The Polar Institute was an incredibly unique think tank, dedicated to the science and international policy of both the Arctic and Antarctic. It was part of the Wilson Center, a congressionally mandated and funded institution tasked with studying international policy all over the world. Because the issues of the poles have never been as important as they are today, we needed to get policy makers, congressional staffers, and the public at large to pay attention. That meant a new kind of communication. Instead of academic papers and conferences, we wanted to bring real stories to the real people who have the power to make real changes.

I was brought on as creative director to help facilitate these changes. Over my several months of work with the Institute, we plotted a new path, completely unique for the think tank world. We tapped into the beauty and majesty of the polar regions to produce visually compelling content. This included starting a video documentary series that would tell important stories of the people and issues of the poles.

We started this series by diving into the fisheries of Alaska. I flew to Anchorage to interview scientists, industry professionals, indigenous tribal leaders, small business owners, and military representatives about the alarming threats to one of America’s most important sources of natural food.

I then acted as writer, editor, director, voice actor, and producer, and with a small team of creatives made something we are all proud of on a budget that would get laughed out of an ad agency’s conference room. We created smaller and completely unique pieces of content to drive engagement and tell a deeper story, increasing our deliverables without changing the budget. In the end, we released a series that made other think tanks jealous. This led to talks with other groups under the Wilson Center’s umbrella, as they clamored for this same treatment.

Unfortunately, the newly founded Department Of Government Efficiency deemed international policy unworthy of its already minuscule budget, and cut all federal funding to the Wilson Center. This ended our efforts, dead in the water. While the ending was tragic, I am still honored to have had the chance to work for such a good cause. Jumping back into the creative director role was worth the ride, and has only fueled my passion to do more great work for brands I believe in.