video turns the discovery of the slave quarters into an immersive learning experience — one that makes the invisible visible and gives voice to the previously voiceless.

When George Mason University needed to create a billion-dollar buzz around launching their next comprehensive campaign, they called in idfive to help make an unforgettable first impression. As the largest, most diverse, public university in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the youngest Research 1 institution in the nation, Mason has established itself as an innovator but wanted to leave no doubt that they are among the nation’s leaders in higher education. With a solid campaign messaging framework, script, and art direction provided by the idfive creative team and in partnership with Storyfarm Video Productions, the Mason Now: Power the Possible Campaign video was the exclamation point at the conclusion of the university president’s emotional first appeal. Rooted in the Mason story—a narrative celebrating the institution’s grit, determination, and audacity—idfive was able to provide an unforgettable opening scene for Mason’s billion-dollar campaign.

George Mason University and idfive didn’t let COVID’s second year get in the way of Mason’s spring Day of Giving in 2021. Instead, we took it as an opportunity to highlight the Mason community and underscore the impact that giving has on students.

The video’s “traditional” tone is disrupted at the 30-second mark, highlighted by the Mason mascot’s 6-foot, socially distanced arms. A clear challenge/call to action is communicated in a positive, light-hearted way, reflecting Mason’s can-do spirit.

From the client: “Engagement on social media went way up. idfive combined creativity with a get-it-done approach that was exactly what we needed!”

As home to the Center for LGBTQ Health Equity, Chase Brexton needed to provide accurate information about the COVID vaccination that would engage its diverse audiences, with a particular focus on the LGBTQIA+ community. 

Enter Vaxxy Nation & The Pandemics. 

This cartoon circus ringmaster  rejects dry government jargon and cuts right to the chase (pun intended). With  audiences from varied cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, including native Spanish speakers, the animated bean-like characters transcend many of the cultural barriers a human spokesperson might bring. The Vaxxy Nation character is disarmingly ambiguous and fun, with an aesthetic that works across all audiences.

With its early adoption of online learning, Walden University has always been a leader in using technology to increase access to higher education, especially for working adults.

Working with idfive, Walden used the occasion of its 50th anniversary and a “show, dont’ tell” approach to celebrate and promote the impact that their innovative use of technology has had on the lives of its graduates.  

As the video declares, “ While others may try to meet students where they are, we’re evolving our model, our technology, and our services to meet lifelong learners where they’re going.”

Sheppard Pratt has been a leader in psychiatry since it first opened its doors in the 1800s. One of its founding principles is that mental health hospitals should feel like a home. Through the centuries, that principle is reflected in the humanistic, therapeutic design of Sheppard Pratt’s facilities, with windows in all patient rooms that overlookt lush, healing greenery.

When Sheppard Pratt wanted a recruitment video for resident doctors, we highlighted the institution’s history, tradition, unique architecture, and sense of community as differentiators: This is place where all people—doctors and patients alike—are treated with dignity and respect.

As a leader in providing comprehensive, compassionate mental health and wellness services to a regional, national and global audience, Sheppard Pratt recognized the need to destigmatize its services. Our approach: equate mental health with physical health.

“Suck it up” is equally bad advice for someone suffering an asthma attack or a mental health challenge (although it’s much more likely to be used for the latter). In a direct, concise, and attention-grabbing style, the video repositions what Sheppard Pratt does, inviting viewers to pursue the healthy, fulfilling life they deserve.     

To combat the epidemic of drug overdose deaths, the Washington/Baltimore High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (W/B HIDTA) developed the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP)—a collaborative, centralized platform for use by law enforcement, public health and safety, and all disciplines responding to the crisis. 

To help persuade agencies and policymakers nationally to implement ODMAP, idfive produced four videos that highlight the tool’s benefits and positive outcomes. With direct narration from professionals in the front-lines of fighting the epidemic—including stories of personal loss—the videos make a compelling case for the collaboration that ODMAP makes possible.