A signature story for a standardized giant

The global organization GS1 delivers business-critical standardization solutions for clients across a wide range of sectors and industries. These solutions and services impact the companies' profitability, growth, sustainability, interaction, control, efficiency and ability to meet government demands and regulations.

GS1 has existed in Norway since 1973 and has been a crucial part in the digitalization of Norwegian businesses and service areas. Yet, the complexity of the products and the differences in the sectors the company works with has made it challenging to craft a unified story at the company level. There is little doubt about the value the specialists in GS1 contribute to specific sectors. However, there has not been a unified story about the organization GS1 as a whole.

Släger was asked to lead the work of writing a unifying signature story and deliver a creative campaign to support this message. The goal of the campaign was twofold: Establish a clearer understanding of the organization internally and externally, and contribute to the acquisition of new customers and deepen relations with existing customers.

A signature story that distills and clarifies the value creation GS1 contributes to businesses, sectors, and society. For the accompanying creative output we chose a humorous film series. In the series, standardization and customization are personified by two characters playing out recognizable scenarios from sectors where standardization has an obvious higher value than the opposite. 

The actors Thomas "Fingern" Gullestad and Bjørn Myrene manage these roles in 10 short films that create nods and smiles among those who are familiar with the sectors.